St. John Nepomucene Neumann, Bishop

St. John Nepomucene Neumann, Bishop: 1811-1860 A.D.

America's Unspectacular Saint - Feast, January 5

Birth, family background, education, and ordination
Born at Prachatitz, Bohemia, [in what is now the Czech Republic] on March 28, and the third of six children of Agnes and Philip Neumann [a Bohemian mother and a German father], John was early attracted to the religious life. He was a voracious reader and student of a wide variety of languages and sciences. He entered the diocesan seminary of Budweis in 1831 A.D., and two years later the archepiscopal seminary and theological school at Charles Ferdinand University at Prague. Unable to be ordained because of a surplus of priests in Bohemia, John went to the United States in 1836 A.D. and was ordained in New York later within the same year. He then devoted the next four years to missionary work, especially among German-speaking Catholics, in upstate New York.

Entered the Redemptorist Order
By 1840 A.D., John wanted to deepen his spiritual life, so he became a member of the few Redemptorists in the United States at Pittsburgh and was the first Redemptorist priest to be professed in the United States. At 29 years of age, John Neumann plunged into an unremitting round of pastoral work in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. After four years as a Redemptorist missionary he became an American citizen and was named the provincial of the Redemptorists. He built St. Peter and Paul Church in Baltimore, and was appointed the rector of St. Alphonsus Church in that city in 1851 A.D.

Pope Pius IX had named him bishop of Philadelphia
A few weeks before his 41st birthday, John returned to his room one evening after a busy day of ministry and found on his desk the ring and pectoral cross which Archbishop Francis Patrick Kenrick had worn for twenty-one years as bishop of Philadelphia. (The archbishop had paid a visit that afternoon). Neumann was aghast. He realized that Pope Pius IX had named him bishop of Philadelphia - an area which had more Catholics than any other - many of whom were Irish immigrants and some of them the elite of Catholic society in the city. As the fourth bishop of Philadelphia, John now had the opportunity to make great inroads into what had become his passion: the education of poor German, French, Irish and Indian Catholics.

A busy reorganizer and very close to the people
\ During his eight years as bishop of Philadelphia, he reorganized the diocese, as well as opened eighty new churches and nearly one hundred schools. To staff these schools, John brought in many religious orders of priests and nuns. At the first national council of Catholic bishops, he helped to map out a plan of Catholic education for the whole United States.

Although active in his support of education and busy with the duties of leading a diocese, John Neumann was never far from his people. By the time he became a bishop, he spoke twelve languages and made it a point to address each of his people in their own language. At the time of his death, John Neumann was renowned for his holiness, charity, pastoral work, and his preaching. He was canonized in 1977 A.D. by Pope Paul VI, the first American male saint.

Unspectacular but simplicity performed with constant perfection amidst difficulties spell heroism
St. John Neumann was almost overlooked as a serious candidate for sainthood for many years; in fact, the case was put on hold in 1912 A.D. because, they said, they doubted whether he had the necessary "heroic virtue"; he was "too ordinary" a man to be a candidate. However, there were persistent pleas for his cause. And Pope Benedict XV finally came to the conclusion that even the most simple works, when performed with constant perfection amidst difficulties, already spells heroism. Pope Paul VI made the same point in his homily at the ceremony on October 13, 1963 A.D., the day he beatified Bishop John Neumann. He referred to the "ancient biographers" of saints who sought the unusual and miraculous aspects of the lives of the saints, perhaps too much. The Pope admitted that they too had to understand that the life of a Christian who is really moved by faith and grace cannot but be wonderful.

The sainting of Bishop John Neumann was a triumph and a model for the millions of men and women who live unspectacular lives in persistent patience and quiet virtues every day before God whose will they strive to follow.

References of this article

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
• Saints for Our Time, by Ed Ransom
• The Who's Who of Heaven: Saints for All Seasons, by Msgr. John P. Kleinz

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, America's First Native-Born Saint

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious: 1774-1821 A.D.

America's First Native-Born Saint - Feast, January 4

Birth and family background

Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was born in New York City on August 28, 1774 A.D., just two years before the Declaration of Independence was signed. She might be truly be called a daughter of the American Revolution.

