Feast of St. John Neumann
There is the body of a bishop lying on a mattress with his head resting on a pillow underneath the altar of the church of St. Peter, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The body is enclosed in a glass case. He is wearing priestly vestments, a pectoral cross around his neck, and on his head is a hat, called a miter. He is also wearing white gloves with a ring on his finger. The bishop appears to be sleeping. Who is this person? Why is he in a glass case?
A boy destined to become a saint was born in 1811, in Bohemia. When he was about 10 to 14 yrs. old, he didn’t think much about becoming a priest, but when he was about 20 yrs old, he wanted to go to college and wandered, if he should be a doctor, a lawyer or to study theology. His mother, who was a devout Catholic, suggested he study theology. Theology is the study of God, and the Church. It would seem that his mother’s gentle suggestion resulted in the young man, becoming a saint in the United States.
He eventually went to seminary and graduated. He came to New York City, and was ordained. Years later, he joined a religious order called the Redemptorists, taking the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. He was ordained a bishop of Philadelphia. In the 1800’s, thousands of Catholics came to settle in Philadelphia from Europe. Back then, there were few churches or schools in Philadelphia. Within 2 yrs. he built 80 churches, and started the Catholic School system. Originally there were 500 children enrolled, within two years there were 9000. He developed “The Small Catechism” for children to be used in the schools.
He deeply loved the Virgin Mary and prayed to her beseeching Her intercession. His trip to Rome in 1854, for the proclamation of the dogma of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, which must had a tremendous impact on his life and his devotion to Mary.
He also had a strong devotion to the Eucharist, and prayed before the tabernacle often. He made popular “40 hours devotion”, whereby the Eucharist is adored for 40 continuous hours, by which people come to pray for an hour at a time. The 40 hours devotion is still popular today in Pennsylvania.
He had to do a lot of walking, and had to ride a horse to visit the sick, and prisoners, and to give confirmation to young people. However, all his traveling caused him to become ill.
One day, as he walked down the street, after picking up a chalice, at a train station, he collapsed, and died on the street. Because many people believed he was a saint, they decided to put his body in a wax dummy, which was placed below the altar in a glass case, in the church of St. Peter in Philadelphia.
He was a very holy man, who lived a life of humility, and self-sacrifice. He deeply loved God and neighbor. Today, many people travel to Philadelphia to pray at his tomb, and ask favors from him. Who is this man? Who is this American Saint? He is Saint John Neumann.
May all of us strive to become a saint, in imitation of St. John. Let us strive for holiness, and ask the Blessed Virgin to pray for us, that may we come to adore and love Jesus in the Eucharist, as he did. St. John Neumann, pray for us!