St. John Neumann was born on March 28, 1811, in Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. He was the son of Philip and Agnes Neumann, growing up in a family with four sisters and a brother. After completing his college education, John entered the seminary to pursue a religious vocation. Unfortunately, when the time came for his ordination, the bishop fell ill, and the event was never rescheduled, leaving him without a path forward in his homeland. Inspired by the missionary activities he read about in the United States, John decided to embark on a journey to America, where he hoped to be ordained. Upon arriving in Manhattan on June 9, 1836, John was welcomed by Bishop John Dubois. At that time, Dubois had only 36 priests to serve the vast Catholic population of around 200,000. Just 16 days later, John was ordained and assigned to a mission in Buffalo. Living a humble life, he resided in a small log parish house, often subsisting on bread and water. John's dedication led him to join the Redemptorist order, where he blossomed as a missionary. In 1852, John Neumann became the bishop of Philadelphia. His tenure was marked by remarkable achievements; he built 50 churches, initiated the construction of a cathedral, and opened nearly 100 schools, significantly increasing the number of students in parochial education. Neumann's exceptional organizational skills drew various teaching communities to Philadelphia, and he was instrumental in creating a diocesan school system. In 1860, Neumann died from a stroke at the age of 48. He was well-known for his holiness, learning, spiritual writing, and preaching. On October 13, 1963, Saint John Neumann became the first American bishop to be beatified. Pope Paul VI canonized him on June 19, 1977. Today, he is remembered as the Patron Saint of educators and teachers.
St. John Neumann, pray for us that we may labor with genuine zeal for the salvation of souls.
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