Sunday Dispatch from Pittston, Pennsylvania • 17

On My Mind By Richard Cosgrove 00 John Neumann received his seminary training in what is now Czechoslovakia but in the 1830's was part of Germany. He was ordained upon arrival in this country and eventually was named Bishop of Philadelphia. At that time the Philadelphia Diocese was enormous. It extended north from Wilmington to Scranton and west to Pittsburgh, which included St. John the Evangelist parish in Pittston which was established in 1854.

The first church, a wooden structure was built four years later. The laying of the corner stone of the present edifice took place on September 17, 1889. The beautiful GothicRomansque edifice, which is considered to be a landmark in Upper Luzerne County, was completed nearly four years later. Early records of St. John's parish contain signatures of Bishop Neumann.

Bishop Neumann died on January 5,1860. Documented miracles must be attributed to a person before canonization and after several miracles were attributed to Bishop Neumann he was declared blessed in 1963, the next to last step before canonization, that is to being declared a saint. The Philadelphia Bishop became St. John Neumann in 1977 when he was canonized a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. "Was It A Miracle? Inspiring Story About Saint And A Little Philadelphia Boy Richard Cosgrove is former advertising director of the Sunday Dispatch.

His column appears each week. 1 head toward the wall and there, stuck with masking tape and crooked as though it had been placed there by a child, was a picture of St John Neumann THE LITTLE BOY Two days later a nurse came to the McGivcrns and told them that two doctors were working on Chucky when one of them looked up and saw a little boy in the doorway. When the doctor asked him what he was doing there the boy replied that he came to visit Chucky. The doctors couldn't figure how the youth had gotten there, past security. A search followed but the boy was nowhere to be found.

The nurse described the boy and it matched the description of the boy Chuck had seen earlier in the waiting room. An hour later the priest from a local parish arrived to give Chucky the last rites of the church. At that point Chucky's mother was taking a shower and while drying her hair a nurse came in and excitedly told her that her son had just moved. The parents hastened to the boy's bedside and noticed his fingers twitched. He then reached his hand up and touched the bolt which had been inserted in his head to relieve pressure.

By that night Chucky was nodding yes and no to questions and color had returned to his white body. By 1 1:30 that night the boy's father could hold out no longer and asked his son if there was a little boy in there to see him. Chucky answered yes. Chucky was up and around in no time and a week to the day after he was admitted to the hospital he was released. Chucky revealed that, while comatose, he had a dream that he was in a hospital bed surrounded by his family, many Asian children who brought him gifts and an older boy of about 12 who wore black-rimmcd glasses.

AT THE SHRINE A week before Christmas Chucky and his parents visited the Shrine of St. John Neumann to offer prayers of thanksgiving. While there they were offered a tour of the monastery. They noticed, hanging on the wall in one of the rooms, a painting of a child with shaggy dark brown hair. Chucky looked at it startled and said that the boy in the painting was his best friend in his dream.

It was a picture of John Neumann at age 12. Guess Who's 16 "Heading Down The Highway" Happy Birthday "JOE" Love. Mom Dad Alpine will install a large living r(X)m, dining r(X)m. hall steps with this amazing plush carpet our best padding for $39 per month. Amount based on square yards with no money down.

36 equal payments. Itmappmrrd credit) HMqjNg trolly I read a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer almost nine years ago and it impressed me so much that I saved it It was a story about a little boy in Philadelphia and St. John Neumann and an incident which many considered to be a Christmas miracle. The incident occurred in December, 1982. IN THE INQUIRER The in depth story published in the Inquirer under the byline of Frank Rossi, an Inquirer staff writer, dwelt on the serious illness of the boy, who was near death, and on some history of St.

John Neumann, who was the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia. According to Rossi's story a seven-year-old boy named Chucky McGivern became ill with chicken pox. His mother put him to bed but after his condition worsened the child was hospitalized where it was learned he was suffering from Rye's syndrome, a rare disease of the nervous system, brain and liver, almost unique to, and often fatal to children. The child's condition was grave and, according to the story, his chance of survival was small and even if he lived his brain might be damaged so badly he never would be able to take care of himself again. Rossi went on to tell how the little lad looked dead, his white and cold body in the hospital bed, attached to tubes and other apparatus, to battle the disease.

The doctor said his chances were slim but granted there was a chance. Meanwhile the boy's mother was given three medals by relatives. One of the medals was of St. John Neumann. She knew of St.

John Newman because as a child her mother took her to novenas at the shrine of St. John Neumann at Fifth and Girard in Philadelphia. THE MEDALS Threading the three medals on a safety pin, placing the medal of St. John Neumann in the center, she pinned the medals on the pillow case next to her son's head. Meanwhile a cousin gave her a piece of cloth which was from the robe once worn by Bishop Neumann.

The cousin told her that he once was in a terrible accident and he believed the cloth saved his life. She pinned the cloth on the other side of the pillow. A few days later, the story the story goes, the little lad slipped closer to death as his lungs collapsed and his kidneys stopped working. Wanting to be with their child when he died the parents took up residence in the hospital. One night as the parents sat in their nearby room a boy came into the room.

The youth looked to be about 11 or 12 and wore a shabby jacket, had rumpled hair and wore black rimmed glasses. He walked into the waiting room, looked at the father, and left Meanwhile Chucky's mother had gone to her son's room and noticed that the medal of St. John Neumann was turned upside down. She unpinned it and turned it face up. A short while later the same thing happened and again a third time.

By then the mother thought the strain was getting to her because she could find no reason for the medal incidents. The nurses and family all denied having touched the medals but either parent after returning to the child's room found the medal face down. Then at night two nurses entered the child's room and not noticing his mother there commented that he was not going to make it. The mother turned her ALPINE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN! From cola to crayons, milk lo mud, Ibis carpet will permanently resist stains! Guaranteed! This price even includes removal of your old carpet! SALE EDS SOOM 275 Wyoming Avenue, Kingston 331 0801 2 221 Hours: Moil, Wed. Fri Tuet.

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