THE visit to the UK of Pope Benedict XIV last month brought with it its fair share of controversy, but it also included a very important event - the beatification of Cardinal Newman.
The ceremony, which is the first step towards granting a figure sainthood by the Catholic Church, was the latest milestone in recognising the man's life and work.
Cardinal Newman was an academic and clergyman in the Church of England who converted to catholicism, and was instrumental in securing recognition for his new church in the UK.
Ealing played a vital part in his life.Born John Henry Newman in London on February 21, 1801, he was the eldest in a family of three sons and three daughters.
When he was seven, Newman was sent to Great Ealing School, a proud bastion of education, in St Mary's Road. At the time, the school was considered on a par with public schools such as Eton or Harrow.
Like most schools of its kind at that time, it placed a huge emphasis on sport, but that held little attraction for Newman.
Instead, he focused on academia and was a voracious reader of all manner of books, from the works of Scottish historical writer Walter Scott to verses of the poet Robert Southley.
Even at 14, Newman was showing a keen interest in matters of faith and read works on scepticism by writers like Thomas Paine and David Hume.
When he was 15, Newman underwent a spiritual experience and conversion. In his religious autobiography, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Newman described his awareness of that moment as 'more certain than that I have hands or feet'.
He was spurred on by Walter Mayers, his classics teacher at the Great Ealing School, who provided him with further reading.
By the autumn of 1816, Newman had finished at the Great Ealing School and was sent to Trinity College, Oxford University.
Such was Newman's desire to do well in his final exams that the pressure got to him and, suffering from anxiety, he broke down and graduated with only third-class honours.
But he stayed in Oxford and continued to devote his time to academia. He took private pupils and read at an institute named Oriel, an acknowledged centre of intellectualism.
On June 13, 1824, Newman was ordained a deacon in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, and was made priest one year later.
At that time, he was a key figure in the Oxford Movement, an influential group of Anglicans which wished to return the Church of England to many Catholic beliefs and forms of worship
What followed was a long and convoluted history of Newman's interaction with the church and key figures in it and he continued his ecclesiastical studies.
There is not enough space here to profile this phase of his life in detail, but one of the most seminal moments in his life occurred on October 9, 1845, when he was received into the Roman Catholic Church.
This conversion would cost Newman dearly, as he lost many friends and colleagues over the decision. Nonetheless, his ascent continued and he was ordained in Rome shortly after.
Not long after that, he settled in Edgbaston, Birmingham, and founded the London Oratory, a Catholic community of lay brothers based in Brompton Road, Kensington.
He would continue to pursue his love of academia and study, writing widely on matters close to his heart and even delving into poetry.
In 1854, at the request of Irish Catholic bishops, he helped establish the Catholic University of Ireland, now known as University College Dublin.
In 1878, he was made an honorary fellow at his former university and in 1879, he finally became a cardinal.
This phase now marks the twilight of Newman's life and career.
From the second half of 1886, his health began to steadily decline. He died of pneumonia in Birmingham on August 11, 1890.
He was buried at a cemetery in Rednal Hill next to his lifelong friend and former housemate, Ambrose St John. He left behind a considerable legacy, and St Peter's Church in Ealing still remembers Cardinal Newman and his place in the borough.
SIC: TEG/UK