SAINT JOHN NEUMANN
BISHOP OF PHILADELPHIA
(1811-1860)

FEAST DAY:  JANUARY 5TH
 

He was born in the village of Prachatitz in Bohemia (now Czechoslovakia) on March 28, 1811 and was named John Nepomucene after a patron saint of his country.  He studied at the University of Prague and was well known for his scholarly abilities.  He decided to enter the religious life and entered the seminary at  Budweis, Bohemia.  After two years he transferred to the University of Prague and continued his religious studies.  He knew several languages including German, Bohemian,  Italian, Spanish, Greek and Latin.  After his studies he immigrated to the United States in 1836.  He was ordained in New York City by  Bishop John DuBois  of the Diocese of New York.  He spent four years in missionary work in the German community around Niagara Falls.  In 1842 he joined the Redemptorists and ten years later was consecrated bishop of Philadelphia.  In the Philadelphia area he founded fifty churches and established  close to 100 Catholic schools.  He was beatified  by Pope Paul VI in 1963 and later canonized in 1977.

FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE STORY OF SAINT JOHN NEUMANN SEE:  http://themissionchurch.com/stjohnneumann.htm