St. John Neumann Statue in the Czech Republic

Msgr. George Tomicheck, Mr. Bauer, The mayor of the Village of Prachatice, Norma DiCocco and Vicar Bishop Budejovice stand before the St. John Neumann Statue donated by the DiCocco Family

The June 21st Mass was in 2003 at St. Jacob Church In the Czech Republic Celebrating the 26th Anniversary of the Canonization of St. John Neumann. This was the occassion for the formal dedication of the life-sized statue of St. John Neumann	The townspeople uncrate the life-sized bronze statue of St. John neumann, specially commissioned by St. Jude Shop, Inc. and executed in their Northern Italystudio. The cast bronze statue was finished in a classic statuary bronze patina

Cardinal Rigali Named Envoy for St. John Neumann Event

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, JUNE 16, 2011 (Zenit.org).- The archbishop of Philadelphia will represent Benedict XVI at an event celebrating one of his predecessors, St. John Neumann, the first American to be canonized.
Cardinal Justin Rigali will represent the Pope this Saturday at celebrations in Prachatice, Czech Republic, marking the 200th anniversary of the saint's birth.
St. John Neumann was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1977. His feast is Jan. 5.
John Neumann (1811-1860) was a missionary to the United States who became the fourth bishop of Philadelphia (1852-1860).
He was born in Prachatice but came to America to follow his vocation to the priesthood. He was ordained in 1836. Four years later, he joined the Redemptorists. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1848.
As bishop of Philadelphia, he was the first bishop in the U.S. to organize a diocesan school system.