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St. John Nepomucene Neumann
(1811-1860)

The Bishop of Philadelphia lay crumpled in the snow a few blocks from his new cathedral on Logan Square. By the time a priest reached him with the holy oils, Bishop Neumann was dead. That was January 5, 1860. At his own request Bishop Neumann was buried in a basement crypt in Saint Peter's Church where he would be with his Redemptorist confreres.

At the time of John Neumann, America represented new values and new hopes. Bishop Neumann saw these in their relationship to the ultimate, supreme possession to which humanity is destined. With Saint Paul he could testify that "all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's" (1 Cor. 3, 22). And with Augustine he knew that our hearts are restless, until they rest in the Lord (St. Augustine, Confessions, 1, 1).

His love for people was authentic brotherly love. It was real charity: missionary and pastoral charity. It meant that he gave himself to others. Like Jesus the Good Shepherd, he lay down his life for the sheep, for Christ's flock: to provide for their needs, to lead them to salvation. And today, with the Evangelist, we solemnly proclaim: "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (Jn. 15, 13).

John Neumann's pastoral zeal was manifested in many ways. Through faithful and persevering service, he brought to completion the generosity of his initial act of missionary dedication. He helped children to satisfy their need for truth, their need for Christian doctrine, for the teaching of Jesus in their lives. He did this both by catechetical instruction and by promoting, with relentless energy, the Catholic school system in the United States. And we still remember the words of our late Apostolic Delegate in Washington, the beloved Cardinal Amleto Cicognani: "You Americans", he said, "possess two great treasures: the Catholic school and the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Guard them like the apple of your eye" (Cfr. Epistola 2 June 1963).

PRAYER TO SAINT JOHN NEUMANN

Merciful Father, You have given me all that I have in this world, even life itself. In all my daily needs, help me to remember the needs of others too. Make me aware of the need to pray to You not just for myself but for the Church, the Pope, for the clergy and for people who suffer any need.

Make me as selfless as Saint John Neumann. Throughout my life, give me the grace to direct my first thoughts to the service of You and of others. Make my prayer - "Your will be done" knowing that in Your mercy and love, Your will for me is my sanctification. I ask this through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

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Pax et bonum,
Marie

JMJ

JMJ

I grew up in a Redemptorist staffed parish; and we had a statue of the bishop in a side chapel.

His life story makes interesting reading.

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Peace.. Mary Jo
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles (Isiah 40:32)

Mary Jo! You're back, yay! And with your picture, too!

Thanks for your post. It's good to recognize St. John Neumann as different from the Blessed Cardinal John Newman of England. The former started as a humble son of a sweater-knitter in Bohemia, the latter an Anglican intellectual.

Saint John Neumann is the first American male saint, followed by Saint Damien of Molokai (it's still debatable to consider him an American saint, being that Hawaii was not part of the US in his time.)

Among the things that Saint John Neumann is remembered for was his fondness for maple candy. He was so delighted with the maple, something he didn't see in his native land. He used to fill his pockets with maple candies for distribution to children as he gave them catechism lessons.

I've been to Saint John Neumann's shrines in Baltimore and Philadelphia. It was my own solitary pilgrimage.

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Pax et bonum,
Marie

JMJ

Marie,



He was Belgian. His Ordinary (the Vicar Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands) was French. He is buried in the Belgian city of Leuven.

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James Daly

"It is the Lord." (Jn 21:7)

Thanks, James, for this information. I had thought part of St. Damien's remains would at least be left in Molokai, and thus be considered the second U.S. male saint.

Still on the subject of missionary priest-saints, I've not always been able to tell the difference between Saint Peter Chanel and Saint Peter Claver (just as a long time ago I was unable to distinguish between Blessed John Newmann and Saint John Neumann.)

Part of my confusion between the two Saints Peter was a scant knowledge that both worked in the southern hemisphere. But now I think I know the difference, not only that one was Spanish and the other French, they also worked in different parts of the world. St. Claver was in Colombia while St. Chanel was in the southern Pacific islands.

You know I have something else in mind while thinking of St. Peter Chanel: I thought New Zealand had claimed him as their own.

But I once met a woman from NZ who said Saint Peter Chanel is not buried there, and therefore NZ Catholics are now planning on submitting a cause for sainthood for one of their own, Fr. Vernon Douglas.

Thanks and God bless.

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Pax et bonum,
Marie

JMJ

Marie,

St Peter Chanel is buried in Lyon, the birthplace of the Marists.

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James Daly

"It is the Lord." (Jn 21:7)