St. John Henry Newman (1801 - 1890) OR St. John Nepomucene Neumann (1811-1860)
Hmmmmm, which is which?
Hmmmmm, which is which?
This wonderful rabbit hole journey began as I was doing research for my book. I was trying to learn more about the saint whose Feast Day is January 17.
First, I found this wonderful video via my alma mater's Newman Center's website. I was confirmed a Catholic because of the Newman Center at UH.
These two saints have such similar names! I was trying to figure out who was who.
St. John Henry Newman born in England in 1801. St. John Henry Newman understood the need for Catholics to be educated in a Catholic environment and for laity to have a good understanding of their faith.
On the other hand . . .
St. John Nepomucene Neumann, who was born in the Bohemian mountain village of Prachtice in 1811 to a German father and a Czech mother, ended up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania .
To make a long story short, the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Francis Kenrick found in his new confessor, the Redemptorist Father John Neumann, the perfect candidate to replace him in Philadelphia – much to the horror of Neumann.
Bells and whistles are pinging in my memory and things are falling into place for me . . . . Bishop Kenrick High School, the Catholic school I begged my Mom to send me, was named after Archbishop Francis Kenrick! Side note: I did not go to Kenrick HS -- by the time my mom (a widow working very hard to support us) could swing it, I was fully ensconced on the Varsity Cheerleading team, had a boyfriend, and was as happy as a clam to be a Trojan at Wissahickon High School.
St. John Neumann like his British namesake, Bishop Neumann understood the need for Catholics to be educated in a Catholic environment and for laity to have a good understanding of their faith. He was the first ecclesiastic to organize a diocesan school system in the United States. Canonized in 1977, Bishop John Neumann was the first American man to be named saint.
St. John Henry Newman (1801 - 1890) Feast Day October 9
St. John Nepomucene Neumann (born: March 28, 1811- died: January 5,1860) Feast Day January 5
sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment