WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – For more than 40 years John Henry Newman has been the namesake for Newman University. On Sunday, Pope Francis canonized him along with five others into sainthood.

“Very few people get to celebrate that and so it’s very exciting,” said Father Adam Grelinger, Newman University Chaplain.

34 Newman University officials and alumni traveled to Rome to experience the ceremony in person. J.T. Klaus, Board of Trustees Chair and Newman alumnus, says the experience was unforgettable.

“All of the pomp and circumstances the Catholic Church could muster from the Swiss guards to obviously Pope Francis himself everything is just quite remarkable,” said Klaus.

A handful of Newman students stayed up to 4 o’clock Sunday morning to have a watch party of their own.

Newman was a theologian and poet from the 19th century. He wrote about concepts like higher education.

“One of his works being the idea of a university. Where he kind of lays out the importance of a liberal arts education for everyone,” said Father Adam.

A number of universities including Wichita State have buildings named after the now saint. Klaus says this canonization is a tremendous opportunity for their campus.

“To have a new saint and to have the university named for that saint to be the only one in the United States and for it to be in Wichita, Kansas is something truly remarkable,” said Klaus.

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