John Neumann: The Saint and Bishop of Philadelphia

John Neumann was one of the great builders of the Catholic Church in the United States in general and of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia specifically.   He was born in Prachatitz, Bohemia, on 28 March 1811.  He emigrated to the United States in 1836 and was ordained as a priest of the Diocese of New York in June of that year.  He was assigned to the Buffalo region of New York.  On 16 January 1842, John Neumann professed vows to the Redemptorist Order of Priests, the first to do so in the U.S.  He served in Baltimore, Maryland and then Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While in Pittsburgh, he served with another Redemptorist of extraordinary holiness, Father Francis Seelos.  In March 1847, he was appointed General Superior of the American Redemptorists.  On 28 March 1842, John Neumann was installed as the 4th Bishop of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the time, the Diocese of Philadelphia included all of Pennsylvania and Delaware and South Jersey.   As Bishop, he established the Diocesan School System and built many schools and churches.  He was in attendance in Rome for Blessed Pope Pius IX’s promulgation of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December 1854.  He died on 5 January 1860 and was canonized by Pope St. Paul VI on 19 June 1977.  “John Neumann bore the image of Christ,” said Pope St. Paul VI during the Mass for Canonization. “He experienced, in his innermost being, the need to proclaim by word and example the wisdom and power of God, and to preach the crucified Christ. And in the Passion of the Lord he found strength and the inspiration of his ministry: Passio Christi conforta me!”

 
The National Shrine of St. John Neumann is located at 1019 North 5th Street on the corner of Girard Avenue and is part of Saint Peter the Apostle Church.  The shrine consists of a museum dedicated to the life and works of St. John Neumann and a lower church which reverently holds the remains of St. John Neumann in the altar.  His remains are clothed in his bishop vestments and his face is covered with a wax mask.  To learn more about St. John Neumann and his National Shrine, visit https://stjohnneumann.org/ 

 
Living in South Jersey, the National Shrine of St. John Neumann is a short ride for us over the Ben Franklin Bridge and then north on North 5th Street.  I first visited the National Shrine of St. John Neumann with a group from the Rowan College Newman Club in December 1994.  Earlier this week, I took my two youngest sons to visit the shrine as a way to start off the New Year and to honor this saint whose feast day is celebrated on 5 January.  

 
This year is an especially worthwhile time to visit the St. John Neumann Shrine as we celebrate the Jubilee Year.  Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Perez has designated the St. John Neumann Shrine as a Jubilee Pilgrimage Site.  As such, one may obtain a Jubilee Indulgence by visiting the shrine and performing the spiritual acts required for the indulgence, ie. Confession, Eucharist, detachment from sin, and praying for the intentions of the Pope.  

 
To learn more, visit https://archphila.org/holyyear/    

https://www.usccb.org/resources/Indulgence_Vatican_Bollettino.pdf     

https://www.usccb.org/news/2024/vatican-norms-jubilee-indulgence-include-pilgrimage-penance-service