Cardinal Newman archive to become digital library

The University of Manchester
22 May 2013
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=10076

A three-year project to digitise the tens of thousands of documents produced by one of the most important and prolific Christian thinkers of the past 200 years has been launched.

John Henry Cardinal Newman's enormous handwritten archive, kept at the Birmingham Oratory, will be captured by a team of experts using cutting edge equipment at The University of Manchester's John Rylands Library.

The documents, thought to number around 200,000, will then be re-housed at the Birmingham Oratory in custom made boxes, made by the collection care team at Rylands.

US-based National Institute for Newman Studies initiated the groundwork for the project over ten years ago.

It is now funding and managing the £386,000 digitization, which will transform the archive into a comprehensive digital library that will eventually include all of Newman’s published and unpublished works.

Newman, who died in 1890 aged 89, was an academic and a clergyman in the Church of England before he converted to Catholicism. 

Then, as a Catholic priest his influence increased still further and continues to this day. Pope Leo XIII made him a Cardinal in 1879.

In 2010, he was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI, the final stage before being declared a saint.

Newman was a prolific writer, exchanging letters with the public, leading figures, and even prime ministers. His books and essays are read across the world.

He joined the Roman Catholic Church in 1845, and pursued a life of study and prayer, mainly in the Catholic parish of the Birmingham Oratory.

Father Ignatius Harrison, the Provost of the Birmingham Oratory, said: "Cardinal Newman is a towering figure of Christian thought, and has had an enduring influence on modern Western intellectual life.

"His long life of ministry and scholarship left a deep mark on the national consciousness of Britain, transforming its ecclesial, devotional, intellectual, and popular identities in ways we are still only beginning to understand.

"Through his prolific and widely influential writings and his example of practical holiness, Newman also left a deep and lasting impression on the non-English-speaking world.

"So this hugely important collection provides a unique record of an influential churchman who is one of the most important voices in recent western European thought."

Mary Jo Dorsey from the National Institute for Newman Studies said: "Our prime aim is to enhance and extend the reach of Newman's life, thought, and spirituality.

"An important goal of the Digital Library is to not only preserve and extend the Newman Archive to scholars around the globe, but to build a multidimensional research tool for the humanities.

"So we are delighted that the project will bring his teachings to the community of Newman scholars as well as to today's pluralistic, diverse society.

"A robust Digital Library and research platform created by our Pittsburgh colleague Crivella West, will be a full-text anthology of Newman's letters, diaries, manuscripts, and documents saved by the Cardinal.

Jamie Robinson, is a Senior Photographer at The John Rylands Library's Centre for Heritage Imaging and Collection Care.

He said: "We’re delighted to be working with NINS and the Oratory on this prestigious project which will provide a wonderful research resource for scholars and students with an interest in nineteenth century studies.

“This is an enormous task, requiring two extra full time staff to cope with the workload – but one which we will relish.

"We are one of the few services in the UK to provide specialist digitisation and collection care of heritage and cultural collections so this commission is a perfect match with our expertise.

"No other organisation in the north of England specialises in the bespoke digitisation and collection care of heritage materials."

Notes for editors

Follow the progress of the project on www.newmanarchive.wordpress.com.

Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, NINS, affiliated with Duquesne University, serves as the definitive resource of information on the Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman.
Kevin Mongrain, Executive Director of NINS, Mary Jo Dorsey Knowledge Manager at NINS, Fr Ignatius Harrison from the Birmingham Oratory, and James Robinson from the John Rylands Library are available for comment.

Images are available

For media enquiries contact: Mike Addelman
Press Officer
Faculty of Humanities
The University of Manchester
0161 275 0790
07717 881567
Michael.addelman@manchester.ac.uk
 

Birmingham Three Recap...

Catholic and Loving it blog (link) 20.9.2011

I don't know how many of you are new to events at the Birmingham Oratory in the run up to the Papal visit but it's been a while and it might help if I run through it all again.

