St. John Neumann and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Notes

St. John Neumann's feast day is celebrated on January 5.
He lived from 1811-1860.
He was from Bohemia (now the Czech Republic).
He and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton are integral to the history of the American Church, especially in Catholic education.
He sailed to America before being ordained, intending to serve the German-speaking Catholic population in Philadelphia.
His journey from France lasted 40 days.
He arrived at Staten Island with a tattered suit and one dollar.
Like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, he didn't let challenges deter him.
He connected with a local bishop who ordained him to serve German-speaking immigrants.
In 1852, he was appointed Bishop of Philadelphia and worked to serve the poor and immigrant populations.
He oversaw the building of numerous ethnic parishes during a time of anti-Catholicism.
He established about one new parish per month for different immigrant groups, including Italians, Germans, Polish, and Irish.

St. John Neumann expanded the parochial school system in his diocese from one to 200 schools.
He invited religious institutions to provide social services, education, and staff orphanages, especially for marginalized populations.
Among these were the Oblate Sisters of Providence, a congregation of African-American women from Baltimore.
His work, along with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's, built the foundations of the American Catholic Church and parochial school system.
He faced discouragement due to anti-Catholicism and violence, and asked Pope Pius IX to be replaced, but the Pope declined.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton provides an example of embracing God's will in the face of hardships, such as the loss of her husband, financial struggles, illness, and the loss of two of her children.
Like St. John Neumann, her strength was Christ. She wrote about hope and peace through storms because her rock was Christ.
Catholics today are called to do great and hard things.
St. John Neumann and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton are examples to look to for strength.