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Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Feast date: Oct 22
Saint John Paul II is perhaps one of the most well-known pontiffs in recent history, and is most remembered for his charismatic nature, his love of youth and his world travels, along with his role in the fall of communism in Europe during his 27-year papacy.
Karol Józef Wojtyla, known as John Paul II since his October 1978 election to the papacy, was born in the Polish town of Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometers from Krakow, on May 18, 1920. He was the youngest of three children born to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother died in 1929. His eldest brother Edmund, a doctor, died in 1932 and his father, a non-commissioned army officer died in 1941. A sister, Olga, had died before he was born.
He was baptized on June 20, 1920 in the parish church of Wadowice by Fr. Franciszek Zak, made his First Holy Communion at age 9 and was confirmed at 18. Upon graduation from Marcin Wadowita high school in Wadowice, he enrolled in Krakow’s Jagiellonian University in 1938 and in a school for drama.
The Nazi occupation forces closed the university in 1939 and young Karol had to work in a quarry (1940-1944) and then in the Solvay chemical factory to earn his living and to avoid being deported to Germany.
In 1942, aware of his call to the priesthood, he began courses in the clandestine seminary of Krakow, run by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, archbishop of Krakow. At the same time, Karol Wojtyla was one of the pioneers of the “Rhapsodic Theatre,” also clandestine.
After the Second World War, he continued his studies in the major seminary of Krakow, once it had re-opened, and in the faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Sapieha in Krakow on November 1, 1946.
Shortly afterwards, Cardinal Sapieha sent him to Rome where he worked under the guidance of the French Dominican, Garrigou-Lagrange. He finished his doctorate in theology in 1948 with a thesis on the subject of faith in the works of St. John of the Cross (Doctrina de fide apud Sanctum Ioannem a Cruce). At that time, during his vacations, he exercised his pastoral ministry among the Polish immigrants of France, Belgium and Holland.
In 1948 he returned to Poland and was vicar of various parishes in Krakow as well as chaplain to university students. This period lasted until 1951 when he again took up his studies in philosophy and theology. In 1953 he defended a thesis on “evaluation of the possibility of founding a Catholic ethic on the ethical system of Max Scheler” at Lublin Catholic University. Later he became professor of moral theology and social ethics in the major seminary of Krakow and in the Faculty of Theology of Lublin.
On July 4, 1958, he was appointed titular bishop of Ombi and auxiliary of Krakow by Pope Pius XII, and was consecrated September 28, 1958, in Wawel Cathedral, Krakow, by Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak.
On January 13, 1964, he was appointed archbishop of Krakow by Pope Paul VI, who made him a cardinal June 26, 1967 with the title of S. Cesareo in Palatio of the order of deacons, later elevated pro illa vice to the order of priests.
Besides taking part in Vatican Council II (1962-1965) where he made an important contribution to drafting the Constitution Gaudium et spes, Cardinal Wojtyla participated in all the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops.
The Cardinals elected him Pope at the Conclave of 16 October 1978, and he took the name of John Paul II. On 22 October, the Lord’s Day, he solemnly inaugurated his Petrine ministry as the 263rd successor to the Apostle. His pontificate, one of the longest in the history of the Church, lasted nearly 27 years.
Driven by his pastoral solicitude for all Churches and by a sense of openness and charity to the entire human race, John Paul II exercised the Petrine ministry with a tireless missionary spirit, dedicating it all his energy. He made 104 pastoral visits outside Italy and 146 within Italy. As bishop of Rome he visited 317 of the city’s 333 parishes.
He had more meetings than any of his predecessors with the People of God and the leaders of Nations. More than 17,600,000 pilgrims participated in the General Audiences held on Wednesdays (more than 1160), not counting other special audiences and religious ceremonies [more than 8 million pilgrims during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 alone], and the millions of faithful he met during pastoral visits in Italy and throughout the world. We must also remember the numerous government personalities he encountered during 38 official visits, 738 audiences and meetings held with Heads of State, and 246 audiences and meetings with Prime Ministers.
His love for young people brought him to establish the World Youth Days. The 19 WYDs celebrated during his pontificate brought together millions of young people from all over the world. At the same time his care for the family was expressed in the World Meetings of Families, which he initiated in 1994.
