About SJNA
Mission
St. John Neumann Academy was founded and exists to develop the intellect, character, and faith of each child to his or her fullest potential within the long and successful tradition of Catholic education.
Motto
Where Faith & Knowledge Meet
Colors
Navy Blue & White
Symbolizing heavenly grace, honesty, and purity
Patron Saint
St. John Neumann
Mascot
The Neumann Knight
School Song
The Servant Song (sheet music)
Vision
We Will Be Faithful
To the Gospel virtues.
To our Catholic values.
To our traditions.
We Will Grow
In faith through daily prayer and religious instruction.
In worship through Mass and special liturgies.
In charity through service.
In knowledge though dedication to academic excellence.
In community by fostering a strong partnership between parents, faculty, and the administration.
We Will Build
Involvement from the surrounding parishes.
Facilities to meet the needs of our students.
Strong community support by promoting our school’s core values.
We Will Lead
By modeling positive values and virtues.
By teaching leadership.
Patron Saint
St. John Neumann
1811 - 1860 | Feast day: January 5
This American saint was born in Bohemia in 1811. John Neumann was looking forward to being ordained in 1835 when the bishop decided there would be no more ordinations. He wrote to bishops all over Europe, but the story was the same everywhere; no one wanted any more priests. He was sure he was called to be a priest, but all the doors to follow that vocation seemed to close in his face.
But Neumann didn't give up. He had learned English by working in a factory with English-speaking workers so he wrote to the bishops in America. Finally, the bishop in New York agreed to ordain him. In order to follow God's call to the priesthood, Neumann would have to leave his home forever and travel across the ocean to a new and rugged land.
In New York, Neumann was one of 36 priests for 200,000 Catholics. His parish in western New York stretched from Lake Ontario to Pennsylvania. The church had no steeple or floor, but that didn't matter; he spent most of his time traveling from village to village, climbing mountains to visit the sick, staying in garrets and taverns to teach, and celebrating the Mass at kitchen tables.
Neumann was appointed bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. As bishop, he was the first to organize a diocesan Catholic school system. A founder of Catholic education in this country, he increased the number of Catholic schools in his diocese from two to 100.
Neumann died on January 5, 1860 at the age of 48 and was canonized in 1977.
The above portrait of St. John Neumann was commissioned by an SJNA alumnus to celebrate the 20th anniversary of St. John Neumann Academy. The artist is Maria Brock of Magnificat Prints.