St. John Neumann: From Manhattan to Buffalo NY to Philadelphia PA

05 Tuesday Jan 2016

Posted by Brian in Saints, Shrines of Philadelphia, St. John Neumann

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Buffalo NY, John the Evangelist Church, National Shrine of Saint John Neumann, Philadelphia, Saint, St. John Neumann, St. Peter the Apostle Church, Williamsville NY

Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral 1811, Manhattan, NYC

St. John Neumann was ordained in June 1836 at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC.

Father Neumann celebrated his First Mass on Sunday, June 26. He wrote home, “Now, my dearest Jesus, I have obtained that for which my soul yearned. What I have always believed so far away, You have now given me.”

The Neumann Chapel, Buffalo NY.

Just 16 days after his arrival in Manhattan, John was ordained a priest and sent to rural Buffalo.

Father John established himself in a small log parish house. He hardly ever lit a fire and often lived on only bread and water.

Sts. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, Williamsville NY. (today)

While in Williamsville New York, Father Neumann started the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul, which is in existence today (above). He also taught school four hours a day and used his knowledge of botany to make medicines from local herbs.

Village of Williamsville NY (Buffalo) today, where John Neumann was a priest.

He was assigned to the Buffalo, New York region which was a boomtown in the mid and late 1830s with commerce on the Erie Canal and stagecoach routes.

Creek in Williamsville NY that John Neumann would have surely saw.

The Sisters of Mercy were instrumental in working with Father Neumann while in the Williamsville New York region.

Glenn Falls Creek today, by Michael Frank Jr.

Father Neumann made rounds to attend to the sacramental life of about 400 families. A journal entry shows John’s concern for the German immigrants: “They have not received any schooling. They speak German poorly, and English just as poorly. The will soon have to work, and there will be no thought of religious instruction.” This thinking was the start of the Catholic Parochial school system.

Redemptorist seal at The National Shrine of St. John Neumann, located at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Father John joined the Redemptorist order and continued his missionary work until he was elected bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. Bishop Neumann was in attendance for Pope Pius IX’s proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Saint John Nepomucene Neumann.

Cross at St. John the Evangelist Church, Philadelphia,

Bishop Neumann took up residence at St. John the Evangelist parish in downtown Philadelphia.

Also in the 1850’s a young Katharine Drexel received First Holy Communion at St. Johns the Evangelist Church. She later became founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, and a saint, St. Katharine Drexel!

Parish of St. Peter the Apostle in Philadelphia. The upper church is where St. John worshiped in Philadelphia.

Pulpit where St. John Neumann preached. Parish of St. Peter the Apostle in Philadelphia.

Lower church is the National Shrine of Saint John Neumann.

Under the altar are the remains of St. John Neumann in a glass reliquary.

St. John Neumann body incorrupt, (face with mask).

Bishop Neumann passed away in Philadelphia while doing errands on January 5, 1860. St. John collapsed and died due to a stroke, a few blocks from Logan Street, where he was building the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul, the regional Church that stands today. He is a patron of immigrants and of sick children.

Memorial of St. John Neumann, Bishop is January 5.

A man must always be ready, for death comes when and where God wills it.

– Saint John Neumann

John Neumann’s World

22 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by Brian in Saints, St. John Neumann

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Alphonsus Liguori, Cathedral Basillica of St. Peter and Paul, John Nuemann, National Shrine of John Neumann, Redemptorist, Saint, Shrine of Philadelphia, St. Peter the Apostle Church

St. Peter the Apostle church, Upper Church of St. John Neumann Shrine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, built in 1843.

John Neumann (1811-1860) celebrated Midnight Mass (Christmas) in 1859, a few days before his death. After his funeral services he was laid to rest in a grave in the basement of St. Peter the Apostle church. The body now lies in state, enclosed in glass under the altar at what has become the world renowned National Shrine of St. John Neumann. Feast day is January 5.

National Shrine of St. John Neumann, in Lower Church.

