John of Nepomuk


John of Nepomuk
Martyr
Bornc.1345
Nepomuk
Died20 March 1393(1393-03-20) (aged 47–48)
Prague
Venerated inRoman Catholic Church
Beatified31 May 1721, Rome by Pope Innocent XIII
Canonized19 March 1729, Rome by Pope Benedict XIII
Feast16 May
Attributeshalo with five stars, cross, bridge, angel indicating silence by a finger over the lips, priest's biretta
Patronageconfessors, mariners, raftsmen, millers, sievers, bridges, against hazards by water, for discretion; Bohemia, San Juan, Batangas, Malibay, Pasay; Alfonso, Cavite; Moalboal, Cebu; San Remigio, Cebu; Cabiao, Spanish Navy Marines, Prague, Slavonski Brod, Omiš

John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene) (Czech: Jan Nepomucký; German: Johannes Nepomuk; Latin: Ioannes Nepomucenus[1]) (c. 1345 – 20 March 1393)[2] was a saint of Bohemia (Czech Republic) who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional. On the basis of this account, John of Nepomuk is considered the first martyr of the Seal of the Confessional, a patron against calumnies and, because of the manner of his death, a protector from floods and drowning.[2]

  1. ^ Sprigl, Ignaz (1723). Sanctus Johannes Nepomucenus Christi Heiliger Blut-Zeug.
  2. ^ a b Krčmář, Mgr. Luděk. "Saint John of Nepomuk". SJN.cz. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. If in 1369 John of Pomuk was a notary public, he must have been more than twenty years old. Thus he was probably born sometime between 1340 and 1350 [1349].