Neumann, Saint John Nepomucene (1811-1860), was the first male United States citizen to be recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. He was canonized (declared a saint) in 1977.
Neumann was the bishop of Philadelphia from 1852 until his death on Jan. 5, 1860. As bishop, he increased the number of Catholic elementary schools in the city from 2 to almost 100. He helped bring several sisterhoods (groups of nuns) from Europe to run the schools.
Neumann was born on March 28, 1811, in Prachatitz, Bohemia. He came to the United States in 1836 and was ordained later that same year. In 1840, he joined the Redemptorist Fathers, a society of missionary priests. Neumann became a U.S. citizen in 1848. His feast day is January 5.