It was back in May 2010 that The Tablet first carried the news that three Oratorians had been told to “spend time in prayer for an indefinite period by Fr Felix Selden, an apostolic visitor to the Oratory Congregation”. If the Tablet had stopped there that might have been the end of it - such things are an internal matter and helps nobody to speculate on blogs.

Except in this case it wasn't an internal matter, it ceased to be an internal matter when the spokesman for the Birmingham Oratory picked up the phone to The Tablet and named names. However much he might bleat now about privacy, it was the Birmingham Oratory spokesman and not a blogger who made it a matter of pubic record that Fr Philip Cleevely, Fr Dermot Fenlon and Brother Lewis Berry had been “ordered to go on retreat” by Fr Felix Selden. This is the ecclesiastical equivalent of announcing that somebody has been permanently suspended from work - a very public stain on the reputation of these three men and one which they were entirely unable to defend themselves due to the gagging order placed on them by the Oratory.

As the weeks turned in to months some suggested that whatever the three had done to deserve their exile, it must have been pretty serious. Rumours of bullying and possible sexual misconduct began to surface. Friends of the three men were so distressed at the way in which their reputations were being “trashed” that they began to campaign publicly that the three were known to be good holy men a blog was started and an open letter was sent to Fr Felix Selden.

To suggest that these friends and wellwishers were guilty of gossip is outrageous. It was gossip and rumour that they were seeking to dispel.

It was about this time that BBC West Midlands became interested and Oratory spokesman Jack Valero was quick to play things down... “it's just a time away to cool down” he said “they can come back soon and we can continue as normal”. Only a few weeks later Jack had changed his tune telling Radio Ulster that the three “are going to come back at some point, we don't know, it's not going to be soon”. This is the sort of transparency most people would associate with a brick wall.

To their credit, the Oratory did defend the three men and Ruth Dudley Edwards reported that Jack Valero had “confirmed unequivocally that the Three are entirely guiltless of any wrong-doing whatsoever”. Of course, this only begs the question – if they have done nothing wrong, why are they away? Why can they not come back? This soon became the central mystery of the Birmingham Three. Three men, declared innocent by an official spokesman for the Birmingham Oratory yet exiled from their home for months and looking increasingly likely to miss the beatification of their founder. Why had they been sent away in the first place?

More questions began to be asked, like why is the press officer for Opus Dei speaking for the Birmingham Oratory? Things did't get any less mysterious when it turned out that while Mr Valero is officially speaking for the Oratory he is actually being paid to do so by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales and reports to Archbishop Nichol's press secretary. Yet more questions were raised about the role of the mysterious Fr Gareth/Sebastian Jones...

Pressure was mounting, blog entries about The Birmingham Three were getting hits from Rome, I had been on the Radio and Ruth Dudley Edwards was writing in Standpoint magazine and had even got the story on TV. The same questions were repeatedly asked: If the three have done nothing wrong, why can't they come home?

Something had to be done and something was, I can't say exactly how much pressure Brother Lewis Berry was under when he agreed to spend next year at an Oratory in South Africa but it's very hard imagine he did so of his own free will. The youngest of the three had the most to lose and with his ordination hanging in the balance the press release in his name had all the credibility of a forced confession. Fr Philip Cleevely issued a remarkably similar press release about how happy he is to be spending the next year in Toronto. It would not be long until the men who Jack Valero said would be “back soon” announced plans to remain abroad permanently.

Which leaves Fr Dermot Fenlon, the last of the three. There has been no press release from Fr Fenlon, no statement that he is happy about being sent away from his home of twenty years at a days notice despite being 68 years of age. So Fr Fenlon has been well and truly stamped on, according to a report in the Catholic Herald Fr Fenlon is being “forcibly exclaustrated” for a period of five years. In the article Simon Caldwell writes that “Under the Code of Canon Law, a priest cannot be exclaustrated for more than three years unless there is a “grave reason” yet Fr Fenlon has officially done nothing wrong. Such a prolonged period must have “either the direct approval of either the Holy See or the local bishop, who, in the case of Fr Fenlon, is Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham”.

