Saint John Nepomucene Neumann
Saint John Nepomucene Neumann (born March 28, 1811 AD in Prachatice, Bohemia, modern Czech Republic; died January 5, 1860 AD in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) was a Bohemian-born Redemptorist priest and the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia who became the first American male to be canonized. He built the Catholic school system of Philadelphia — increasing Catholic schools from 2 to 100 — and introduced the practice of the Forty Hours devotion to America. He was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1977. His feast day is January 5.
Stored in Cargo: Saint John Nepomucene Neumann
| Saint John Nepomucene Neumann | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 05 |
| Profession | Redemptorist priest; bishop; educator; missionary to immigrants |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists); fourth Bishop of Philadelphia 1852–1860; first American male saint |
| Patronage | Philadelphia; Catholic education; immigrants; German-speaking Catholics; the United States; Czech Catholics in America; the Redemptorist Order |
| Attributes | Bishop's vestments; school (his educational mission); Forty Hours monstrance (Eucharistic adoration); Czech/Bohemian heritage; Redemptorist habit |
| Birthplace | Prachatice, Bohemia, Austrian Empire (modern Czech Republic) |
| Death Place | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died suddenly on a Philadelphia street on January 5, 1860, aged 48 |
| Primary Shrine | Shrine of Saint John Neumann, St. Peter the Apostle Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — his incorrupt body in a glass case beneath the main altar; draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually; one of the most important Catholic shrines in the United States |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Calendar, January 5) |
| Historic Class | Feast (January 5; added after canonization 1977) |
Biography
John Nepomucene Neumann was born on March 28, 1811 in Prachatice, Bohemia, the son of a stocking-maker. He was named for the Czech martyr Saint John Nepomucene. He studied theology and was ready for ordination, but the Diocese of Budweis was over-supplied with priests and declined to ordain him. Hearing of the desperate need for German-speaking priests in North America, he emigrated to New York in 1836 — arriving with $1.
He was ordained by Bishop John Dubois of New York on June 25, 1836 — just days after his arrival. He served German-speaking immigrants in rural western New York (near Buffalo and Niagara), riding enormous distances on horseback in all weathers to reach scattered mission stations. In 1840 he joined the Redemptorists — becoming the first Redemptorist to profess vows in North America. He rose to become the Redemptorist provincial for North America.
In 1852 Pope Pius IX appointed him fourth Bishop of Philadelphia. His diocese was vast and the Catholic population was exploding with Irish and German immigrants. He tackled the chaos with extraordinary energy: building churches, organizing parishes, and above all founding schools. He inherited 2 Catholic schools; he left 100. He visited every part of his enormous diocese and personally confirmed thousands of children. He introduced the Forty Hours Devotion to America.
He died suddenly on a Philadelphia street on January 5, 1860, aged 48. Pope Paul VI beatified him on October 13, 1963 — the first American male to be beatified — and canonized him on June 19, 1977.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Prachatice, Bohemia, Austrian Empire (modern Czech Republic)
Death location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Parishes
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| This map created from a Cargo query () |
| Parish | Diocese | City | AdministrativeSubdivision | Country | ParishWebsite |
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| Parish | Diocese | City | AdministrativeSubdivision | Country | ParishWebsite |
| St. John Neumann (Diocese of Arlington) | Diocese of Arlington | Reston, VA | Virginia | United States | https://www.saintjn.org/ |
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Shrine of Saint John Neumann, St. Peter the Apostle Church, Philadelphia, PA — his incorrupt body; hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually; one of the most important Catholic shrines in the USA.
Feast day
January 5
Veneration
Saint John Nepomucene Neumann is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church on January 5 as an Optional Memorial. He is the first American male to be canonized.
Prayers
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