St.John Neumann, Bishop of Philadelphia

Today is the Feast of St. John Neumann, who is especially loved by Philadelphia Catholics, as he should be. We owe him a great debt of gratitude. It was St. John who founded the first Catholic system of schools, increasing the number from two to one hundred. He brought religious orders in from all over the world to teach in schools, and he established national parishes to minister to the special needs of immigrants. Perhaps most importantly, he instituted Forty Hours Devotion, which is practiced to this day in nearly every parish church in Philadelphia.

At the time of his death, St. John Neumann was on his way to the post office to mail a letter when he collapsed in the snow at 13th and Vine Streets. An indigent man who recognized him came to his aid. The man happened to be wearing one of the bishop's shirts at the time, as St. John Neumann was renowned for his personal generosity. In his pockets were the letter he was about to mail, his keys, and some candy that he always kept on hand for children he might encounter. He was brought to a nearby house where he died shortly thereafter, the result of having suffered a massive stroke. He was just 48 years old.

At the time he was bishop, the diocese of Philadelphia included all of Delaware and parts of New Jersey in addition to the city proper and its suburbs. Historians have written that St. John Neumann sometimes spent 20 hours a day traveling from one place to another. I would think that he is a particularly apt role model and patron saint for parish priests who must labor tirelessly for the good of their flocks.