An Appreciation of Saint John Neumann

Saint John Neumann never aspired to be a Bishop of the Church. When Archbishop Kenrick of Baltimore told him that he was being talked about as the great possibility and probability of being appointed the fourth Bishop Philadelphia, St John Neumann begged him to tell the Pope and the Vatican that he was a lousy administrator, and that he wanted to be just a holy missionary priest of the Redemptorist Order and nothing more. St. John Neumann didn’t even like being the Provincial Superior of the Redemptorists, and was glad to be relieved of his duties as Provincial Superior.

When St John Neumann took on the awesome responsibility of being the Fourth bishop of Philadelphia, and the Bishop of so many immigrants coming from all over Europe, he knew that he had to be a good administrator for the well being of his people, and of church property.

In eight years he built 80 Catholic Churches and 35 Catholic Schools, and staffed his schools with the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and later with other Religious Communities. He worked himself many times to exhaustion, but he did it all for his tremendous love of God, and the people of God, and especially the immigrants.

He wanted the people to be generous in the building of the churches and schools, but he also wanted them to save as much money as possible for the well being of the family and the people back home. He was one of the Founders of Beneficial Bank, which was a great help and service to the immigrants, in the savings of their hard earned money. That same bank has since established an Endowment Fund for the School of St Peter the Apostle, which is located at 5th and Girard in Philadelphia, and continues the legacy of St John Neumann. Neumann’s contributions to the Catholic school system were organization on a diocesan level, proper and competent teachers, good textbooks, and patience in dealing with the pupils. Catholic schools in Neumann’s time taught the children of immigrant families especially in faith and virtue.

The national shrine of St John Neumann, 1019 N Fifth Street, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, welcomes pilgrims. When I visited with a delegation from the Czech Republic last year I was impressed with the stained glass windows in the lower church. They tell the story of this Czech immigrant, an ordinary Redemptorist who changed the city of Philadelphia and the Catholic Church in America. Countless people now pray to him for help and healing.