Book Reviews and More: Saint John Neumann Missionary to Immigrants - Laura Rhoderica Brown

Sunday, 2 July 2017

Saint John Neumann Missionary to Immigrants - Laura Rhoderica Brown - Encounter the Saints Series

Saint John Neumann
Missionary to Immigrants
Encounter the Saints Series
Laura Rhoderica Brown
Virginia Esquinaldo (Illustrator)
Pauline Books and Media
ISBN 9780819890665
eISBN 9780819890689
ASIN B071KD63R6

I have now read about a quarter of this incredible series, Encounter the Saints Series from Pauline Books and Media and with each book I have a greater appreciation for the series. Many of the saints I have read about so far were known to me by name only before reading this series. With each book I read I find that I am inspired, encourage, and motivated. And with each I find new friends in the saint presented, and this book especially brought that home. I love reading these books, and sharing them with my children. Though these books are geared to a pre-teen market, they are wonderful to ready with younger children, with older teens or even for adults. I picked up the first book in this series to read because of the saint being profiled. I did not know it was for a younger audience at the time, but loved it so much I hope to read the whole series.

In this book we follow Saint John Neumann as he leaves school and travels to America. He was not even sure he would be ordained upon arrival, but God was leading him and he followed. We see him become a rural preacher travelling to wherever Catholic were in need of a priest. Later he will join the Redemptorist. And later even a Bishop. John was made a bishop on March 28th, 1852, which happened to be his birthday. He chose for the motto of is episcopate "Passion of Christ, strengthen me." And that was how he lived his own life, in the strength of Christ Jesus.

This book follows the others in the series in style and format. The main part of the book is a biography of the saint. Then a prayer to the saint. And this is followed by a glossary. Each glossary is geared to that specific book. The glossary in this specific volume has 31 definitions. There are also 5 illustrations, this time by Virginia Esquinaldo, who illustrated 2 other books in the series.

The specific prayer to Saint John Neumann is:

"Saint John Neumann, you loved Jesus somuch that you wanted to spend your life servinghim. You left your family, your friends, and yourcountry because you loved God and wanted toserve him as a missionary in the United States.Even though the way was difficult, you trustedthat Jesus would always lead you and provide.Help me to listen to Jesus so he can lead me,too. Help me to trust him always. Saint John, helpme to be courageous in sharing my faith withothers. Amen."

This this book we follow the life of a man who lived to server. His motto was to do all in the strength of Jesus Christ. We follow his across the ocean from Europe to America. We follow him serving rural parishes in rural New York, and final to being the bishop of Philadelphia. He always strived to hear God's voice and to follow where God lead. And this is the greatest lesson we can learn from this saint.

This book was the 36 published in the Encounter the Saints Series this book was published in 2016, it is currently the most recent in the series with another is due out in January of 2018. Currently this is my favourite series of books. I love reading them for how they help my spiritual journey, but also to share with my children and other children to help with their formation. I highly recommend both the book and the series.