Prayer requests can be made to John Neumann for intersession by God to make the request realized. Saints themselves do not perform miracles, but recognized in Heaven as Saints, they can request from God to intercede on their behalf. The National Shrine of John Neumann has on record many of these realized prayer requests.

Alphonsus Liguori is the founder of the Redemptorist religious order. (1732)

Saint Alphonsus Liguori is also a Doctor of the Church. Liguori was influenced by St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) and St. Vincent de Paul. (1581-1660). As Neumann became a Redemptorist and eventually its leader, he spread knowledge about these great saints.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori, in state in Italy.

Pope Pius IX proclaimed Liguori a Doctor of the Church in 1871. In his book Preparation for DeathLiguori says, “While we are in the body, we are absent from the Lord.” (2 Cor. v. 6). While the soul is united to the body, it is at a distance from the vision of God, as if in a strange land, and excluded from its true country. Hence, according to St. Bruno, the departure of the soul from the body should not be called death, but the beginning of life.”

Neumann in St. Peter the Apostle church, Upper Church of the Neumann Shrine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A large diocese to manage.

First appointed Superior of the Redemptorist American Mission in 1850, then on March 19, 1852 Nuemann was consecrated bishop of Philadelphia, a role he really didn’t want.

At Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter and Paul, St. John Neumann Chapel.

Opened in 1864, the Cathedral is the motherchurch of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. One of the first tasks when Neumann became Bishop was to complete the Cathedral. Unfortunately due to money constraints, the Cathedral completion was delayed. The cathedral was finally dedicated on November 20, 1864, where it stands today.

More of Neumann in the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul.

The interior of the Basilica is in Roman-Corinthian style with a dome at 156 feet high. St. Katherine Drexel, a contemporary of John Nuemann, also has a side chapel, one in which she donated while she was alive! The Basilica is one of the finest east coast examples of architecture expressing our Catholic faith.

The future planned entrance of the St. John Neumann Shrine.
The Shrine continues to thrive and remains active in the local community, much as Nuemann did while alive.

In St. John Nuemann Shrine, looking up, in all its glory.

St. John Neumann and the SJN National Shrine

05 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by Brian in Saints, Shrines of Philadelphia, St. John Neumann

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40 Hours Devotion, Buffalo NY, John the Evangelist Church, Philadelphia, Saint, St. John Neumann, St. Peter the Apostle Church

Memorial of St. John Neumann, Bishop January 5.

The National Shrine of St. John Neumann, in the spirit of the Redemptorist order, is located at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the lower church, under the altar are the remains of St. John Neumann in a glass reliquary. The upper church is where St. John worshiped.

St. John was ordained in June 1836 at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC.

He was assigned to the Buffalo New York region which was a boomtown in the mid and late 1830s with commerce on the Erie Canal and stagecoach routes. Father Neumann made rounds of attend to the sacramental life of about 400 families. A journal entry shows John’s concern for the German immigrants: “They have not received any schooling. They speak German poorly, and English just as poorly. The will soon have to work, and there will be no thought of religious instruction.” This thinking was the start of the Catholic Parochial school system.

While in Williamsville New York, Father Neumann started the parish of SS’s Peter and Paul, a parish in existance today. He also taught school four hours a day and used his knowledge of botany to make medicines from local herbs.

The Sisters of Mercy were instrumental in working with Father Neumann while in the Williamsville New York region. Several of the quotes in this article are from the Sisters research. For more info on the buffalo NY connection see http://jruthgang.wordpress.com/article/st-john-neumann-in-western-new-york-35d4f9dma4dbf-194/

A huge accomplishment for Father Neumann is the starting of the 40 Hours Devotion, practiced worldwide in the Catholic faith.

John became the fourth bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. Bishop Neumann was in attendance for Pope Pius IX’s proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Bishop Neumann took up residence at St. John the Evangelist parish in downtown Philadelphia. Also in the 1850’s a young Katharine Drexel received First Holy Communion at St. Johns Church. She later became founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, and a saint – St. Katharine Drexel.