Elizabeth's father, Dr. Richard Bayley, was a prominent physician and professor of anatomy at King's College (now Columbia University). Her mother, and later, her stepmother, were staunch Episcopalians who instilled in her an appreciation of prayer and the Scriptures. She was the stepsister of Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley of Baltimore.

Elizabeth was educated by her father. Then at nineteen, she married a wealthy businessman named William Magee Seton, with whom she had five children. In the first years of her marriage, Elizabeth plunged into social work and in 1797 A.D. helped to found the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children. A few years later, in 1803 A.D., her husband's business failed, and William contracted tuberculosis. The couple went to Italy in hopes of effecting a cure but William died shortly after they arrived.

Back in the United States and conversion to Catholicism

In her stay in Italy for some months, she observed the Catholic Church in action. She became convinced that the Catholic Church was rooted back to the apostles and to Christ. After her return to the United States in 1805 A.D., she became a Catholic. Her Episcopalian family and friends were outraged and turned on her savagely, cutting themselves off from her completely. Her sister told her that Catholics were "dirty, filthy, red-faced". Elizabeth however did not change her faith when she was ostracized, but she was eventually driven to Baltimore, where she was warmly welcomed by the Catholic community.

Apostolic work and foundation of a religious community

At the suggestion of a Sulpician superior, Father Louis DuBourg, she opened a school for girls in Baltimore. Soon her sisters Cecilia and Harriet, who had become Catholics, joined her. With other women they formed a religious community. Elizabeth took private vows before Archbishop John Carroll of Baltimore. He encouraged her to form a new community. So Elizabeth founded a religious community along with four companions. They opened a school for poor children in Emmitsburg, Maryland, which was the beginning of the Catholic parochial school system in the United States.

Approval of her community's Rule and its growth

Archbishop Carroll of Baltimore approved the rule of Elizabeth's community in 1812 A.D., and in 1813 A.D., Elizabeth and eighteen other women took vows in the new religious order, the Sisters of Charity - the first American religious society. The religious order spread throughout the United States and numbered some twenty communities by the time of her death at Emmitsburg on January 4. She was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975 A.D., the first American-born saint.

"Our daily work is to do the will of God"

St. Elizabeth expanded the principle that "our daily work is to do the will of God" in a conference she gave her spiritual daughters. It is printed as the Second Reading of the Office of Readings for her feast day of January 4:

I know what his will is by those who direct me; whatever they bid me do, if it is ever so small in itself, is the will of God for me. Then do it in the manner he wills it, not sewing an old thing as if it were new, or a new thing as if it were old; not fretting because the oven is too hot, or in a fuss because it is too cold. You creeping like a snail because no one pushes you. Our dear Savior was never in extremes. The third object is to do his will because he wills it, that is, to be ready to quit at any moment and do anything else to which you may be called...

Be above the vain fears of nature and efforts of your enemy. You are children of eternity. Your immortal crown awaits you, and the best of Fathers waits there to reward your duty and love. You may indeed sow here in tears, but you may be sure there to reap in joy.

With her elevated to the honor of sainthood, the faithful now pray, "St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us."

References of this article

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
• Saints for Our Time, by Ed Ransom
• The Who's Who of Heaven: Saints for All Seasons, by Msgr. John P. Kleinz

The Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary

Introduction

The Blessed Mother is known by many names and titles: Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, The Immaculate Conception, the Seat of Wisdom, the House of Gold, and many more. All these names and titles refer to one and the same person - Mary of Nazareth. Catholics refer to Mary in many ways, but all these ways refer to her as the Mother of Jesus - the great Mother of God whom all Catholics honor and venerate but do not worship. Without knowledge of Mary, Jesus would only be a mythic figure coming from nowhere. The gospel image of a real baby in the arms of Mary tells all that Jesus was incarnated in the womb of a virgin. That gospel image is often celebrated every Christmas season and never fails to touch human hearts with joy, peace and a strong sense of family ties.