And so the questions remain: If there has been no injustice, why not let the three speak to journalists and tell everbody how happy they are with the situation? If the three have done nothing wrong, why couldn't they be present for the beatification?

More than a year later - why is Fr Dermot Fenlon still in exile?

Fr Ignatius Harrison to head the Birmingham Oratory; Fr Gareth Jones to be his Assistant

An Honour and a Responsibility blog (link) 20.9.2011

The admirable Reluctant Sinner, whose blog I heartily recommend, has posted this news from Peter Jennings, press secretary to the Archbishop of Birmingham.

Interesting, in view of the Apostolic Visitation last year at the Birmingham Oratory. Fr Harrison was the second Visitor (Fr Felix Selden being the first) and Fr Jones the canonical adviser to the Visitation.

I have a funny feeling that it won’t be long before Catholic and Loving it, and others, have something to say on the matter.

Changes within the English Oratories: Fr Ignatius Harrison has been appointed Provost of the Birmingham Oratory

A Reluctant Sinner (link) 20.9.2011

The Very Rev Ignatius Harrison CongOrat, who is currently the Provost of the London Oratory (more commonly known as the Brompton Oratory) was today also appointed Provost of the Birmingham Oratory. This appointmentby the Holy See follows the sudden resignation of the Very Rev Richard Duffield CongOrat. This information was released in an email by the Catholic Communications Network, though is yet to appear on the Bishops' Conference website's media page.

According to the press release, Fr Duffield resigned for reasons of ill-health, at his own request. Though, especially in light of the recent events at the Birmingham Oratory, in which the community seems to have suffered from internal disagreements, many will wonder whether there is more to this story than meets the eye.

Peter Jennings, Press Secretary to the Archbishop of Birmingham, reports that "Fr Gareth Jones, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cardiff, a former novice at the Birmingham Oratory, has been appointed as Assistant to Fr Harrison."

It was also announced today that Fr Ignatius Harrison will be the new Actor and Vice-Postulator for the Cause of Blessed John Henry Newman, who was beatified just over a year ago on 19 September 2010.

No details have been released as to whether or not Fr Harrison will now leave his position at the London Oratory, or whether there are plans to replace him there.

Please keep both Fr Harrison and Fr Duffield, as well as the London and Birmingham Oratories in your prayers.

New Provost Appointed at the Birmingham Oratory

Peter Jennings (link) 20.9.2011

The following press release was issued by the Catholic Communications office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, on Tuesday 20 September 2011:

“Fr Ignatius Harrison has been appointed Provost of the Birmingham Oratory by the Holy See, following the resignation of Fr Richard Duffield.

Fr Duffield has resigned for reasons of ill-health, at his own request.

Fr Harrison will also be actor and vice-postulator for the cause of Cardinal Newman, who was beatified in 2010.”

End of release.

"Fr Ignatius Harrison is at present also Provost of the Brompton Oratory in London.

Fr Gareth Jones, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cardiff, a former novice at the Birmingham Oratory, has been appointed as Assistant to Fr Harrison.

Thoughts and comments about these appointments most welcome."

Where are they now? Part 2 - Fr Ignatius Harrison

Catholic Paterfamilias blog - 11.5.2011
http://catholicpaterfamilias.blogspot.com/2011/05/where-are-they-now-part-2-fr-ignatius.html

As with Monday's post, I can't actually say where he is right this minute as he has not let me know (and, to be fair, I did not ask him).

Interestingly, the Fr Ignatius Harrison I refer to is the same Fr Ignatius Harrison who in 1998 wrote an obituary for a fellow Oratorian priest who was HIV+ and was alleged to have sexually assaulted boys of school age. As to the ins and outs of that case and what may or may not have been known by those involved, I refer you directly to the Telegraph and Daily Mail articles on it.

