Lumine Studios premieres documentary on Saint John Henry Newman

Lumine Studios premiered a documentary about the life of Saint John Henry Newman on Oct. 9 at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. The film, titled Lead Kindly Light: The Story of Saint John Henry Newman, marks the first feast day celebration for the saint since Pope Leo XIV named him the 38th doctor of the Church in 2025.

The Brazilian production features locations such as Newman's childhood home in London, the University of Oxford, and Rome, where he studied for the priesthood after converting from Anglicanism. Father Hermann Geissler, FSO, director of the International Centre of Newman Friends in Rome, said the film uses interviews and readings from Newman's letters to illustrate the saint's faith and the sacrifices of his conversion.

Newman was canonized by Pope Francis in 2019, following his beatification by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. In 2025, Pope Leo XIV also designated him a co-patron of Catholic education alongside Saint Thomas Aquinas. The documentary is available in English on the Catholic media website Formed.