Mary in the New Testament

Mary is mentioned in all of the four gospels. It is however in the gospel of Luke where she is mentioned more:

• she assented to be the Mother of God upon announcement of the angel Gabriel that God's favor rests well on her [Luke 1:26-38]
• she is a virgin: "one who does not know man" - with the term "know man" as connotating sexual relations [Luke 1:34]
• she visited her cousin Elizabeth to help her since Elizabeth was also with child but in her old age [Luke 1:39-56]
• she gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem with simple shepherds paying homage to the baby Jesus in the manger [Luke 2:1-20]
• she, together with Joseph, presented Jesus in the Temple to be consecrated to God [Luke 2:21-40]
• with Joseph, she sought and found the child Jesus in the Temple - speaking words of wisdom with the elders there [Luke 2:41-52]
• she and some of Jesus' relatives were considered part of a greater family for Jesus: "those who hear the word of God and do God's will" [Matthew 12:46-50]
• she was also instrumental in solving the problem in the wedding of Cana [John 2:1-11]
• she, two other women, and the disciple John, stood by Jesus at the foot of the cross [John 19:25-27]
• after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, Mary waited together with the apostles and disciples for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost [Acts 1:14]

These are some of the references to Mary in the New Testament. There are many more and all of them help readers obtain a gospel image of Mary as a person. A good book that will help understand this gospel image of Mary is "Mary in the New Testament", edited by Raymond E. Brown, Karl P. Donfried, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and John Reumann.

Mary's Assumption into heaven

The dogma or doctrine on the assumption of Mary to heaven teaches that Mary has been taken body and soul - her full humanity - to heaven where she receives the full and eternal vision of God. Traditional sources do not say that she did not die, only that she has already received what all the faithful will also all receive in fitting degree when all are finally brought to the Father. This article of faith on the assumption of Mary is not in the Bible. There is an apocryphal account of it in the Transitus Beatae Mariae of Pseudo-Melito, but it is not considered inspired text like the Bible. In Catholic faith, when the Bible is silent or ambiguous on a certain event or person, the Church often sources out the truth in Sacred Tradition (the unwritten word of God). And a lot that was discussed on the truth of the Assumption of Mary were taken from Sacred Tradition. However, although not a full reference, the Church maintains that there is a biblical allusion to the assumption of Mary in the passage of Apocalypse 12:1 - "A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."

The Immaculate Conception

This dogma is one of the most Catholic, and sometimes misunderstood article of faith in Catholicism. This article of faith is found within the text of the gospel account of the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel to Mary. Catholics believe greatly in the Immaculate Conception - meaning that from the moment of Mary's conception in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, Mary was kept free from original sin by the power of divine grace. Since she was to bear the Son of God, it is but fitting that the womb that will conceive and bear Him, is pure and completely untainted with any trace of sin. Thus is she titled, the Immaculate Conception. Mary continued to remain sinless throughout her life. Since she did not have original sin (the sin all mankind inherits upon conception because of the disobedience to God of Adam and Eve), she did not deserve to suffer the consequences of it, so at the end of her life, she was assumed in her full humanity by God into heaven.

Devotion to Mary

Devotions are traditional forms of prayers that are not part of the Mass. They can be public or private - expressing love for God and neighbor personified in Mary (or the saints). One form of devotion to Mary is the praying of the holy rosary. The holy rosary is made up of decades of beads to represent the four mysteries (joyful, sorrowful, light, and glorious) of the Christian faith which sum up the life of Jesus and Mary's participative role in it. Another form of devotion to Mary is the May crowning. May is the month of honoring Mary for Catholics. Traditionally, Catholic parishes pick one day in May to host a devotion called a May crowning. On this day a young girl is chosen to place a crown of roses on a statue of Mary which is sometimes carried in a procession around the neighborhood. All those in attendance sing hymns and pray the rosary. Other devotions to Mary include: the First Saturdays devotion, the pilgrimages to Marian shrines all over the world, and the honoring of Marian apparitions through scapulars and medals.

Except for Jesus, Mary, throughout the ages is the subject of many poems, hymns, statues, icons, paintings, treatises, and sermons more than any other in all human history. To understand why Catholics are so affectionate and attached to the Mother of God, we just have to look at the most primal of all emotions: the bond between a mother and her child.