Catholic Culture This Week: January 5, 2009
[Please note the change in the title of this column. The column that will be written on Mondays will now be a combination of two previous columns. Given that topics often overlap, and that the author's time is precious, the combination makes much sense. Look for new columns each week on Mondays and Fridays.]
North American Catholics are in the midst of days during which they could receive some wonderful inspiration and intercession. Such is the case because today (January 5) marks the Memorial of St. John Neumann, and tomorrow (January 6) marks the Memorial of Blessed Andre Bessette. In the vast geographic expanse of America, both men must be remembered for their sincere faith, which was most often shown through humble action.
Neumann was born in Bohemia (a province in central Europe) in 1811. By the time he was 20 years old, he knew that his vocation was to the priesthood. He went immediately to study in a diocesan seminary (Budweis), and later to the larger seminary in Prague. His vocation, however, was delayed because his bishop halted ordinations in that diocese. (The reason was that there were too many priests in Bohemia at that time.)
Despite the setback, Neumann continued to seek the sacrament of Holy Orders. And, because of his affinity for missionary work, he was ready to go in another direction. After writing to the bishops of the United States, which was still missionary territory, he set off for the New World, New York to be exact.
He was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of New York in 1836. For several years, he served the rural communities of New York with great zeal and humility. Later, he joined the community of Redemptorists, which allowed him to focus on service to the poor. In the midst of difficult and variant circumstances, Neumann always was joyful to serve the Lord and His people. for that reason, he was endeared to Catholics in the region for many generations afterward.
In 1852, Neumann was appointed as the Bishop of Philadelphia, a city that needed a larger German presence. In that office, he was a pioneer in the Catholic education system of the diocese and the country. In fact, the number of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Philadelphia increased nearly 100 times during his tenure there!
After nearly eight years as a bishop, and before he was fifty years old, Neumann died of a heart attack. Supposedly, he ministered and worked himself into that "early grave," since he was so dedicated to education and sacramental ministry. Quite possibly, God took St. John to his heavenly home so that there would be some work left for the rest of us to do. Would that more Catholics sought to help others achieve holiness in the same capacity as John Neumann!
Bessette, somewhat younger than Neumann but no less dedicated, was born of humble origins. Even at the age of 25, he could not read or write. Yet he was not deterred from following his own vocation, just like Neumann.
He entered the novitiate of the Holy Cross Brothers, a community of teachers, as a porter at a boarding school in Montreal, Canada. He served in that capacity until he received a prompting from the Holy Spirit to build a shrine to St. Joseph on the top of a large hill. Despite the negative attitude of the bishop of that see and very little money, the shrine was completed; and it later became a great pilgrimage site noted for miracle healings.
Both of these men, whose lives are remembered by the Church, should serve as examples to the rest of us. We must remember that our great Church is sustained, perpetuated, and fertilized by the humble works of ordinary people (obviously, with the necessary assistance of Christ and the Holy Spirit). When we remember men like St. John Neumann and Blessed Andre Bessette, we realize that obstacles aren't as big as we might think; that our own small, faithful efforts can be turned into great things by Him, Who promised that the gates of Hell would never prevail against His Church (Mt. 16:18).
[Information for this article was obtained from Catholic Exchange: St. John Neumann, the website of The National Shrine of St. John Neumann, McNamara's Blog: Philly's Bohemian Bishop, and Catholic Online: Bl. Andre Bessette. The photo was borrowed from McNamara's Blog.]
