St. John Henry Newman Declared Patron of Catholic Education and Doctor of the Church

Vatican City, October 23, 2025: Pope Leo will name St. John Henry Newman as the patron saint of Catholic education in a document set for release on 28 October, marking the 60th anniversary of Gravissimum Educationis, the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on Christian education.

The Pope will designate Newman as co-patron of education, alongside St. Thomas Aquinas, during the Vatican’s Jubilee of the World of Education from 27 October to 1 November. The event is expected to attract around 20,000 pilgrims.

At the closing Mass of the jubilee on 1 November, the solemnity of All Saints, St. John Henry Newman will also be proclaimed the 38th Doctor of the Church. The announcement was made by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, during a press conference on 22 October.

Describing Newman as an “extraordinary educator and great inspiration for the philosophy of education,” Cardinal de Mendonça emphasised the saint’s lasting influence on Catholic thought and learning.

Pope Leo XIV’s forthcoming document will also commemorate Gravissimum Educationis and reflect on its continuing relevance and the modern challenges facing Catholic education. “It will reflect on the topicality of the declaration and on the challenges that education must confront today, particularly within Catholic schools and universities,” de Mendonça said.

The cardinal highlighted that Gravissimum Educationis played a pivotal role in shaping the contemporary vision of education. It marked “an important change in the language, that is, the mentality, for speaking about school—not in terms of institutions but rather in terms of educational communities,” he explained.

Quoting from the Pope’s upcoming document, de Mendonça said Gravissimum Educationis “has lost none of its bite” since its publication. “Since its reception, a constellation of works and charisms has been born ... a spiritual and pedagogical heritage capable of crossing the 21st century and responding to the most pressing challenges,” Pope Leo XIV writes.

“This heritage is not set in stone: it is a compass that continues to point the way,” the Pope adds. “Today’s expectations are no less than those the Church faced 60 years ago. Indeed, they have expanded and become more complex. History challenges us with new urgency. Rapid and profound changes expose children, adolescents, and young people to unprecedented fragility. It is not enough to preserve: we must relaunch.”

The Pope also urges Catholic institutions to begin “a new season that speaks to the hearts of the new generations, recomposing knowledge and meaning, competence and responsibility, faith and life.”

According to recent Vatican statistics shared during the press conference, there are 230,000 Catholic universities and schools across 171 countries, serving nearly 72 million students.

St. John Henry Newman Declared Patron of Catholic Education and Doctor of the Church

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