Our Patron
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SAINT JOHN NEUMANN
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EARLY LIFE and Priestly Ministry
Johann Nepomuk (or Nepomucene) Neumann, now known as St. John Neumann was born March 28, 1811 in Prachatice, Bohemia [modern day Czech Republic]. He was named after another Bohemian saint and martyr, John Nepomucene (1345-1393). John Neumann wanted to be a priest from a young age, but his ordination was delayed due to illness and the excessive number of priests in his home diocese. He studied theology in the seminary of Budweis.
He later traveled to America and was ordained at the age of 25 on June 25, 1836 by Bishop Dubois of New York. He joined the Redemptorists in 1842. In 1852 he was appointed as the fourth bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. During his episcopacy, he began the Forty Hours Devotion in 1853. When the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was first founded (1808) it encompassed all of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and part of New Jersey. The territory we now know as the Diocese of Harrisburg was still a part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia throughout the episcopacy of Bishop John Neumann and therefore under his pastoral care. The Diocese of Harrisburg was founded in 1868 nearly a decade after Bishop Neumann passed away. Bishop Neumann was sent a coadjutor, Bishop James Wood, in 1857.
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Path to Sainthood
St. John Neumann passed away at the age of 48 on January 5, 1860 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania due to a heart attack. Many bishops, especially in America, began to encourage others to pray for John Neumann’s intercession. Part of the canonization process is for miracles to be reported and approved. The first approved miracle occurred in May of 1923 when an eleven year old girl, Eva Benassi, was cured of tubercular peritonitis in Sassuolo, Italy. The doctor said that death was imminent, and a nun prayed for Bishop Neumann’s intercession while touching Eva’s swollen abdomen with a picture of the bishop. Eva was healed overnight. About 26 years later, on July 8, 1949, Kent Lenahan from Villanova, PA was in a car accident that left him in critical condition. For four days he had a temperature of 107 degrees and was near death until his mother laid a portion of John Neumann’s cassock on Kent. Through Neumann’s intercession, Kent’s temperature dropped to 100 after a few hours, and several weeks later, Kent was able to leave the hospital in great health.
Originally, Neumann’s beatification was scheduled for June 23, 1963, but it was delayed due to Pope John XXIII being in poor health. Later that year, Pope Paul VI would beatify John Neumann on October 13, 1963. At this point, only one more approved miracle was required for canonization. The same year that John Neumann was declared Blessed, Micahel Flanigan was in West Philadelphia, PA suffering from Ewing’s sarcoma. Michael was only six years old, and his mother was told he only had six months left to live. In response, she pinned a relic Bl. John Neumann to Michael’s clothes. In six months, rather than Michael passing away, he was told there were no remaining signs of the cancer. On June 19, 1977, Pope Paul VI canonized John Neumann.
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Quotes
“Everyone who breathes, high and low, educated and ignorant, young and old, man and woman, has a mission, has a work.”
"As Christ has His work, we too have ours; as He rejoiced to do His work, we must rejoice in ours also."
"My Jesus, my love, my all, gladly would I endure hunger, thirst, heat, and cold to remain always with you in the Blessed Sacrament."
"Everyone who breathes, high and low, educated and ignorant, young and old, man and woman, has a mission, has a work. God sees every one of us; He creates every soul, for a purpose." -
Prayer Written by St. John Neumann
My God, possess me that I may become a fit instrument of your graces and mercies to the souls you have confided to my care. If you know that success will make me vain, do not, on that account allow me to fail. Humble me in some other way, but do not punish me through those you have confided to me.
My heart is pierced with sorrow when I hear of the loss of one of my sheep. Lord Jesus, have mercy. Permit not that any one of those whom you have entrusted to me should be lost. O my Jesus, I will pray, fast, suffer, and, with the help of your grace, sacrifice life itself.
O Lord, imbue my words with power and healing that they may glorify the truth. As for myself, I am fully satisfied with the labors assigned to me in your vineyard, for I came here to atone for my sins and to win souls for God. Nowhere can a better opportunity be found for doing good. May God grant me the grace to discharge my duties in a worthy and fruitful manner. . . .
O my Jesus, though I am poor in so many ways and so ignorant, I have been chosen as a shepherd to your sheep. Give me an ever-increasing love for those souls redeemed by your Precious Blood, that I may labor at their salvation in wisdom, patience, and holiness. Grant that not one of those you have confided to me may be lost through my fault. O my Jesus, help me to sanctify those committed to my care.
O holy Mother of my Lord, pray for me and for those in my vineyard. Holy guardian angels of these dear ones, teach me how to act toward them so as to be able to instill into their hearts the maxims of faith and true love of God. Lord, teach me how to live and, if need be, to die, that all may be saved, that all may love and praise you throughout all eternity, that they may also love and cherish your dear Mother.
From Saint John Nepomucene Neumann’s Favorite Prayers: Taken From His Diary
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