St. John Neumann, T.O.S.F (1811-1860)
Feast Day - January 5th
When John completed priestly studies in Prague at age 24, he learned that there was already an overabundance of priests at home. Accordingly, John left to be ordained for the immigrant communities of the United States. His first assignments were to the rural missions around Niagara Falls, travelling many miles on horseback to administer sacraments, visit the sick, teach catechism, and train teachers to continue his work. The isolation of this life sparked a desire for community, professing vows as a Redemptorist. After serving as parish priest and provincial he became bishop of Philadelphia in 1852, where he faced strong antiimmigrant sentiment while presiding over a rapidly expanding church. AntiCatholicism in public schools prompted him to found a diocesan school system, the first in the country, and John recruited many religious orders both to teach and to provide social services. Bl. Paul VI canonized John with this praise, "He was close to the sick; he was at home with the poor; he was a friend to sinners. And today he is the honor of all immigrants, and [...] the symbol of Christian success." Patron of Catholic Education, Immigrants
DonorThis item is available to gift. Please send inquiries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Follow