John Paul II successfully encouraged dialogue with the Jews and with the representatives of other religions, whom he several times invited to prayer meetings for peace, especially in Assisi.
Under his guidance the Church prepared herself for the third millennium and celebrated the Great Jubilee of the year 2000 in accordance with the instructions given in the Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio adveniente. The Church then faced the new epoch, receiving his instructions in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio ineunte, in which he indicated to the faithful their future path.
With the Year of the Redemption, the Marian Year and the Year of the Eucharist, he promoted the spiritual renewal of the Church.
He gave an extraordinary impetus to Canonizations and Beatifications, focusing on countless examples of holiness as an incentive for the people of our time. He celebrated 147 beatification ceremonies during which he proclaimed 1,338 Blesseds; and 51 canonizations for a total of 482 saints. He made Thérèse of the Child Jesus a Doctor of the Church.
He considerably expanded the College of Cardinals, creating 231 Cardinals (plus one in pectore) in 9 consistories. He also called six full meetings of the College of Cardinals.
He organized 15 Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops – six Ordinary General Assemblies (1980, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1994 and 2001), one Extraordinary General Assembly (1985) and eight Special Assemblies (1980,1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998 (2) and 1999).
His most important Documents include 14 Encyclicals, 15 Apostolic Exhortations, 11 Apostolic Constitutions, 45 Apostolic Letters.
He promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church in the light of Tradition as authoritatively interpreted by the Second Vatican Council. He also reformed the Eastern and Western Codes of Canon Law, created new Institutions and reorganized the Roman Curia.
As a private Doctor he also published five books of his own: “Crossing the Threshold of Hope” (October 1994), “Gift and Mystery, on the fiftieth anniversary of my ordination as priest” (November 1996), “Roman Triptych” poetic meditations (March 2003), “Arise, Let us Be Going” (May 2004) and “Memory and Identity” (February 2005).
In the light of Christ risen from the dead, on 2 April a.D. 2005, at 9.37 p.m., while Saturday was drawing to a close and the Lord’s Day was already beginning, the Octave of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, the Church’s beloved Pastor, John Paul II, departed this world for the Father.
From that evening until April 8, date of the funeral of the late Pontiff, more than three million pilgrims came to Rome to pay homage to the mortal remains of the Pope. Some of them queued up to 24 hours to enter St. Peter’s Basilica.
On April 28, the Holy Father Benedict XVI announced that the normal five-year waiting period before beginning the cause of beatification and canonization would be waived for John Paul II. The cause was officially opened by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome, on June 28 2005, and he was beatified May 1, 2011.
On April 27 , 2014 he was canonized by Pope Francis during a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square.
In an April 24 message sent to the Church in Poland, Pope Francis gave thanks for the great “gift” of the new Saint, saying of John Paul II that he is grateful, “as all the members of the people of God, for his untiring service, his spiritual guidance, and for his extraordinary testimony of holiness.”
Today is the feast day of one of our great modern saints, so great that many are already calling him Pope Saint John Paul II the Great! I was blessed to grow up with him in office, blessed to participate in two World Youth Day celebrations where he was present and presided at the closing Mass. One was in Denver, Colorado, the “Mile High City.” I was only 13 years old and probably shouldn’t have been allowed to go, but went with the youth group I belonged to. I remember the long, boiling hot hike out to the desert-like “park” where we made vigil overnight. But most of all, I remember our beloved former Holy Father’s firm invitation. I can hear his voice with his Polish accent as if it were yesterday. “Do not be afraid! Do not be afraid! Do not be afraid!!”
The second time I saw him was in Toronto, Canada, where I acted as chaperone for a group of youth. I just happened to be coming back from the restroom when he passed by in his popemobile just a few yards away from me. By this time, he was notably older and more frail, but it was an equally incredible grace to be a part of the crowd shouting “John Paul II, we love you!” and hear him shout back, “John Paul II, he loves you!” His gentle smile and the sparkle in his eyes were palpable, even from a quarter mile away in the midst of the crowd. He had a special love for the youth and went out of his way to be with them.