Jump forward from 1998 to this time last year and where is Fr Ignatius Harrison? Well, 13 May 2010 was the date when Fr Dermot Fenlon, Fr Philip Cleevely and Br Lewis Berry were given their marching orders from the Birmingham Oratory by Fr Harrison and Co.

So why were the Birmingham Oratory Three given their marching orders? Well, let's look at the Times report on the issue of 21 May 2010 and what an Oratory Spokesman was quoted as saying:

... the disputes centred around Newman’s beatification but at the heart of it were allegations relating to Father Chavasse. “It seemed better for him to stand down so that the matter could be looked into properly,” he said.

“Around 2½ years ago, in the autumn of 2007, Father Chavasse began to form an intense but physically chaste friendship with a young man, then aged 20, which the Fathers of Birmingham Oratory regarded as imprudent.”

In light of the Times article, it would seem that the three who regarded the friendship as imprudent got the boot. They have not returned to the Birmingham Oratory (other than possibly to collect their possessions). However, Fr Chavasse is back in situ at the Birmingham Oratory (or at least until today this link showed him back in situ). Notwithstanding what the last link might say, Fr Dermot Fenlon and his confrères are not.
It's worth noting that the same Oratory spokesman who fed the information to the Times referred to above also subsequently:

"confirmed unequivocally that the (Birmingham Oratory) Three are entirely guiltless of any wrong-doing whatsoever, including, specifically, sexual misdemeanours or homophobia."

So, to conclude none of this makes any sense at all. Three men who regarded something that was imprudent as being imprudent and are "entirely guiltless of any wrong-doing whatsoever" got the boot - that's an intriguing form of justice.

Dare one suggest without accusation of paranoia that what happened at the Birmingham Oratory last year is just part of a wider agenda? I suppose I could always ask Fr Harrison.....

Where are they now? Part 1 - Fr Felix Selden

http://www.catholicpaterfamilias.blogspot.com/ - 9.5.2011

To be honest, I have no idea where he is just now but he might be indulging one of the shared interests that he has in common with certain other catholic luminaries. I tried stamp collecting when I was about 7 but gave it up as a dead loss - maybe I should have stuck with it.

What I am more intrigued by is where he was this time last year and the discussions between him, Fr Ignatius Harrison and Fr Gareth Jones and others involved in the evisceration of the Birmingham Oratory. The Birmingham Oratory was vocally defending the rights of the family and parents as the primary educators of their children.

355 days of unjust exile for Fr Dermot Fenlon

http://www.catholicpaterfamilias.blogspot.com/ - 3.5.2011

The Free the B3: Justice for Fr. Dermot Fenlon blog shows the counter at 355 days today. Not much longer and we'll hit the anniversary of Fr Dermot's unjust expulsion from his home.
Fathers Selden, Harrison and Jones really should be ashamed of themselves but I doubt whether they are.

Who's Who at the Society of St Catherine of Sienna

http://www.caterinati.org.uk/whos_who.html

Charity begins at home?

from Catholic Pater Familias blog - 31.1.2011
http://catholicpaterfamilias.blogspot.com/2011/01/charity-begins-at-home.html

As Fr Dermot Fenlon enters his 263 day of exile from his home at the Birmingham Oratory, when can we expect to hear Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham, who is known for his opposition to homelessness, champion Fr Fenlon's cause?


And what of Fr Felix Selden, Fr Ignatius Harrison and Fr Gareth Jones? Do they know what homelessness and exile are like?

For background on Fr Fenlon's plight, the required reading is:

http://freethebirminghamoratorythree.blogspot.com/
http://www.lovingit.co.uk/

The one thing that is clear in this tale of misery is that Fr Fenlon has done nothing wrong (see James Preece's many postings on the subject).

