The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Randal Brew, accompanied by the Lady Mayoress, made an official visit to the library and room of the Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman at the Birmingham Oratory.

They were shown around by Fr Paul Chavasse, Provost of the Birmingham Oratory, and Postulator of the Cause to have Newman declared a saint, and by Fr Gregory Winterton, Vice Chairman of the Friends of Cardinal Newman.

Councillor Brew said: "The Oratory is one of Birmingham's little known hidden gems."

Councillor Brew was elected to serve as a Longbridge Ward Councillor in 1987. The boundary of this ward is very close to the Oratory House at Rednal, where Cardinal Newman was buried on August 19, 1890 following his Funeral Mass in Edgbaston.

In view of the local council elections on May 1, Fr Chavasse has renewed his urgent appeal to local councillors of all the political parties in Birmingham to help protect the graveyard of Cardinal Newman at Rednal from future vandalism.

Fr Chavasse said: “I appeal to local councillors of the political parties in Birmingham to support the necessary protection and preservation of Cardinal Newman’s grave.

He added: “Catholics and non-Catholics from every part of the world come as pilgrims to the grave of Cardinal John Henry Newman a possible future Saint of Birmingham."

In February and May 2003 vandals broke into Newman's former house at Rednal and wreaked havoc. That year vandals caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the Oratory house and the small chapel where Newman used to celebrate Mass. There was also one case of attempted arson to the property.

In order to protect this historic site from further desecration the Oratory Fathers have put a number of security measures in place. Including putting up a new boundary fence.

Because the security of the site is of paramount importance the fence was completed before all the necessary permissions had been received from Birmingham City Council.

One or two objections were lodged which led to a demand for the fence to be removed. This would have left the world famous cemetery where Cardinal Newman is buried completely unprotected and at the mercy of future vandals.

Fr Chavasse stressed: "Rather than put further obstacles in the way I hope that the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, the Leader and Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council will take pride in Cardinal Newman and help us to promote England’s best-known churchman - a Saint for Birmingham."

Except for the martyrs, Newman would be the first English saint canonised since the Reformation.

St Thomas Cantilupe of Hereford, 1218-82, was the last Englishman to be canonised before the Reformation. He was of noble Anglo-Norman descent. Thomas, like John Henry Newman, studied at Oxford. He was known as one of the remarkable band of scholar-ecclesiastics who did so much to redeem the name of the Catholic Church in Europe throughout the 13th century.

Thomas Cantilupe lectured in theology and canon law at Oxford and in 1261, during the reign of Henry III, was appointed Chancellor of Oxford University. In 1275, he was elected Bishop of Hereford. He died at Ferento, near Orvieto, in Italy on August 25 1282. He was buried in Hereford Cathedral and, following upon his canonisation by Pope John XXII in 1320 his shrine became a popular place of pilgrimage.

When, and if, Pope Benedict XVI, signs the Decree that declares that the Venerable John Henry Newman is to be beatified, it will follow that the Birmingham Oratory and the Oratory House at Rednal will become extremely popular places of pilgrimage.

Peter Jennings is a Catholic journalist, writer and broadcaster