Saint John Neumann —
1st United States Bishop Saint

"St John Neumann was an American saint born in Bohemia in 1811. Because Bohemia had enough priests, John Neumann decided to go to America to ask for ordination. He walked most of the way to France, then took ship for America. John Neumann arrived in Manhattan in 1836. Bishop John Dubois was happy to see him as there were 36 priests for the 200,000 Catholics in New York and New Jersey. Sixteen days after his arrival, John Neumann was ordained and sent to Buffalo.

He built himself a small log cabin, rarely lit a fire, and often lived on bread and water, sleeping little. The farms in his rural parish were far apart, and John Neumann walked to reach his people, who were from many lands and tongues. Because John Neumann could speak twelve languages he was able to work with everyone. Throughout his life he never lost his love and concern for the people.

St. John Neumann was also a member of the Redemptorists, a congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to helping the poor and most abandoned. He was appointed bishop of Philadelphia in 1852 and is considered the founder of Catholic education in the United States. He died on January 5, 1860 at the age of 48, and was the first American bishop to be canonized."

Prayer to St. John Neumann
"Saint John Neumann, you helped organize Catholic education in the United States. Please watch over all Catholic schools and help them be a model of Christianity in their actions as well as their words. Amen."

Prayer in Honor of St. John Neumann
"O Saint John Neumann, your ardent desire of bringing all souls to Christ impelled you to leave home and country; teach us to live worthily in the spirit of our Baptism which makes us all children of the one Heavenly Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, the first-born of the family of God. Obtain for us that complete dedication in the service of the needy, the weak, the afflicted and the abandoned which so characterized your life. Help us to walk perseveringly in the difficult and, at times, painful paths of duty, strengthened by the Body and Blood of our Redeemer and under the watchful protection of Mary our Mother. May death still find us on the sure road to our Father's House with the light of living Faith in our hearts. Amen.