St. John Neumann

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops highlights an American saint each month during the Year of Faith. St. John Neumann, the patron saint for Catholic schools, is our saint for December.

 

In 1836 the Bohemia native sailed to the United States to be ordained a priest. At that time, Neumann was one of only 36 priests in the country. He served thousands in a 'parish' that stretched from Lake Ontario through Pennsylvania.

 

God accomplished much through one man. Here are some highlights taken from the Web sites of the USCCB and the National Shrine of St. John Neumann:

• The saint reached out to everyone. He learned Gaelic so he could hear the confessions of the Irish immigrants and had learned Italian as a seminarian in Bohemia. He founded the first national parish for Italians in the United States.
• He was the first Redemptorist to profess vows in the United States and was appointed general superior of the American Redemptorists.
• In 1852, on his 41st birthday, he was consecrated as the fourth bishop of Philadelphia. He had become a U.S. citizen four years earlier.
• He founded the first diocesan Catholic school system, which quickly grew from two schools to one hundred.
• He is known for helping to establish the 40 Hours Devotion in the United States.
• Under the recommendation of Pope Pius IX, Neumann set up a religious order, the Third Order of Sisters of St. Francis.

Today seems an appropriate day to tell a story about our saint. Bishop Neumann traveled to a small parish to confirm the young people just after a snowstorm. The pastor explained that one candidate lived further away and could not make it, "but that's okay, he can be confirmed next year."

 

"Does he have a soul?" the bishop asked. After confirmation Bishop Neumann walked to the candidate's house and stayed with the family that night. In the morning he celebrated Mass and confirmed the young man.

 

Above all, St. John Neumann was holy. Let's adopt his simple prayer from his first Mass as a newly ordained priest:

 

"Dearest God, give me holiness!"

 

 

Inspired by this Year of Faith we will be posting columns like this about exploring and/or deepening our faith. Watch for it on Thursdays.