Imagined in the first person and accompanied by excerpts from letters written by Saint John Neumann, the story of a poor immigrant reaches worlds beyond his Bohemian birthplace. From an early age he knew that missionary work in North America was his calling.

In less than 20 years as a Redemptorist priest in the new, young country he served the North American Province, was ordained Bishop of Philadelphia, and laid the foundation for the Catholic school system in the United States. All across the northeastern U.S., Bishop Neumann oversaw the establishment of churches, parishes, and schools as the population expanded rapidly. The first Sisters of St. Francis professed their vows before the bishop to begin their medical and educational ministries that still serve the needs of others.

“The merits of an active man are measured not so much in the number of deeds performed, as in their thoroughness and stability.” — Pope Benedict XV

Richard Boever