John Neumann

          Born on March 28, 1811, in Prachatice, Bohemia (now Czech Republic), John Neumann was the third of six children of Philip and Agnes Neumann.  Baptized the same day, he was named after St. John Nepomucene, the patron saint of Bohemia.  He is the first male United States citizen to be canonized a saint.  

          As a young boy, John’s faith was certainly influenced by his mother.  She went to daily Mass and regularly took some of the children with her.  John was quiet, had a small number of friends, and was a prodigious reader.  His mother referred to him as her “little bibliomaniac”.  In his time, education beyond grammar school was not a given, but Neumann’s parents were supportive of him continuing his studies.  At 10, John enrolled in a “gymnasium” or secondary school in Budweis.  At varying times he excelled and struggled in his studies, but John persevered.  He loved the natural sciences, especially astronomy and biology.  After finishing the gymnasium course, Neumann spent two years studying philosophy, philology, mathematics, and religion with Cistercian monks from a nearby abbey.  

          In 1831, John had to decide what to do next.  Priesthood was something he desired but lacking the social standing to have the usual reference letters, he considered pursuing medicine instead.  But his mother encouraged him to apply to seminary anyway.  He was accepted and entered the seminary for the Diocese of Budweis.  He excelled in the coursework.  During his second year in seminary, Neumann read the reports of the Leopoldine Missionary Society on the need for priests in the United States, especially those who could speak German.  Along with stories of the missionary work of St. Paul the Apostle, Neumann was inspired by accounts of Frederic Baraga (another individual featured on American Saints and Causes) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Great Lakes Region.  He decided he would also serve the Lord in the United States.  Needing to learn English, he received permission to transfer to the seminary associated with the University of Prague in 1833.  The opportunity to take classes in English didn’t materialize, but he found ways to study the language independently.  By the end, Neumann was able to make use of German, Czech, French, English, Spanish, Italian, Latin and Greek.

          In 1835, back in the Diocese of Budweis, and having passed his examinations, Neumann thought he would be ordained before going as a missionary to the United States.  But the Diocese, at the time, had more priests than it required.  This meant Neumann would not have the opportunity to celebrate his first Mass with his family.  Neumann faced additional challenges in coming to the United States.  While the bishop approved of Neumann’s plans to go to America, he did not provide him with the customary letters that would testify to Neumann’s completion of seminary and readiness for ordination in another diocese.  Neumann also lacked an invitation from a diocese of the United States indicating that he would be accepted for ordination if he made the long voyage.  Neumann wrote to many bishops, including Simon Bruté (another individual featured on American Saints and Causes) who was then the Bishop of Vincennes.  Leaving his home on February 8, 1836, Neumann travelled around Europe trying to meet with bishops, secure funding for the trip and acceptance by a diocese.  He was unsuccessful.  Running out of money, in April of 1836, he decided he would sail to New York with no guarantees or backing, hoping the need for German-speaking missionaries would ultimately lead him to find a place in New York, Detroit, or some other diocese.

          The journey across the Atlantic took 40 days.  It was not without difficulties.  The ship was crowded, Neumann suffered some from sea sickness, and had doubts about whether he was making the correct decisions, doubts he in his journals raised as questions about why he didn’t trust God more.  

          He arrived in New York in May of 1836 and was accepted by Bishop Dubois of New York for ordination.  Fr. Neumann was first sent to Rochester on the way to Buffalo.  He was warmly received by the Catholic immigrant communities, but life was hard.  The people were poor, not well educated, and living in difficult conditions.  Anti-Catholicism sentiments were strong.  Fr. Neumann would travel from location to location, sometimes by horse, other times on foot, saying Mass and helping to build churches.  Neumann suffered spiritually as well.  He worried his faith was fading and about his ability to live his vocation in isolation and without a community of priests.  In 1840, Fr. Neumann was admitted to the Redemporist religious order and traveled to Pittsburgh to begin his novitiate.  Afterwards he served in many locations and for a time, while he was pastor of St. Philomena in Pittsburgh, another individual on American Saints and Causes, Francis Xavier Seelos, a fellow Redemptorist, was his associate pastor.  Six years after becoming a Redemptorist, Fr. Neumann was elected Superior of the American communities of the order.            

          In 1852, he was appointed Bishop of Philadelphia. One of the United States’ largest cities at the time, Philadelphia had a large immigrant community, many who did not speak English. As bishop, Neumann worked tirelessly, opening a new church every month. He was the first Bishop to create a diocesan school system, which helped educate thousands of children and preserve Catholic traditions in a time when the United States was not so welcoming of Catholics. He wrote catechisms that became the basis for the Baltimore Catechism. He also invited many religious orders to set up in Philadelphia and even intervened to save the Oblates Sisters of Providence (the religious order founded by Mother Mary Lange, who is also featured on American Saints and Causes) when the order was threatened with dissolution. He worked tirelessly as a bishop, but was humble and most at home with the poor. He lived simply, with few vestments, giving what he had to the poor who asked or to outfit his newly ordained priests. Bishop Neumann died suddenly, on January 5, 1860, collapsing on a Philadelphia street while doing errands. He was 48.     

          Saint John Neumann is considered a patron saint of Catholic education. The National Shrine of Saint John Neumann is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the lower church of St. Peter the Apostle Church. Pilgrims can pray before his remains which are entombed under the main altar in the shrine. There is also a museum with exhibits on his life and many relics.