Church History

Church History

who was saint john neumann?

Saint John Neumann was Bishop of Philadelphia, a leader in Catholic Education and a spirited defender of the poor. In 2012 a member of an order he founded will be canonized by Pope Benedict XVI.

  • March 28, 1811 – Born in Prachatitz, Bohemia, & baptized on the same day.
  • 1836 - Sails for America. Ordained a priest on June 25, 1836, for the Diocese of New York. He is assigned to the “Niagara Area” of upstate New York; arrives in Buffalo on July 12, 1836.
  • January 16, 1842, John Neumann becomes the first Redemptorist to profess vows in the U.S.A. His first assignment is in Baltimore, MD; then on to Pittsburgh, PA.
  • March 15, 1847 - Fr. Neumann is appointed “General Superior” of American Redemptorists.
  • February 10, 1848 – John Neumann becomes an American citizen.
  • March 28, 1852 - (41st Birthday) Rev. John Neumann is consecrated the 4th Bishop of Philadelphia. Establishes the Diocesan School System and a Diocesan Schedule for 40 Hours Devotion. Builds many schools and churches.
  • December 8, 1854 – Bishop Neumann is in attendance for Pope Pius IX’s proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Upon the recommendation of the Pope, Bishop Neumann establishes the Third Order of Sisters of St. Francis.
  • January 5, 1860 – Bishop Neumann dies while running errands.
  • 1921 – Is declared “Heroic in Virtue” (Pope Benedict XV).
  • 1963 – Is declared “Blessed” (Pope Paul VI).
  • 1977 – Is canonized a Saint (Pope Paul VI).

Our patron was born on March 28, 1811 in the village of Prachalitz in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) and taken the same day to the parish church, baptized and named John Nepomucene for one of the patron saints of his homeland. Following his graduation from a nearby college in Bohemia, he applied to the seminary. John distinguished himself not only in his theological studies, but also in the natural sciences. Besides mastering Latin, Greek and Hebrew, he learned to speak fluently at least eight modern languages. While in seminary, John felt called to be a missionary in America. Tens of thousands of German Catholics had immigrated to the United States and there was an urgent need for German-speaking priests. A few days after arriving in New York, he met the bishop, John Dubois. Bishop Dubois had only 36 priests to care for 200,000 Catholics living in all of New York State and half of lower New Jersey. In June of 1836, the bishop ordained John Neumann as a sub-deacon, a deacon, and as a priest, all within one week’s time. The following week he was pastor of the whole Niagara Frontier, some one hundred square miles of swampy primeval forest.


Father John Neumann devoted himself to the pastoral care of all the outlying areas in his parish for four years. From his headquarters near Buffalo, he made frequent journeys on foot to visit the settlers on their farms. He built churches, raised log schools and even taught school to the German and Irish children in the area.


Father Neumann’s strenuous work and pace soon took a toll and his health began to suffer. He decided to join the Redemptorists Missionary Order and was the first person to make his religious profession as a Redemptorist in America in 1842 at the Church of St. James in Baltimore. Before his elevation to Bishop of Philadelphia at the age of 41, he served as rector of St. Philomena Church in Pittsburgh, and St. Alphonsus Church in Baltimore, as well as vice-provincial of the Redemptorists Missionary Order in America. He was consecrated Bishop of Philadelphia by Archbishop Francis Kenrick at St. Alphonsus Church in Baltimore in 1852.


At that time, the Diocese of Philadelphia was the largest Diocese in America, comprising eastern Pennsylvania, western New Jersey, and all of Delaware. He actively promoted the establishment of parochial schools and increased the number of schools in his Diocese from two schools in 1852, to nearly one hundred by 1860. Through his work with parochial schools, he helped the Notre Dame Sisters of Munich become firmly established in the United States.

Though Bishop Neumann had suffered from frequent illnesses, his sudden death by stroke on January 5, 1860 at the age of 48, was completely unexpected. The cause of his beatification began in 1886. Ten years later, he received the title of Venerable. In February, 1963, Pope John XXIII issued the proclamation for his Beatification, but the ceremony was delayed by the death of Pope John. Pope Paul VI beatified him on October 13, 1963. His Canonization followed in June of 1977, becoming the first man from the United States to become a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

parish History

In the early 1970s, Northeast Columbia was a rural area. Most of its Catholics attended Mass at Fort Jackson. A few drove into Columbia to St. Joseph’s or St. Peter’s. In the mid 1970s, Northeast Columbia began to grow. Neighborhoods started to be developed, malls were built, and the Catholic population grew.


The Diocese of Charleston decided a new church was needed to support the growing Catholic population. The southeastern and northeastern parts of Richland county were considered for the new church site. They were rural areas that had potential for growth.


On March 9, 1976, by the authority of Bishop Ernest L. Unterkoefler, a representative from St. Joseph Church purchased five acres of land on Polo Road for a new church.


After the land purchase, the northeastern Richland county area was designated a mission of St. Joseph Parish. At Bishop Unterkoefler’s request, Fr. Bert Connor, a Jesuit priest, came from New Orleans to start the mission. It was named the Catholic Community Northeast in Columbia.


