Trenton, N.J., Nov 12, 2011 / 11:12 am
It has been more than 150 years since St. John Neumann – then the 4th bishop of Philadelphia – crossed the Delaware River by launch for a pastoral visit to St. Peter Parish in Riverside, N.J.
On Oct. 30, appropriately enough, just two days before the Feast of All Saints, an ornate wooden reliquary housing vestments and objects St. John Neumann used in his life, and a first-class relic – a piece of the saint’s vertebra – crossed the river once more and was borne to St. Peter Church, a worship site of Jesus, the Good Shepherd Parish, Riverside.
There, a solemn, seven-hour diocesan visitation among the faithful unfolded. The day opened with the weekly Spanish Mass and included a presentation on the life and spirituality of St. John Neumann and a prayer service during which participants had the opportunity to venerate the relics.
The closing Mass was celebrated by Trenton's Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. who, in his homily, encouraged the faithful to follow St. John Neumann’s example of honoring God by sharing the faith at every opportunity.