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About our patron, St. John Neumann
St. John Neumann, patron saint of the parish of St. John Neumann, is the
first male American citizen to be proclaimed a saint. He was canonized by Pope
Paul VI on June 19, 1977, shortly before the new parish was officially
established.
Born in Prachatitz, Bohemia March 28, 1811, Neumann studied
at the diocesan seminary of Bedweis and later emerged from the University of
Prague with a reputation for solid piety and a penetrating mind.
His zeal
for the American missions brought him to New York City, where he was ordained
priest in 1836. His special ministry to the many immigrants arriving in the
country at that time reflected his deep concern for the unfortunate.
He
became a Redemptorist Father in 1840, served as a rector of parishes in
Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and later became head of the Redemptorists in the
United States. His holiness of life and administrative abilities were again
recognized in 1852, when Pope Pius IX named him fourth Bishop of Philadelphia at
the age of 41.
With bold and ingenuity, Neumann turned his energy to
building churches and schools, legislating for his priests and people at a time
when Roman Catholics had little influence, and was the first prelate to organize
a diocesan school system.
Until his death on January 5, 1860, a deep personal love of God and a
resolve to lead others to Him were the goals of St. John Neumann' life.
PRAYER FOR HIS INTERCESSION
O Saint John Neumann, your
ardent desire of bringing all souls to Christ impelled you to leave home and
country; teach us to live worthily in the spirit of our Baptism which makes us
all children of the one Heavenly Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus
Christ, the first-born of the family of God.
Obtain for us that complete
dedication in the service of the needy, the weak, the afflicted and the
abandoned which so characterized your life. Help us to walk perseveringly
in the difficult and, at times, painful paths of duty, strengthened by the Body
and Blood of our Redeemer and under the watchful protection of Mary our
Mother.
May death still find us on the sure road to our Father's House
with the light of living Faith in our hearts.
Amen.
National
Shrine of St. John Neumann
1019 North Fifth Street
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania 19123, USA
215-627-3080
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