Newman: Beatified Catholic Convert Poet?

At Chesterton and Friends I recently wrote a piece about Catholic Convert Poets.

That post was in response to another blog's lisiting of five Catholic Convert Poets: Denise Levertov, Gerard Many Hopkins, Thomas Merton, Oscar Wilde, and Paul Claudel. I mentioned that G. K. Chesterton had been left off the list. I also named some others, including Cardinal John Newman.

Cardinal Newman is in the news for another reason: He is apparently one step closer to beatification.

According to a news account in the Daily Mail, a miracle has been credited to him. Deacon Jack Sullivan from Boston, Massachussetts, prayed to Cardinal Newman and recovered from crippling back pain.

The article says Cardinal Newman could potentially be beatified as early as December. If a second miracle is attributed to him, then he would be one step closer to being declared a saint.

Of course, even if he is not recognized officially, he would still be a saint. And a poet.

The Sign Of The Cross

WHENE’ER across this sinful flesh of mine
I draw the Holy Sign,
All good thoughts stir within me,
and renew Their slumbering strength divine;
Till there springs up a courage high and true
To suffer and to do.

And who shall say,
but hateful spirits around,
For their brief hour unbound,
Shudder to see, and wail their overthrow?
While on far heathen ground
Some lonely Saint hails the fresh odor,
though Its source he cannot know.