National Shrine of Saint John Neumann
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The National Shrine of St. John Neumann is a Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to St. John Neumann, who was the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia and the first American male to be canonized. The shrine is located in the lower church of the Parish of St. Peter the Apostle at 1019 North 5th Street, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The Parish of St. Peter the Apostle was built in 1843.
When St. John Neumann died suddenly and unexpectedly in 1860, the decision was made to bury his remains at the Parish of St. Peter the Apostle. Neumann was buried beneath the undercroft floor directly below the high altar.
Neumann was beatified by Pope Paul VI during the Second Vatican Council, and he was canonized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Paul VI in 1977. Following the canonization of St. John Neumann, the undercroft of the Parish of St. Peter the Apostle was renovated into a lower church, becoming the National Shrine of St. John Neumann. The body of St. John Neumann lies in a glass-enclosed cavity under the main altar. The body of the saint is dressed in the episcopal vestments with a wax mask covering the saint's face.
The body of St. John Neumann had last been vested in 1989. At that time, the body of the saint was clothed in a set of modern vestments cut in the Gothic style. On December 27, 2007, the body of St. John Neumann was vested with a set of high quality traditional Roman vestments, including a laced alb, stole, maniple, episcopal gloves, and traditional Roman fiddleback chasuble. The current Archbishop of Philadelphia, Justin Cardinal Rigali, was present to assist with the vesting.
Adjoining the lower church is a small museum, which displays exhibits relating to the life of the saint. The National Shrine of St. John Neumann and the Parish of St. Peter the Apostle are under the care of the Redemptorists, the religious community of which St. John Neumann was a member.
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[edit] External links
- National Shrine of Saint John Neumann
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia Website
- National Shrine of Saint John Neumann is at coordinates Coordinates:
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