Devout clergy left legacy
Two devout Catholic clergymen, born in the early part of the 19th century, have been cited in recent news reports.
They have similar sounding names although spelled differently.
Both were conversant in several languages.
They made an impact on the administration of education and church policies and their sermons and published works were very influential.
One lived and ministered in England and the other in the United States.
Pope Benedict XVI beatified Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890) in Birmingham, England, on Sept. 19, 2010.
On Jan. 5, 2011, a special year of liturgies and commemorative events was launched to honor St. John Neumann (1811-1860), the fourth bishop of Philadelphia.
Bishop Neumann was born in Bohemia, now the Czech Republic, to a German father and Czech mother. He wanted to become a priest from an early age.
At the time of his ordination, there was an over supply of priests in his home country so he was encouraged to immigrate to America.
The bishop of New York accepted his application and he was sent to the western frontier near Buffalo to minister to German emigrants.
He enjoyed his work but missed the association with other priests so he joined the Redemptorist Order of priests at Philadelphia in 1842.
Within a few years, his administrative skills became apparent and he was designated the superior of all the Redemptorists in America.
On March 28, 1852, his 41st birthday, Pope Pius IX appointed him bishop of Philadelphia.
At the time, Philadelphia was the largest diocese in the country, covering all the territory along the eastern coast from Baltimore to New York.
In less than eight years, this dedicated servant would add 80 churches and 40 schools throughout the diocese.
He pioneered the organization of a diocesan school system and wrote the catechism texts for the students.
Two orders of nuns were founded to staff the schools.
During his time as bishop, he mastered the Gaelic language, in addition to the eight languages he already knew, so that he could hear the confessions of the Irish emigrants.
Bishop Neumann also instituted the Forty-Hour devotion, which quickly spread throughout the Catholic Church.
On Jan. 5, 1860, at age 48, Bishop Neumann had a massive heart attack and died on Vine Street as he was walking to the post office.
Known for his holiness and learning, spiritual writing and preaching, John Neumann was canonized a saint in 1977 by Pope Paul VI.
Cardinal John Henry Newman was born in London and is considered one of the most profound and prolific theological thinkers.
He lived almost twice as long as the American bishop did and he authored 40 books and the 21,000 letters that were made available for preservation.
The cardinal wrote several hymns including the popular, “Lead Kindly Light,” and one of his poems was set to music by composer Sir Edward Elgar.
Several writers feel that Newman not only is on the fast track to sainthood but will, also, be declared a doctor of the church.
Cardinal Newman served the first half of his priestly ministry as an Anglican and the last half as a Catholic.
At a 1990 symposium in Rome, the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury addressed the audience with these words, “Newman occupies a unique place in the history of both our traditions. As an Anglican, he reminded us of our roots in the Fathers and of our faith within Catholic Christendom. As a Catholic, he helped toward a better understanding of the history of dogma and prepared for the great developments this century in the Second Vatican Council.”
Newman’s work in education began as a fellow and tutor at Oxford University.
His publication of, “The Idea of a University” (1852) occurred when the bishops of Ireland had requested that he establish a catholic university in Dublin.
Cardinal Newman believed very strongly that the practice of one’s faith and an opportunity to discern moral issues was an integral part of a student’s education.
Because of his influence, most secular colleges have a Newman Center or a Catholic campus ministry dedicated to Newman on their campus.
It is interesting that the first Newman Center was established three years after his death on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, in the diocese that Bishop Neumann previously had shepherded.
Dr. Agnes Martinko is a member of St. Edward Church in Youngstown.