Pope Saint John Paul II

Priests of my generation were strongly influenced by Pope John Paul II. Many of us consider ourselves to be “his” Priests. His youthful vitality and engagement with young people called us to him We were the last generation to witness the evils of Communism as it was being lived in the world. I was lucky enough to have been present for his Beatification Mass and his Canonization Mass in Rome. His tomb next to the Pieta Chapel at St. Peter’s in Rome is visited by thousands of pilgrims each day. On this his feast day, our youth need to remember that our faith can be totally integrated with our day to day living. Even during hiking trips with young folks, JP II was able to preach about the Catholic faith without being “preachy.” Pope Saint John Paul II and Saint Daniel the Stylite Pray for us!