St Edmund’s Parish Celebrates Feast of Its Patron Saint
December 8, 2025
Solemn Mass for the Immaculate Conception
December 9, 2025
Matthew Allen, a seminarian from the Diocese of East Anglia reflects on the profound privilege of serving as a deacon alongside Pope Leo XIV at the Papal Mass declaring Saint John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church.
Serving as a deacon at the Papal Mass for the declaration of Saint John Henry Newman as a Doctor of the Church was a privilege I will never forget. The beauty and scale of the celebration were striking, but what has remained with me most are the small moments of grace shared between people — in prayer, in service, and in thanksgiving.
Before the Mass, we vested inside a completely empty St Peter’s Basilica — a rare sight, given how often it is filled with pilgrims from around the world. Screens had been placed around the side altars to create temporary sacristies, and our group was assigned to the one beside the tomb of Saint John Paul II. Standing there in silence, preparing for the liturgy just a few feet from his resting place, gave the morning a profoundly prayerful tone. It was also slightly surreal for us seminarians from the Beda College to be vesting alongside cardinals we had only ever seen in the media.
As we moved into position, we found ourselves in a slow-moving line near Michelangelo’s Pietà. We soon realised why: Pope Leo was greeting each person with a warm smile and a handshake. That simple, personal encounter steadied our nerves and reminded me that, even at its grandest, the Church is a family lovingly gathered around God.
Later, I assisted with the distribution of Holy Communion — a moment that touched me deeply. Seeing St Peter’s Square filled with pilgrims from so many nations coming forward to receive the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament was breathtaking. I felt a particular glow of pride for our own Diocese of East Anglia when I noticed another of our deacons, Reverend Paul Raynes from Ely, serving nearby. What a small world!
Saint John Henry Newman taught the Church how to follow Christ with honesty and courage. Hearing him proclaimed a Doctor of the Church brought to mind his well-loved prayer, Lead, kindly Light — a reminder that the Lord guides us one step at a time, and that each of us, in our own way, is invited to follow His call.
Saint John Henry Newman, pray for us.
