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Also known as: John of
Nepomuk; John Wolflin; Martyr of the Confessional
Memorial: 16 May
Profile
While a child, he was cured by the prayers of his parents; they then
consecrated him to God. Priest. Great preacher who converted thousands.
Vicar-general of Prague. Counselor and advocate of the poor in the court
of King Wenceslaus IV. Refused several bishoprics. Confessor to the queen,
and taught her to bear the cross of her ill-tempered husband the king.
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
executed. 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 as John Wolflin at Nepomuk, Bohemia
Died
burned, then tied to a wheel and thrown off a bridge into the Moldau River
on 20 March 1393; on the night of his death, seven stars hovered over the
placed where he drowned
Canonized
1729
Name Meaning
God is gracious ( = John)
Patronage
against calumnies, against indiscretions, against slander, Bohemia, bridge
builders, bridges, confessors, Czechoslovakia, discretion, floods, good
confession, running water, silence
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