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 Europa 2018: Bridges Charles Bridge, Prague Scott 1681 Saint John Nepomucenus, also know as John Nepomucene or John of Nepomuk, was a Catholic priest born in 1340. Following a childhood illness, his parents committed him to a life of prayer and the priesthood. Following his studies in Padua and Prague, he was assigned to a parish in Prague (then in Bohemia). He was greatly admired as a preacher and eventually gained the attention of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia. The king invited John to be the confessor for the royal court, a post he retained for over a decade. In 1393, the King asked John to tell him what his wife had confided to John during confession. John staunchly denied breaking the seal of the confessional. First through bribery and then through torture, the King repeatedly tried to have John reveal the wife's confession. Finally, the King had John tortured, burned, tied to a wheel and thrown off the Charles (Karluv) Bridge into the Vltava River in Prague. Upon hitting the water, five stars hovered in the sky over the place where he drowned. This light helped the townspeople find his body the next day. Saint John was buried in the cathedral in Prague. In 1719, his grave was opened and his tongue was seen to be uncorrupt. He was beatified in 1721 and canonized in 1729. 
 Charles Bridge (Prague, Czech Republic) and Saint John Nepomuk Statue at the Bridge Photos by A. Savin From Wikimedia Commons. Used under the terms of the Free Art License. Saint John is the patron saint of bridges and confessors, as well as Bohemia (a region which includes Prague and the Czech Republic). Artwork depicting Saint John often shows him with his finger to his mouth, indicating silence and protection of the seal of the confessional. The statue of Saint John that stands at the Charles Bridge in Prague is shown above, along with a panoramic view of the bridge. The statue includes a halo containing five stars, representing the stars seen on the night of his martyrdom. Saint John is depicted in two sets of stamps issued by Vatican City. The first set, issued in 1993, commemorates the 600th anniversary of his death (Scott 934-935). He also appears in one of the stamps from the 2018 Europa series, which focused on bridges. The Saint John stamp (Scott 1681) is shown at the top of this presentation. In researching this article, I was fortunate to land on the websites of two churches honoring Saint John: Saint John of Nepomucene Catholic Church in Ennis, Texas, and Saint John of Nepomuk Catholic Church and School in Yukon, Oklahoma. The websites provided some beautiful images of the Saint and useful biographies of Saint John. Thanks to these Churches for their help and guidance. 
 Saint John Nepomucenus, 600th Anniversary of Death Scott 934-935 (1993) REFERENCES: |
