Sr. Mary Catherine Blanding: The Newest Church Doctor: A Man of Deep Sensitivity

I feel so alone!

This aching cry—whispered in a hospital bed, shouted in despair, or left unspoken in a sleepless night—asks a simple question: Is anyone really there? Many of us have witnessed this plea, and perhaps even felt it ourselves. In a world of fewer shared meals, less face-to-face conversation, and heavy reliance on texting and social media, loneliness has become epidemic.

Empathy shines as a quiet light. Society values it as a sign of friendship and leadership, but faith reveals a deeper truth: attentiveness to others’ hearts is a spiritual gift. St. John Henry exemplifies this, offering guidance both practical and profound.

Canonized in 2019, he was recently named a Doctor of the Church—an honor reserved for saints whose teaching holds lasting value for all Christians. He did not seek recognition, yet his faithfulness in trial led the Church to honor his teachings. Once a celebrated Anglican priest, he became Catholic in 1845, a step that brought misunderstanding, suspicion, and rejection from those closest to him. Such trials weighed heavily on a man of deep sensitivity. ….

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