By Leon Bent –
John Neumann was born in Prachatice, in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) on March 28, 1811. He studied theology in the seminary of Budweis. Evangelisation captured his imagination, so, he grew zealous in leading souls to Christ. He decided to leave his homeland to dedicate himself to the European immigrants in America, who were deprived of spiritual support. He was well prepared for this thrust, as he was a linguist. Neumann’s fluency in several languages endeared him to the many new immigrant communities in Philadelphia.
He wanted to live in a religious community that corresponded more to his missionary vocation. Hence, in January 1842, he joined the Redemptorist Congregation. A tireless missionary, Neumann busied himself, in particular, with the German immigrants, first in Baltimore, then in Pittsburgh, in the United States of America. He was Vice-Provincial of the Redemptorists from 1846-49, and was appointed Parish Priest of St. Alphonsus Church in Baltimore. In 1852, at the age of 41, he was named Bishop of Philadelphia.
Neumann had a strong effect on the religious life of the United States, by founding Catholic schools and promoting devotion to the Eucharist. He founded a new religious institute—the Third Order of Saint Francis of Glen Riddle. The School Sisters of Notre Dame likewise regard Neumann as their secondary founder, their “Father in America.” In just seven years, he built 89 churches, as well as several hospitals and orphanages. As a bishop, Neumann was untiring in visiting his vast diocese.
On January 5, 1860, at the age of 49, he died suddenly of a heart attack on a Philadelphia street. Neumann was beatified during the Second Vatican Council on October 13, 1963, and was canonized on June 19, 1977. In the homily on the occasion of Neumann’s canonization, Pope Paul VI summarized the activity of the new saint: “He was close to the sick, loved to be with the poor, was a friend of sinners, and now he is the glory of all emigrants.” St. John Neumann is invoked as a patron of sick children and of immigrants. His feast days are January 5, the date of his death, in the Roman calendar, for the Church in the United States of America, and March 5, in the Czech Republic.
In New York, John was one of 36 priests for 200,000 Catholics. This indefatigable pastor spent most of his time travelling from village to village, climbing mountains to visit the sick, staying in garrets and taverns to teach, and celebrating Mass at kitchen tables. A founder of Catholic education in this country, he increased the number of Catholic schools in his diocese from two to 100.
The ability to learn languages that had brought him to America led him to learn Spanish, French, Italian, and Dutch, so he could hear Confessions in at least six languages. When Irish immigration started, he learned Gaelic so well that, one Irish woman remarked, “Isn’t it grand that we have an Irish bishop!”
Once on a visit to Germany, he came back to the house he was staying in, soaked by rain. When his host suggested he change his shoes, John remarked, “The only way I could change my shoes is by putting the left one on the right foot and the right one on the left foot. This is the only pair I own.”
Neumann initially refused Vatican’s decision of making him a Bishop. However, God desire was not to be thwarted. He soon received the Papal Bull, wherein Pope Pius IX had written: “I command Father Neumann under formal obedience to accept the diocese of Philadelphia without further appeal.”
Under another command, the last he would be given as an ordinary Redemptorist Father, he was instructed to compose a brief sketch of his life for the Congregation. The short, humble autobiography concluded with these lines: “Tomorrow, March 28th, my birthday, which this year falls on Passion Sunday, I shall, if nothing prevents it, be consecrated bishop in St. Alphonsus’ Church, by Most. Rev. Archbishop Kenrick. But do Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us! Jesus and Mary, pity me! Passion of Christ strengthen me!” This last sentence became his motto as bishop.
That same evening, John confided to his confreres: “If Our Lord gave me the choice either to die or to accept this dignity, I should prefer to lay down my life tomorrow, rather than be consecrated bishop. For my salvation then would be more secure at the Judgement Seat of God, than if I appear before it burdened with the responsibility of a bishopric.”
On Passion Sunday, 1852, John Nepomucene Neumann was consecrated amidst solemn ceremonies. In his sermon to German parishioners, and again when visiting the Catholic schools of the parish the next day, he emotionally bade farewell to his loving flock, blessing them and urging all to maintain a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin. On Tuesday he set out to take charge of his see.
The fact is that John had long maintained, “Our Catholic youth can be saved only by Catholic schools.” In the eighty months that John Nepomucene Neumann served as Bishop, he erected eighty new churches — one for every month of his rule — not to mention the beautiful Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul. Without giving a complete account of the many other institutions he built and staffed, we can roughly gauge his enormous administrative burden from the fact that, a few years after his death, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was divided into five separate dioceses.
Holy Scripture tells us: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” (Ps.115:15.) By the simple and sudden death of Saint John, God shared with us some of the preciousness He found in this holy soul. A girdle of iron wire was discovered wrapped so tightly about the saint’s body that it cut deeply into his flesh. Were it not for the suddenness of his death, we might never have known of this severe penance, obviously long practiced by John Neumann.
And so, today, America has a new saint; the first male saint! He has given them the Catholic Faith, in a Protestant-dominated land.
Leon Bent is an ex-Seminarian and studied the Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Philosophy, from St. Pius X College, Mumbai. He holds Masters Degree in English Literature and Aesthetics. He has published three Books and have 20 on the anvil. He has two extensively “Researched” Volumes to his name: Hail Full of Grace and Matrimony: The Thousand Faces of Love. He won The Examiner, Silver Pen Award, 2000 for writing on Social Issues, the clincher being a Researched Article on Gypsies in India, published in an issue of the (worldwide circulation) Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, New Delhi. On April, 28, 2018, Leon received the Cardinal Ivan Dias Award for a research paper in Mariology.