The National Shrine of St. John Neumann at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia. | Credit: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Jan 5, 2026 / 04:00 am (CNA).
EveryJan.5theChurchcelebratesthefeastofSt.JohnNeumann,Redemptoristmissionary,fourthbishopofthecityofPhiladelphia,andorganizerofthefirstCatholiceducationnetworkintheU.S.
JohnNepomuceneNeumannwasborninBohemia,nowtheCzechRepublic,in1811.HeattendedschoolinBudweisandyearslater,in1831,enteredtheseminaryinthatsamecity.
Uponcompletinghispreparationforthepriesthood,hepresentedhimselftohisdiocesebutsufferedanunexpectedsetback.Thelocalbishophadfallenillandpriestlyordinationsinhisdioceseweresuspendeduntilfurthernotice.
Neumann,eagertoservetheLord,wroteletterstothebishopsoftheneighboringdioceses,butnoneofthemwantedtoaccepthim.Despitetheobstacles,thesaintwasnotdiscouraged.
Toearnhisliving,hewenttoworkinafactorywherehemetafewAmericansfromwhomhelearnedsomeEnglish.Later,hecontactedsomebishopsintheUnitedStates.NeumannhadamissionarysoulandwasreadytomovetoAmeri
