How wonderful are the Saints!  What a contrast between Mary the Mother of God, the greatest of the Saints who I featured last week, and St. John Neumann, featured this week.  The former, divinely declared full of grace and the Mother of God, and the latter, seemingly without a standout  accomplishment in his entire life life.  St. John Neumann was awkward in appearance, considered to be unpopular and even laughed at for the way his short stature made him look while riding on horseback!  He died unexpectedly while out running errands at the young age of 48; no glorious martyrs death for him.  St. John Neumann is best known for founding the first Catholic school in Philadelphia and greatly increasing the number of Catholic schools in his diocese.  Yet, in relative obscurity, he lived a model life that was considered worthy of Sainthood.  He is the first citizen of the United States to become a Saint.  If St. John Neumann doesn’t inspire you, who will?

Beautified by Pope Paul VI on October 13, 1963. 

Feast day: Sunday January 5

Patron of:  Catholic Education

Prayer to St. John Neumann:

Saint John Neumann, you helped organize Catholic education in the United States. Please watch over all Catholic schools and help them be a model of Christianity in their actions as well as their words. Amen

St. John Neumann pray for us!