About
About our Patron Saint
St. John Neumann was was born in Bohemia, in what is now the Czech Republic, in 1811. After studying in Prague, he came to New York at 25 and was ordained a priest. He did missionary work in New York until he was 29, when he joined the Redemptorists and became its first member to profess vows in the United States. He continued missionary work in Maryland, Virginia and Ohio, where he became popular with the Germans.
At 41, as bishop of Philadelphia, he organized the parochial school system into a diocesan one, increasing the number of pupils almost twentyfold within a short time. Gifted with outstanding organizing ability, he drew into the city many teaching communities of sisters and the Christian Brothers. During his brief assignment as vice provincial for the Redemptorists, he placed them in the forefront of the parochial movement. St. John Neumann died on January 5, 1860 at the age of 48. Well-known for his holiness and learning, spiritual writing and preaching, on October 13, 1963, John Neumann became the first American bishop to be beatified. Canonized in 1977, he is buried in St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia.
(Taken from Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons and Feast by Leonard Foley.)
Info
2575 West El Campo Grande Avel.
North Las Vegas, NV 89031
www.sjnc.org
702-657-0200
A Brief History of St. John Neumann Roman Catholic Church
Recognizing the growing needs of the people in North Las Vegas, Bishop Daniel F. Walsh, the first bishop of the Diocese of Las Vegas (est. 1995), commissioned the beginnings of a new parish in July 1998, naming it St. John Neumann and appointing Fr. Bede Wevita as its founding administrator, and subsequently, its first pastor. A rectory was purchased which was used as a worship and meeting place, an office, and priest’s residence while thetemporary church building was being constructed. It was in the rectory that the first Mass was celebrated on December 8, 1998. Thirty one people attended. The congregation continued to expand, as did the needfor more space. A shed was built on the property and a doublewide trailer was donated by one of our parishioners. The first Masses were celebrated by Bishop Walsh at the new location, 4519 Simmons Street, on February 27, 1999. The parish was canonically established on March 1, 1999, the first new parish of the Diocese of Las Vegas. Parishioners have donated time and talent toward being liturgical ministers, catechists, and volunteers of many kinds. Faithful celebrations of the Eucharist and quality pastoral music have always been the hallmark of this vibrant faith community. Eventually, groups for women and men were established: the Marthas and Marys, and the Men’s Club. In 2001, our finance committee developed a plan for generating funding for a new parish campus.
In 2002 we began our first capital campaign asking each family to make a three-year pledge toward construction of a Parish Center (providing a temporary worship space, offices, class/meeting rooms, a first-rate kitchen and storage space). Located at 2575 W. El Campo Grande Avenue, the new Parish Center was dedicated on December 8, 2003 by Bishop Joseph A. Pepe, the second bishop of the Diocese of Las Vegas. In addition to the established Outreach Ministries for the less fortunate, Faith Formation opportunities for children, teens and adults, and a parish gift shop, St. John Neumann was the first parish to present the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 2005, a Montessori based method of faith formation which has grown and become the cornerstone of our Faith Formation program.
In 2009, we celebrated our 10th Anniversary with a semi-formal dinnerdance which was just one of the many fellowship opportunities that St. John Neumann enjoyed both as a way to celebrate our community and to help retire the remaining Parish Center debt.
In 2012, Fr. Bede accepted an assignment to become the pastor at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church in Summerlin. Fr. James Michael Jankowski was appointed our administrator until beginning his assignment as our second pastor on July 1, 2013.
In 2019. Fr. Marc Howes became the 3rd Pastor of SJN and has guided our progress towards the development and construction of our new Parish church, which is hoped to be completed in 2024. We broke ground for the new church in January 2023. Construction began in April of 2023. That July, Fr. Marc and Fr. Roy (our associate pastor) traveled to Peru to visit the worshops of Don Bosco Artisans to see the creation of may of the beautiful pieces of sculpture, stained glass and stonework that would grace the new church. For a video/ photo tour of this and the progress of the building construction click here.
In 2024, we celebrated our 25th Anniversary as a parish with a variety of special events such as an Anniversary Mass and Reception, and a 25th Anniversay Parish Picnic. We look forward to the completion of the new church and the next 25 years as a vibrant parish family.