Newman and his Nest: The Home of the Oratorian

Catholic and Loving It blog - James Preece - 18.1.2011
http://www.lovingit.co.uk/2011/01/newman-and-his-nest-the-home-of-the-oratorian.html
Home is a very important place to an Oratorian, as Blessed Newman wrote...

"The Congregation is to be the home of the Oratorian. The Italians, I believe, have no word for home - nor is it an idea which readily enters the mind of a foreigner, at least not so readily as into the mind of an Englishman. It is remarkable then that the Oratorian Fathers should have gone out of their way to express the idea by the metaphorical word nido or nest, which is used by them almost technically."

1848 Address (Newman the Oratorian by Placid Murray - Page 94)

Newman spoke a great deal about his home in the Oratory...

"...To come home again! in that word 'home' how much is included. The home life - the idea of home - is consecrated to us by our patron and founder, St Philip, for he made the idea of home the very essence of his religion and institute. We even have a great example in our Lord Himself; though in his public ministry he had not where to lay His head, yet we know that for the first thirty years of His life he had a home, and He therefore consecrated, in a special way, the life of home. And as, indeed, Almighty God has been pleased to continue the world, not, as angels, by a seperate single creation of each, but by means of the family, so it was fitting that the Congregation of St Philip should be the ideal, the realization of the family in it's perfection, and a pattern to every family in every town, and throughout the whole of Christendom. Therefore, I do feel pleasure to come home again... I feel I may rejoice in coming home again - as if it were to my long home - to that home which extends to heaven, 'the home of our eternity'..."
1879 Address (Newman the Oratorian by Placid Murray - Page 118)
Today marks 250 days since Fr Dermot Fenlon was ordered from his home at the Oratory. The Oratory spokesman assured me live on the radio that Fr Fenlon would be home "soon" but Fr Fenlon was not home soon. Fr Fenlon is still not home.

Fr Fenlon is "entirely guiltless of any wrongdoing whatsoever". It's official.

So can he come home now?

Please?

Open letter to all Oratorians in the United Kingdom

To Fr Felix Selden, Fr Ignatius Harrison, Fr Richard Duffield & all Oratorians in the United Kingdom.

With just hours to go before the Holy Father beatifies Cardinal John Henry Newman at Cofton Park, we beg you to allow Fr Dermot Fenlon, Fr Philip Cleevely and Br Lewis Berry to attend this most important event in the life of the Birmingham Oratory.

One can only imagine the humiliation, the pain and the mental torment that these three men are suffering at not being allowed to attend the beatification of the man they have made it their vocation to follow. 

Please look deeply into your heart and ask yourself afresh:-

• 
  
  what is it that these three men have done?
• 
  
  do they deserve to be punished so severely?
• 
  
  is there no way that they can be afforded the dignity of standing beside their brothers at the beatification of their founder?

With every good wish, 

Friends & Supporters of the 'Birmingham 3'  

Letter of complaint from Dr Stefanie Maria Knab

Confoederatio Oratorii Sancti Philippi Nerii
P. Edoardo Aldo Cerrato C.O., Procurator Generalis
Via di Parione 33
I - 00186 R o m a
REGISTERED MAIL

Very Reverend Father!

I hereby place a complaint against Fr Felix Selden C.O., Delegate of the Apostolic See for the Confederation of the Oratory. See the enclosed copy (Catholic Herald).

The way Fr Dr. Dermot Fenlon C.O. (The Oratory Birmingham) has been treated by Fr Felix Selden C.O. is a disgraceful infringement of his basic human rights. The faithful are afraid that Fr Dermot Fenlon may not survive five years of exile from the Oratory, since he is an old, not particularly robust man.

In April Father Dermot came to see us at our home. Since I am a doctor, he was asking me for medical advice. Very Reverend Father, you know about the frail health of Fr Dermot Fenlon. Why doesn’t Fr Felix Selden care about Fr Dermot’s state of health? Why doesn’t he show any compassion? Our Lord cares about our basic needs: “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you
gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me into your home.”

