New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-04

~ 10
proved concerning him that he practised virtue
IN an heroic degree. a secular rric5t-that is. an
ordinary prlest-may be admitted to sainthood.
Not so much is required Of him as Of a member
Of one OF the religious orders, In addition to the
ordinary virtues Of priesthood these must have
practised the evangelical counsels-chastity.
poverty. obedience 1t was in these that Bishop
Neumann shone, His life. as the testimony COL
lected proves was made up day by day of these
heroic virtues. and religious history hardly re-
calls a more remarkable case.
Bishop Neumann was Bohemian by birth.
the son OF a weaver. who had emlgrated from
Bavaria From his earliest years ne was dis
tlnguished for his piety and his charity. 1t is
said that he committed only one fault In his
childhood-the telling OF a single lie at very
early age. Otherwise even as a boy he very
nearly reached perfection. MI this Is set down
In the sworn testimony OF the Process for the
Introduction OF the Cause" now in The hands
or the Vatican authorities His brother and
two OF his sisters lived long enough to give this
evidence.
The year Of his birth was 1911. BY the time
he was twenty five he WIS marked in his COM
munity as A youth OF extraordinary learning
He knew Hebrew. Greek. Latin Bohemian,
French. Italian. English and German, and later.
that he might better help The poor Irish peas
antry in his parish IN Western New-YOrk, he
studied Gaelic Besides this he was skilled
theo!ogian. Before he left the University at
Prague he composed n stn famous doctrinai
treatise On The lnfaIbility OF the Pope" He
was. too. a student OF literature. Mathematics,
nsturai history and botany
While nj Prague. from certain learned pro-
lessor he heard OF the missions Of North Amer
ica. and his field was settled within his breast
Then twenty-five years Old he was still a stu
dent. not yet A priest The diocese was over
stocked with priests, others were to be or
dained Until vacancies occurred Quietly. with
200 francs in his pocket. the future Bishop
slipped away. settling sail from Hayre on his
arrival In New-York h. found to his delight
that he had been accepted for the dloccse OF
New York
The man was already apparent In the young
thcologian. Ordained Ia New York by Bishop
Dubois In old ST. Patrick's Cathedral on June
%. 1896 II not long before he received a
special mission. The bishop sent him 10 the
dipccse II Niagara Falls and there. with one
Of hig stations" fifty miles distant. another
forty. another twenty the young priest spent
some years. covering his Wide ana long parish
on foot. trtlessiy. increasingly
Ills work @how"d prizes, who was at once
tender. bold. an executive. : comforter Then
began his renowned love Tor children. His con-
troll over waywnrI boys became famous His
name went far and wide. Inside OF year II
waa by no means limited TO the bounds OF his
parish
The strain broke him down. broke him down
again UT h struggled on. with hcrosm
that was marked he bu.lt schools and churches,
ms energy never tagging
\ change came In his life at the end OF four
years. lie entered The Redcmptorists' Noytlatc
and took up the work OF succoring the poor. In
1872 he took The VOWS Of the order in Baltimore,
and At once rose TO a high place. Two years
later he was made Superior at Pittsburg
A little life Of Bishop Neumann recently pub.
lshcd tells this story OF the now noted priest,
lie then turned his attention TO the housing OF
his community. and began the erection Of {
suitable convent Before this work was com
pleted his health completely broke down. II
was no wonder. for his labors and anxetiel
were excessive and he would take care a
himself on the contrary. he claimed the most
difficult work az his by right For example he
went on ali the night sick calls He would say
to the others You need all the rest you can
get; cannot sleep at night 80 I might as well
go myself II was. therefore. necessary TO have
recourse to the Provincial Superior In order to
save him He was sent an obedience to put
himself under medical care. and he submitted
with the simplicity OF child"
Such was the character OF the servant OF
God" who ~ 70 be made in all probability. the
first saint Of the United states.
Soon after this-ln 1SJ2-asainst his Will, he
tod ffs. - iphi