Home parish: St. John the Evangelist Parish, Daylight
Education: House of Formation, Evansville; Class of 2032
Saint: Newman
Finding hope in Newman’s witness
By Austin Wolf, Special to The Message
Editor’s note: This year, Diocesan seminarians focused their annual seminarian profiles on a saint or someone on the road to sainthood who gives them hope in honor of the Jubilee Year of Hope.
What sustains us when life requires transformation? St. John Henry Newman, born in early 19th-century London, offers a compelling example. After becoming an Anglican priest in 1825, he served at Oxford before his pursuit of truth eventually led him to the Catholic Church in 1845. Newman went on to become a Catholic priest, was later named a cardinal, ultimately canonized a saint, and most recently declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIV.
One of Newman’s greatest contributions — education — shaped my life through the Newman Catholic Community at the University of Southern Indiana. It became the place where I first pursued an intimate relationship with Christ. My college years were marked by true friendships and rich formation. Today, I carry great hope for my own vocation and for the many others being formed through Newman Centers worldwide. These spaces soften hearts, making a dwelling place for the Lord.
This hope extends to all who share the universal call to holiness. Newman reminds us: “God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.” His words call for a generous response. When we surrender our plans to God, we are set free. And as we move closer to the purpose for which He created us, we discover a lasting joy that endures through change and creates hope for others along the way.