The first priority was to select a venue to celebrate Mass. E. L. Wright Middle School was chosen. On February 7, 1977, Fr. Connor celebrated the first Sunday Mass there. Fr. Tawes and Fr. Fix, priests from St. Joseph, alternated with Fr. Connor in celebrating Mass. In the first months, nearly 50 families registered as members. By the end of the year, over 200 had registered.


On June 15, 1977, Bishop Unterkoefler appointed Fr. Thomas M. Gillin, S. J. the first pastor of the Catholic Community of Northeast Columbia. Joe Roth, a seminarian and close friend of Fr. Gillin, assisted him in developing the parish,.


On August 12, 1977, the Catholic Community Northeast of Columbia was officially declared a new parish. 


On December 19, 1977, the parish was named St. John Neumann Catholic Church. St. John Neumann, Bishop of Philadelphia from 1852 to 1860, had been recently canonized.


In early 1978, Fr. Gillin appointed a building committee. The plan was to build a church with a seating capacity of 600 and parking for 125 cars. The new church would include a nursery, social hall, kitchen, plus space for religious education classes and group meetings. Portable chairs, instead of pews, were used. The church was designed to be sectioned off with moveable partitions; hence, its shape.


With a gift of $20,000 from St. Joseph Parish, the new church building fund was started.


On August 15, 1978, ground-breaking ceremonies for the new church were held.


On December 2, 1979, St. John Neumann Catholic Church was officially dedicated.


In 1984, after serving seven years as pastor, Fr. Gillin left St. John Neumann. He was replaced by Fr. Robert H. Fix. Fr. Fix was a native of Red Bank, New Jersey. He had been ordained a priest in 1953 in the Crosier Order at the Crosier House of Studies in Hastings, Nebraska. Fr. Fix left SJN in 1985.


In 1986, Wildewood School was purchased. It is now the St. John Neumann Catholic School.


In 1987, Fr. Charles J. Snopek came to SJN as parochial vicar, eventually becoming associate pastor. A native of Cresco, Iowa, he had been ordained in the Charleston Diocese in 1986. This was his first parish. Fr. Snopek left in 1988.


In 1988, Fr. Frederick F. Masad replaced Fr. Snopek. Fr. Masad was born in Columbia and graduated from The Theological College of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D. C., in 1960. He was ordained a priest for the Charleston Diocese at St. Peter Church in Columbia, in 1960, the church where he had been baptized.


Under Fr. Masad’s leadership, St. John Neumann Catholic School became a two-time National Blue Ribbon Award winner. And the parish more than doubled in size. He was the pastor for 22 years before retiring and becoming Pastor Emeritus in 2010. Fr. Masad died on July 16, 2014.


In 2010, Fr. C. Alexander “Sandy” McDonald became pastor of St. John Neumann. Fr. Sandy was ordained a priest in 1991. He has served the Church in South Carolina. Since ordination, he served as an assistant priest at St. Joseph in Columbia and St. Mary Help of Christians in Aiken. He was pastor of St. Anthony Parish, Walterboro, and St. James the Greater Mission, Ritter, also in Walterboro, in 1994. From 1996 to 2006, he was assigned to Our Lady of Peace in North Augusta. In 2006, he became pastor in Clemson, Seneca and Walhalla.St. John Neumann Catholic Church is blessed to have Fr. Sandy for its pastor and looks forward to many more years under his leadership.


In 2014, Fr. Sandy was joined at the parish helm by newly ordained Fr. Javier Heredia as Parochial Vicar. Fr. Javier was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He lived in Mexico until he immigrated to South Carolina in 1996, where he worked on a farm until he entered the seminary in 2004. During those seminarian years, he said he had many opportunities to grow in his relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. He was assigned to serve in various parishes and to also to minister to the homebound and the imprisoned. He was ordained a priest in June 2014 and is now enjoying his ministry. “That is in part due to the kindness of the St. John Neumann family,” he said. “I look forward to a fruitful ministry. Allow me to remind you of some words I shared with you during my first weekend here: ‘In the seminary, they taught me how to be a priest; but it is your job to teach me how to be a father.’ Thanks to all of you. I humbly ask for your prayers. And please be assured of mine.” In November 2016 Fr. Javier was appointed Administrator of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Lancaster and St. Michael Mission in Great Falls.


In November 2016, Fr. Sylvère Baloza was appointed Parochial Vicar. Fr. Sylvère studied at Université Saint Augustin de Kinshasa, in Mexico City, and is originally from the Congo.


In February 2016, Gerard "Stick" Thibodeaux, a longtime parishioner, was ordained a deacon of the Diocese of Charleston and assigned by Bishop Guglielmone to St. John Neumann.


In 2017, fundraising efforts began to build a new church on school campus at 721 Polo Road.


In February of 2019, Fr. Robert "Bob" Higgins was appointed Parochial Vicar. He left in July 2020 when he was reassigned to another parish.


In February 2023, Enrique Bautista, Pastoral Associate for Hispanic Ministry and longtime parishioner, was ordained a deacon of the Diocese of Charleston and assigned by Bishop Jacques E. Fabre, CS,to St. John Neumann.


In June of 2023, Fr. Robert "Bob" Higgins was again appointed Parochial Vicar to our parish.

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