Profile
When John was a child, he was cured by the prayers of his parents; they then consecrated him to God. He became a priest. He was known as a great preacher who converted thousands. He was the Vicar-general of Prague (in the modern Czech Republic). He was a counselor and advocate of the poor in the court of King Wenceslaus IV. He refused several bishoprics. Confessor to the queen, he taught her to bear the cross of her ill-tempered husband the king. He was imprisoned for refusing to disclose the queen‘s confession to the king. When he continued to honor the seal of the confessional, he was ordered to be executed. He was the symbol of Bohemian nationalism. His image has been used in art as a symbol of the sacrament of Confession, and many bridges in Europe bear his likeness as their protector.
Born
- c.1340 at Nepomuk, Bohemia (in modern Czech Republic) as John Wolflin
Died
- burned, then tied to a wheel and thrown off a bridge into the Moldau River (in the modern Czech Republic) to drown on 20 March 1393
- on the night of his death, seven stars hovered over the place where he drowned
Beatified
- 31 May 1721 by Pope Innocent XIII
Canonized
- 19 March 1729 by Pope Benedict XIII
Patronage
- against calumnies
- against floods
- against indiscretions
- against slander
- bridge builders
- bridges
- canons
- confessors
- for discretion
- for good confession
- mariners, sailors, boatmen, watermen
- running water
- silence
- spiritual directors
– - Bohemia
- Czech Republic
- Slovakia
– - Prague, Czech Republic, archdiocese of
- Prague, Czech Republic, city of
- Venice, Italy
Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-john-nepomucene/