The faithful are looking forward to the Papal Visit in Great Britain. But at the same time the faithful feel that they are being treated with contempt by a Church which refuses to recognise the real grief and damage caused by Fr Felix Selden C.O. (and by Fr Ignatius Harrison C.O.).

Very Reverend Father, I beg you in the name of our Lord, please bring Fr Dermot Fenlon C.O. home to his beloved Birmingham Oratory.

May God bless you and the Oratory!

Yours faithfully

Dr Stefanie Maria Knab

Birmingham Three - still as clear as mud

Catholic & Loving It! Blog - Lovingit Locums - 11.9.2010
http://www.lovingit.co.uk/

See John Smeaton's blog for the most recent developments.


An innocent man of 68 has been expelled from his home for a minimum of 5 years.

This is a cruel and unusual punishment but for what?

Both Br Lewis Berry and Fr Philip Cleevely asked for Fr Felix Selden and others to be left alone. Well, that's exactly what is not going to happen. Fr Felix Selden & co have failed at every step to provide any answers.

Attempts by Fr Felix Selden & co to retreat behind this being 'a private internal matter' are fundamentally undermined by it having been them, through their ubiquitous spokesman, who leaked this story to the Tablet in the first place.

Fr Felix Selden, Fr Ignatius Harrison, Fr Gareth Jones and Mr Valero we do not believe you at all.

Until the truth comes out we will continue to ask questions. And, be assured, the truth will come out.

The Oratory Three - where do we go from here?

Catholic & Loving it! Blog - Lovingit Locums - 27.8.2010
http://www.lovingit.co.uk/

With Br Lewis Berry off to South Africa and Fr Philip Cleevely in communication with Jack Valero (according to Jack’s interview with William Crawley), when can we expect a statement from them?


A statement of some type must be in the offing, if only to quash speculation, and its contents will perhaps be along the following lines:

My decision to make this statement has not been influenced or swayed by any other party.

Whilst an Oratorian’s home is his home for life, I am delighted to announce that I shall be off for pastures new to pursue my vocation. This is notwithstanding my having rather liked being at the Birmingham Oratory and the Pope being about to visit. This decision has been mine alone and I have not been subjected to any pressure at all in reaching it.


I would like to thank Fr Felix Selden, Fr Ignatius Harrison, Fr Gareth Jones and Mr Jack Valero for having handled what have been difficult times at the Birmingham Oratory with such sensitivity, ability and pastoral care. Their control of the media in preventing speculation over absolutely nothing has been exemplary.

Whilst there may have been speculation by third parties that I have been subject to abuse of canon law process, I can state categorically that that has not been the case and that every care and attention was taken by Fr Felix Selden and others to ensure my physical and spiritual wellbeing at all times.


Although I am grateful for people having taken such an interest in me, it was unnecessary. The theories of one type or another that I understand have been circulating have all been without truth and I ask that they cease as such speculation is damaging to the Church and hierarchy at this momentous time.


Any questions?


Er sorry……Sorry I don’t think I can answer that question.


Or that one.


Or that one.


Or that one. My, is that the time? How it passes. Anyway, thanks all for coming and what lovely weather we’re having. Got to go now……Bye…..

We still won’t believe it.

And what of Fr Dermot Fenlon? Will he make a statement confirming everything is absolutely ticketyboo and that all’s right with the world or will he be given the push into the Oratorian equivalent of outer space? Only time will tell….

A Catholic Cover-Up

Standpoint Magazine - Ruth Dudley Edwards - September 2010

http://standpointmag.co.uk/open-season-sept-10-ruth-dudley-edwards-birmingham-three

Three Birmingham clergymen exiled before papal visit

"Supporters say clergymen are being punished for seeking help over provost's relationship with young man"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2010/aug/26/pope-visit-missing-clergymen-birmingham

The Guardian - Riazat Butt (Religious Affairs Correspondent) - 26.8.2010