Saint John Nepomucene Neumann

Biography

Saint John Nepomucene Neumann, also known as Giovanni Nepomuceno Neumann and Jan Nepomucký Neumann, was born on March 28, 1811, in Prachititz, Bohemia, which is now known as the Czech Republic. He was the son of Philip Neumann, a German who owned a stocking factory, and Agnes Neumann, who was Czech. John was a quiet and small boy growing up, and he had four sisters and a brother. He was named after Saint John Nepomucene, a Czech saint. From a young age, John felt a strong calling to religious life. In 1813, he entered the seminary at Budweis in Bohemia. During his time there, he not only studied theology but also pursued other subjects such as astronomy and botany. In 1833, he went on to study theology at Charles Ferdinand University in Prague. When the time for John's ordination came, his bishop fell ill, and the ordination was never rescheduled due to an overabundance of priests in Bohemia. Determined to become a priest, John made the decision to go to America to seek ordination and work with the emigrant population. He embarked on a journey, walking most of the way to France before eventually taking a ship to America. Arriving unannounced in Manhattan in 1836, John was welcomed by Bishop John Dubois, who was pleased to have another priest as there were only 36 priests serving a Catholic population of 200,000 in New York and New Jersey. On June 28, 1836, John was ordained a priest and was assigned to Buffalo, New York. In Buffalo, Father John Neumann was given a choice by the parish priest, Father Pax, who was already serving there. He could either minister in the city of Buffalo or in the rural area. John chose the more challenging rural area. He settled in a small town with an unfinished church and later moved to a town with a log church. John built himself a small log cabin, leading a simple and austere life. He rarely lit a fire, slept little, often lived on bread and water, and walked long distances to visit remote farms. John's parishioners came from diverse backgrounds and spoke different languages. However, John had a remarkable gift for languages and knew twelve of them. He worked tirelessly with people from various lands, ensuring that they received spiritual guidance and support. In 1840, John joined the Redemptorists, a religious congregation, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He took his vows in 1841, becoming the first Redemptorist to do so in the United States. As a home missioner, he ministered in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In 1844, John became the rector of Saint Philomena Church in Pittsburgh. Three years later, he was appointed Vice-Regent and Superior of the Redemptorists in America. In 1852, John Neumann was consecrated as the Bishop of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As bishop, he undertook significant efforts to build and expand the Catholic Church in his diocese. He constructed fifty churches and initiated the building of a cathedral. John also opened nearly one hundred schools, resulting in a drastic increase in the number of students attending parochial schools under his jurisdiction from 500 to 9,000. In addition to his pastoral work, Bishop Neumann was a prolific writer. He composed newspaper articles, wrote two catechisms, and authored numerous works in German. Saint John Nepomucene Neumann passed away on January 5, 1860, from a stroke at the intersection of 13th and Vine Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His remains were interred in a glass tomb beneath the altar at the National Shrine of Saint John Neumann in Philadelphia. Recognized for his extraordinary virtues, John Neumann was venerated on December 11, 1921, by Pope Benedict XV. He was beatified on October 13, 1963, by Pope Paul VI in Rome, Italy, and was later canonized on June 19, 1977, by the same pope. Saint John Neumann holds the distinction of being the first American man and the first American bishop to be canonized. Despite not having a specific patronage attributed to him, Saint John Nepomucene Neumann is remembered and venerated for his remarkable dedication to serving God and his tireless efforts in building and strengthening the Catholic Church in America.