The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Bible, candle, picture of John Neumann, cross

 

"One must be ready, for death comes when and where God wills it." (St. John Neumann)

The Bishop of Philadelphia lay crumpled in the snow a few blocks from his new cathedral on Logan Square. By the time a priest reached him with the holy oils, Bishop Neumann was dead. That was January 5, 1860. At his own request Bishop Neumann was buried in a crypt in Saint Peter’s Church where he would be with his Redemptorist confreres.

 

"Only This I Want" – Dan Schutte 

Antiphon:
My life is at the service of the

 

Gospel;
God has given me this grace.

God, my God, you I crave;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body aches for you
like a dry and weary land.
Let me gaze on you in your temple:
a vision of strength and glory.

Your love is better than life,
my speech is full of praise.
I give you a lifetime of worship,
my hands raised in your name.
I feast at a rich table,
my lips sing of your glory.

On my bed I lie awake,
your memory fills the night.
You have been my help,
I rejoice beneath your wings.
Yes, I cling to you,
your right hand holds me fast.

Let those who want me dead
end up deep in the grave!
They will die by the sword,
their bodies food for jackals.
But let the king find joy in God.
All who swear the truth be praised,
every lying mouth be shut.

Glory…

 

"Shepherd Me O God"
– Marty Haugen
Sing the refrain. The verses may be recited.

 

Antiphon:
Our Gospel came to you not only in word, but
also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with
full conviction.

Morning - "Benedictus" - Bernadette Farrell

Evening - "Magnificat" - Bernadette Farrell

 

O God, you selected some to be leaders of your people: to teach, strengthen, and support them. We lift up our hearts and pray:

 

Response:
Send down your Spirit on those you have chosen.

For the Church, particularly for all in positions of authority, we pray…

For Christian educators throughout the world, we pray…

For immigrants, those who are alienated, and those who are poor and all who minister among them, we pray…

For Christians everywhere, called to wash the feet of their brothers and sisters, we pray…

For all who have died, we pray…

 

O Saint John Neumann, your ardent desire of bringing all souls to Christ impelled you to leave home and country; teach us to live worthily in the spirit of our Baptism which makes us all children of the one God and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, the first-born of the family of God.

Obtain for us that complete dedication in the service of those who are needy, weak, afflicted, and abandoned which so characterized your life. Help us to walk perseveringly in the difficult, and at times, painful paths of duty, strengthened by our Eucharistic life and under the watchful protection of Mary our Mother. Amen.

 

"Among the shepherds of the flock in Philadelphia," wrote Pope Pius XII, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the diocese, "the figure of Venerable John Neumann is pre-eminent. It was mainly through his prodigious efforts that a Catholic school system came into being and that parochial schools began to rise across the land. His holy life, his childlike gentleness, his hard labor, and his tremendous foresight is still fresh and green among you. The tree planted and watered by Bishop Neumann now gives you its fruit."

 

 

 

"The life of John Neumann remains a challenge to all of us…" —John Cardinal Krol