Reflections on a Pilgrimage to Rome on the Occasion of the Canonization of St. John Neumann

Dr. Joseph M. Gambescia, a pious, devout student for seeking God’s grace, wrote Reflections… during his pilgrimage to the canonization of John Neumann. He was one of two physicians appointed by the Vatican in November 1962 to examine the body of Blessed John Neumann, buried in St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia.

Dr. Gambescia took a pilgrimage to Rome in 1977 during the canonization of John N. Neumann (he was the third American saint at that time and the first male saint). He gives a unique layman’s perspective as one who had touched a saint, worked tirelessly to heal the sick, and thought about the enduring questions in life: Who am I? What is my purpose in life? What is my relationship to other people in this world? What is my relationship to God? How do I best live the Magis?

Dr. William Zintl (l) and Dr. Joseph M. Gambescia handle the wrappings of the shroud of Blessed John Neumann during their exhumation of the body in November 1962. Dr. Gambescia re-examined the body in 1964 at the request of the director of the Neumann Shrine. Subsequently, he reviewed medical records of several people for the director of the national shrine, to help validate any medical miracles.

Remembering Joseph M. Gambescia: A Man of Science and Faith. American Catholic Studies.. The journal of the American Catholic Historical Society. Click title in blue for article.