Who was St. John Neumann?
He only lived 48 years, so he died when he was not much older than Obama, who is now 47. He was born in Bohemia, and decided in his 20s to come to America as a missionary. He arrived in New York on June 6, 1836 with one suit of clothes and a dollar in his pocket. He joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly known as the Redemptorists, in Pittsburgh, then came to the attention of Archbishop Kenrick of Baltimore who suggested to Rome that Neumann be appointed as the Bishop of Philadelphia. Neumann wrote a letter to the Vatican requesting that another man be chosen. However, Pope Pius IX decided he was, by far, the best person for the job and declared him a Bishop in 1852. The poor people affectionately called him “Our Little Bishop” because of his short stature. He was five feet and two inches tall. The poor, especially the new immigrants, loved him. Among Bishop Neumann’s accomplishments were the organization of a Catholic diocesan school system. He had many new school
