It was Blessed Dominic Barberi who received St John Henry Newman into the full communion of the Catholic Church on a wet evening in October 1845. A tireless preacher, he was moved beyond words to see Newman at his feet, asking for his help. Blessed Dominic himself saw his English mission in this way: ‘[There were] innumerable crosses and difficulties and such that at times I saw myself at the very end and almost at the point of turning back. I am certain that many people would want to come here; but if they saw what I saw and had to suffer what I suffered, almost all of them would change their mind. Oh, my God! My God! How much I have to suffer! I have been preparing for this for 28 years and I see that this preparation is not enough. The divine will alone sustains me: I am here because God has wanted this from all eternity. Blessed be his holy Name. This is my only strength’.

May we too find our only strength in Him; may Blessed Dominic pray for us, and may we all be blessed by God this day.