St. John Neumann

St. John Neumann was born March 28, 1811, in Bohemia (Czech Republic). He became a seminarian, but his bishop decided to stop ordinations due to the great number of priests. John learned English and was ordained in New York. He joined the Redemptorists and was later made bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. He organized Catholic schools in the City of Brotherly Love and is considered one of the founders of American Catholic education. He learned a number of languages so that he could hear confessions from many people. John Neumann died Jan. 5, 1860, in Philadelphia. He is patron saint of Catholic schools.