Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And St. John Neumann

Stand In The Gap With Us And St. John Neumann 1/5/2024

Therefore, holy brethren, who share in a heavenly call, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession." Hebrews 3:1

When the Lord calls you, He will open doors that seem closed if it be His Will. St. John Neumann is a classic case. At the time of St. John, there were no openings in the Seminaries as they were filled to capacities.

Can you picture a time when there were no priest shortage?

St. John Neumann was born on March 28, 1811 in Bohemia and was raised in the holy Faith by his parents. So much so that by 1831, he was already seeking to become a Catholic priest studying at a local seminary.

By the time he was 24 years old, he had become fluent speaking six languages which made him very important as a speaker and missionary.

1835, the Bishop of Bohemia was not taking in new priests so St. John wrote to other European countries only to find the same problem for him, but he would not be denied.

In 1836, St. John traveled to America hoping to finally receive ordination to the priesthood. He placed his full confidence in God as he arrived in New York with only one dollar to his name and the clothes on his back. If God has your calling, it is a matter of time and soon, St. John would run into Bishop John Dubois of the Society of Saint-Silpice who saw St. John's potential. Three weeks later, June 1836, St. John was now called "Father Neumann"!