John Newman was born in Bohemia in 1811.His childhood was spent in a thoroughly Christian home where discipline and religion were first in importance. His intellectual abilities were such that he went to study the classics and philosophy in college.It was during this years that his vocation call took firm root.In 1831, he began his theology studies and completed them Prague Seminary. Stimulating letters from missionaries in America drifted across the Europe.Almost immediately the letters fired he zeal.All John Newman could see was this shortage of priests, the neglect of thousands of immigrant souls, and award for God than needed to be done.And from then on nothing could extinguish this passion of his soul-to be a missionary in America.
He was ordained in 1836 in New York by Bishop Dubois, who welcomed him open arms.The Bishop had 36 priests, only three of whom spoke German, to minister to 200,000 Catholics.He was assigned in his own parish in Western New York, stretching from Ontario down to Pennsylvania border.He rented a garret room above a tavern in Williamsville and carried his Church gear from one place to the next: remote villages, tiny farms and two Indian reservations.For four years he crisscrossed the Niagara frontier on foot and horseback, saying Mass in farm kitchens in makeshift chapels.Happy and busy this life was, father Newman lounged for more.He became interested in the Congregation founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori, and was given permission to join the Redemptorists.His most cherished desire was realized as he began to preach missions.Soon this holy and kindly priest was made superior in Pittsburgh and later in Baltimore.Then 1847 he was appointed vice-provincial in all Redemptionists in the US.It is said that he close to the front door of the monastery, because it was he who responded to sick calls at any hour.The poor, the sick, the despised, everyone came to father Neumann, and none were ever turned away.When he was approached about becoming a bishop, he flatly refuse, but the Holy Father sent his appointed anyway, with a direct order to except the honor and the burden.He was consecrated Bishop of Philadelphia on his 41st birthday.His accomplishments were many: he established the first parochial schools; found the congregation of Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis; effectively combated Know-Nothingism, the prevailing evil of the day; build 90 churches in eight years that he was bishop; composed a catechism for his schools which was approved by the Council of Baltimore; was the first Bishop to organize the 40-Hours Devotion on a diocesan basis; am proposed that the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8th, be made a holy day.However, to him all of these material accomplishments were secondary to his main objective: the spiritual welfare and renewal of his people.It is said he spent more time in the confessional than any of his priests.Hear confessions in French, German, Spanish, Bohemian, Italian, Dutch, English and even Gaelic.John Neumann’s body could take his superhuman pace for only so long, and one day he collapsed and died almost immediately at 48 years of age.The city of Philadelphia mourned as they passed his body lying in state for five days.They kissed his coffin and grieved for this humble and little man who was their friend.He was declared Venerable in 1921, Beatified in 1963, and 1977 proclaimed St. John Neumann.