The fact that he traveled so much shows that he heeded our Lord’s command to “go out to all the world and preach the good news”. His actions imitated those of the first disciples, who traveled from country to country proclaiming our Lord and Savior to the nations. And his unwavering dedication to prayer, the sacraments and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament give us a great example to follow, especially during this time the Church has set aside for Eucharistic revival.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples, “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.” Jesus comes to us in many ways: through the visits of Church leaders, a beloved family member or a close friend. He comes to us in the sacraments. He comes to us in prayer. It is our job to be vigilant, to be aware of His presence in our lives so that we can soak of as many graces as possible. And although we may not know when He is coming for us that last time, if we are vigilant and ready, He will take us to Himself for all eternity. What a beautiful thought!
Pope Saint John Paul II, thank you for your beautiful witness to us during your time on earth. Please continue to pray for us, the Church Militant, as we strive to love our Lord as we should. Intercede for us that we may “Be vigilant at all times and…have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.” (Alleluia verse)
Hoy es el día de la fiesta de uno de nuestros grandes santos modernos, tan grande que muchos ya lo llaman el Papa San Juan Pablo II el Grande. Tuve la bendición de crecer con él como Papa, la bendición de participar en dos celebraciones de la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud en las que estuvo presente y presidió la Misa de clausura. Una fue en Denver, Colorado, la “Ciudad de la Milla de Altura”. Yo tenía sólo 13 años y probablemente no me deberían haber permitido ir, pero fui con el grupo de jóvenes al que pertenecía. Recuerdo la caminata larga y sofocante hasta el “parque” de aspecto desértico donde hicimos vigilia durante la noche. Pero, sobre todo, recuerdo la firme invitación de nuestro amado Santo Padre. Puedo escuchar su voz con su acento polaco como si fuera ayer. “¡No tengan miedo! ¡¡No tengan miedo!! ¡¡¡No tengan miedo!!!”
La segunda vez que lo vi fue en Toronto, Canadá, donde actué como acompañante de un grupo de jóvenes. Justo estaba volviendo del baño cuando él pasó en su papamóvil a unos pocos metros de mí. Para entonces, él era notablemente mayor y más frágil, pero fue una gracia igualmente increíble ser parte de la multitud que gritaba “¡Juan Pablo II, te amamos!” y oírlo gritar de vuelta, “¡Juan Pablo II, él te ama!”. Su dulce sonrisa y el brillo en sus ojos eran palpables, incluso a un cuarto de milla de distancia en medio de la multitud. Él tenía un amor especial por los jóvenes y se esforzaba por estar con ellos.
El hecho de que viajara tanto demuestra su obediencia al mandato de nuestro Señor de “ir por todo el mundo y predicar la buena nueva”. Sus acciones imitaban las de los primeros discípulos, que viajaban de país en país proclamando al Señor y Salvador a las naciones. Y su inquebrantable dedicación a la oración, los sacramentos y la Adoración del Santísimo Sacramento nos dan un gran ejemplo a seguir, especialmente durante este tiempo que la Iglesia ha reservado para el renacimiento eucarístico.
En el Evangelio de hoy, Jesús dijo a sus discípulos: “Dichosos aquellos a quienes su señor, al llegar, encuentre en vela.” Jesús viene a nosotros de muchas formas: a través de las visitas de los líderes de la Iglesia, un familiar querido o un amigo cercano. Viene a nosotros en los sacramentos. Viene a nosotros en la oración. Es nuestro trabajo estar vigilantes, ser conscientes de Su presencia en nuestras vidas para que podamos absorber tantas gracias como sea posible. Y aunque no sepamos cuándo vendrá por nosotros esa última vez, si estamos vigilantes y listos, nos llevará a su lado por toda la eternidad. ¡Qué hermoso pensarlo!
Papa San Juan Pablo II, gracias por tu hermoso testimonio durante tu tiempo en la tierra. Por favor, sigue rezando por nosotros, la Iglesia Militante, mientras nos esforzamos por amar a nuestro Señor como debemos. Intercede por nosotros para que aprendamos a velar y orar para poder “presentar[nos] sin temor ante el Hijo del hombre.” (Aclamación antes del Evangelio)
Feature Image Credit: Ajayjoseph Fdo, unsplash.com/photos/a-statue-of-a-man-holding-a-cross-in-front-of-a-church-HVAP7fB9vyQ
Tami Urcia grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling projects, finding fun ways to keep her little ones occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works full time at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for over 20 years.
