John of Nepomuk

Saint John of Nepomuk was born around 1345 in the village of Pomuk in Bohemia, today Nepomuk in the Czech Republic. Educated at the University of Prague and later trained in canon law at Padua, he served the Church with distinction, becoming notary to the archbishop and, in 1393, vicar-general of Saint Giles Cathedral in Prague. In a bitter conflict between King Wenceslaus IV and Archbishop Jan of Jenštejn over the freedom and rights of the Church, John stood firm beside his bishop. Arrested and tortured for his loyalty, he endured suffering rather than betray his sacred duty. On March 20, 1393, he was cast from Prague’s Charles Bridge into the Vltava River, dying as a priest and martyr in defense of the Church. Through the centuries he has been venerated as a protector of good name, a patron against calumny, and a guardian in dangers of floods and drowning, with devotion spreading far beyond Bohemia. His feast day is March 20.