Silence Aloud

Most people can’t claim to have been in the presence of an actual saint, unless they’ve been to Philadelphia and visited the Parish of Saint Peter the Apostle, where they will find the national shrine of Saint John Neumann . John Neumann, who lived in the 19th century, is an American saint, who lived in Philadelphia as a bishop. During his life, he founded schools and an order of nuns, but fell in 1860, when he died of a stroke when he was only 48 years old. In order to be declared a saint, as Neumann was in 1977, there must be miracles attributed to a person after death. Decades later, people began to attribute recoveries from illnesses and injuries to Neumann. A boy in Philadelphia overcame bone cancer; a student in Villanova, made a complete recovery following a car crash; and a girl from Italy survived peritonitis.

If you visit Saint Peter the Apostle Church, you will find the body of St. John Neumann, enclosed in glass, below the altar. The body is dressed in a miter and vestments, respecting his life as a bishop. You will find a little museum just out of the sanctuary that provides information about his life and what he accomplished. You’ll see a case that displays mortification instruments, such as a cilicium (a sharp, wire necklace) and a disciplina (a self-flagellation whip). Next to these items, there’s also a noose, which was used to hang two brothers, who were prisoners. The noose is included because Neumann spoke with them before their execution and was able to get them to repent before they died. There’s also a marble step preserved in the museum that was the same step on which he collapsed before he died.

While most people might consider Philadelphia an interesting spot for tourism, especially as the birth place place of our nation, there are other sights, such as Neumann’s shrine, which allow people with an interest in religion and history to explore. To arrange for a hotel while in town, you can try out this site , and have a choice of 35 different places to stay.

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