Who is john neumann

From his headquarters near Buffalo, he made frequent journeys on foot to visit the settlers on their farms. He built churches, raised log schools and even taught school to the German and Irish children in the area. He decided to join the Redemptorists Missionary Order and was the first person to make his religious profession as a Redemptorist in America in at the Church of St.

James in Baltimore. Before his elevation to Bishop of Philadelphia at the age of 41, he served as rector of St. Philomena Church in Pittsburgh, and St. Alphonsus Church in Baltimore in At that time, the Diocese of Philadelphia was the largest Diocese in America, comprising eastern Pennsylvania, western New Jersey, and all of Delaware. He actively promoted the establishment of parochial schools and increased the number of schools in his Diocese from two schools in , to nearly one hundred by Through his work with parochial schools, he helped the Notre Dame Sisters of Munich become firmly established in the United States.

Though Bishop Neumann had suffered from frequent illnesses, his sudden death by stroke on January 5, at the age of 48, was completely unexpected. Wanting to live in a religious community that corresponded more to his missionary vocation, in January he entered the Redemptorists. A tireless missionary, Neumann busied himself in particular with the German immigrants, first in Baltimore, then in Pittsburgh.

Having filled the role of vice-provincial superior of the Redemptorists from , he became the parish priest of St. Alphonsus Church in Baltimore. In , at the age of 41, he was named bishop of Philadelphia. Neumann had a strong effect on the religious life of the United States by founding Catholic schools and promoting devotion to the Eucharist. As a bishop, Neumann was untiring in visiting his vast diocese. On January 5, , at the age of 48, he died suddenly of a heart attack on a Philadelphia street.

Neumann was beatified during the Second Vatican Council on October 13, , and was canonized on June 19, God of the Journey, through the intercession of St. John Neumann, patron of immigrants, we pray for those who leave their homelands longing for freedom and new opportunities. O Jesus, who on earth commanded and practiced a hidden life, grant that in these our days of pride and outward display, the example of your servant John Neumann may lead us to follow your humble ways.

Looking forward to being ordained in , he met with initial disappointment when his bishop decided there would be no new priests ordained in his diocese that year as there was an overage of priests in Bohemia as well as the rest of Europe.

So Neumann set out for America-not knowing when he would become a priest or where he would undertake his missionary service. In New York, John was one of 36 priests for , Catholics. His parish in western New York stretched from Lake Ontario to Pennsylvania, and he spent most of his time traveling from village to village, climbing mountains to visit the sick, staying in garrets and taverns to teach, and celebrating Mass at kitchen tables.

Because of the work and the isolation of his parish, John longed for community and so joined the Redemptorists, a congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to helping the poor and most abandoned. John Neumann was a priest of extraordinary spirituality, intense devotion to the Eucharist and selfless dedication to the service of humanity.