St. John Henry Newman (February 21, 1801 - August 11, 1890), Doctor of the Church

Dear Friend of the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies,

Despite the snow and wintry conditions in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area, the institute was proud to host an afternoon academic conference entitled “John Henry Newman, Doctor of the Church at 225,” on the campus of The Catholic University of America.

The conference was hosted in conjunction with the School of Canon Law, the School of Theology and Religious Studies, and the School of Philosophy, on Monday, February 23, 2026, from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. The presentations were followed by a reception from 5:00 to 6:00 PM.

Our speakers were:

• Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fields: S.J., Hackett Family Professor in Theology, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, Georgetown University, who presented on “Newman's Prophetic Cura Personalis”

• Matthew Walther: Editor, The Lamp, who presented on “The Revelation of a Life: Hagiography Vs. Biography”

  and

• Rev. Msgr. Andrew R. Wadsworth, C.O.: Director, St. Gregory Institute, Dept. of Ancient & Medieval Languages & Cultures, The Catholic University of America, and Provost of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, Washington, DC, who moderated our panel discussion on Newman and his relevance in the contemporary Church.

A recording of the conference will be available here when finalized.​

Sincerely yours,

David P. Long, S.T.L., M.Phil., J.C.D.

Dean, School of Professional Studies

Assistant Professor, School of Canon Law

Director, Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies