The Little Bishop
Saint John Neumann was not an impressive figure at first glance. He was short and soft spoken and often criticized for not being stern enough. Father Neumann made up for his shortcomings by being one of the hardest working priests of his day. While never desiring a position of authority, the Redemptorists assigned him to posts of great importance in difficult times - and he accomplished great things through hard work and a faithful spiritual life.
Leap of faith
John Neumann was born in 1811 in the village of Prachatitz in Bohemia to devout Catholic parents. He entered the seminary and quickly realized he wanted to be a missionary in America. After months of waiting for an assignment, Neumann made the voyage to New York with no promise of employment nor resources-a true leap of faith.
Upon his arrival, the Archdiocese of New York quickly offered him a position because of his knowledge of languages and ordained him in 1836. He worked four years as a missionary priest in rural, western New York. His work was physically and emotionally demanding because those he served were spread out over a large, rural area with poor roads. While Father Neumann welcomed the hard work, he felt the solitude of being a lone missionary priest was not good for his spiritual health and so joined the Redemptorist Order.
Labor of love
In 1840, Father Neumann began his novitiate with the Redemptorists and took his religious vows in 1842. As a Redemptorist father, he first served at St. James Church in Baltimore. In 1844, he was sent to St. Philomena's Church in Pittsburgh as Superior of the Redemptorist Foundation. While there, Father Neumann built a new church despite financial hardship, gaining the love of his parishioners by visiting the sick, hearing confessions, preaching regularly, and providing a sustaining presence to the 6,000 Catholics in the area. He worked tirelessly and was removed from his ministry there for fear that he would literally work himself to death.
Having been a Redemptorist for only five years, Father Neumann was made temporary Superior of the Order throughout America. This position came with its share of administrative challenges and controversy-including financial problems, disagreements over expanding the Order, and criticisms of Father Neumann's soft manner. Through it all, he had many notable accomplishments but took greatest pride in serving parishioners directly.
Reluctantly, Father Neumann accepted the assignment as Bishop of Philadelphia in 1852, a position against which he heartily campaigned. Once again, he was faced with serious financial problems but always remained faithful to his spiritual practices and diligent devotion to the people of his diocese.
Advocate for children and religious orders
While he was frequently burdened with administrative and financial tasks mired in controversy, Father Neumann made great strides in areas that were near and dear to his heart, particularly parochial education and the care of religious orders. He is credited with strengthening and organizing the parochial school system taking shape in America, inviting the School Sisters of Notre Dame to Baltimore to run the Redemptorist schools. In 1847, Father Neumann prevented the dissolution of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, a religious order of black women. He also brought seven religious orders to Philadelphia and founded the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.
Priesthood to sainthood
After a lifetime of service, Father John Neumann collapsed on a street in Philadelphia and died in 1860. He had asked to be buried at St. Peter's Church in Philadelphia-the place where he felt most at home and often made confession.
After his death, several people reported experiencing healing after visiting his tomb. Father Neumann was beatified in 1963 and in 1977 became the first American bishop to be canonized. He is remembered for his dedication to his Church, his humble spirituality despite holding positions of great authority, and the simplicity of his works. Pilgrims come from all over the world to visit his tomb in Philadelphia where "The Little Bishop" continues to bring inspiration and comfort to believers.
