Bl. Pope John Paul II
Patron of World Youth Day (Co- Patron)
1920 - 2005
Karol J. Wojtyla, known as John Paul II since his October 1978 election to the papacy, was born in Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometres from Cracow, on May 18, 1920. He was the second of two sons 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.
He 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 Cracow'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 Cracow, run by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, archbishop of Cracow. 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 Cracow, once it had re-opened, and in the faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University, until his priestly ordination in Cracow on November 1, 1946.
Soon after, 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 topic of faith in the works of St. John of the Cross. At that time, during his vacations, he exercised his pastoral ministry among the Polish immigrants of France, Belgium and Holland.
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I loved this man I stewardedswhen he visited Edinburgh in the 1980s and recently visited Poland and visited his museum and church. He was an inspiration. I need you prayers for going through an upsetting illness.
Thank you Blessed John Paul.
Rachel Ogg
thank u God for letting such a wonderful servant gain favors with you in your kingdom. I seek a mass for the kenyan people who are currently entrenched in tribalism and hatred against the will of God that your holy mass can give direction and change the leadership that wants to entrench impunity by rigging the election through bribing the electoral commission official. May your mass and prayer change over this government and bring in a leadership that you have trully ordained to serve everybody.
i ask this pope john paul believing and trusting in the Almighty father who gives leadership and takes, one God forever and ever Amen.
Thank you and God bless you for your life of dedication to our Lord and our Lady. May we, the church continue to follow the examples that you showed us, so that we may truly inbrace the love of God. Pray for us all.
Dear and Most Blessed Pope John Paul II,please pray for me, for my family and particularly for the Catholic Church at large which is said to be facing difficult challenges.Your dynamic and Spiritual Leadership for over 27 long years were never forgettable in the Church History.Your Pastoral visits to 129 countries outside Italy covering a distance of over 11,00,000 K.M.(6,80,000Miles)is yet another example of God's LOVE on humanity..I pray God for early proclamation of final decree for SAINTHOOD on you! .Dear and beloved " Bl.Pope John Paul II,the Great",please pray for us. Amen ***.Let us seek His blessings on the HOLY SEE on the auspicious occasion of His Feast Day today, 22.10.2012.
German not Nazi!!! "The Nazi occupation forces closed the university in 1939 ..." The term "Nazi" used in this article is not accidental. It is part of Germanic, anti-Polish propaganda.
It was a German nation who invaded Poland not anonymous nazis. And the Editors of "Catholic" Online know it very well.
Please pray for Jacob that he finds the right path, for his parents that they find the strenght and wisdom to guide him and for all cancer patients that they deal with their disease with grace and dignity. Thank you.
bl.pope john paul 11 please pray for me and my family
I belive in you
god bless
Amen
Thank you for your great website catholics on line especially on all saints and daily readings:]
Blessed Pope John Paul interceed for us and thank you for your powerful prayer ACT OF ENTRUSTMENT OF THE WORLD TO DIVINE MERCY. THANK YOU.
happy feast day Blessed Pope John Paul II. thank you for helping my mom and i through your intercessions. please intercede to the Most Holy Trinity for my grandpa ricardo gabucan. he had a stroke, brain hemorrhage and is in a coma.thank you
Thank You Blessed John Paul 4 all your prayers and help
Through the intercession of Blessed Pope John Paul II, our little prematurely-born grandson successfully underwent very serious heart surgery. Also through his intercession, the troubled marriage of our son has been healed. Thank you Blessed Pope John Paul II for hearing our prayers.
Blessed Pope John Paul II thank you very much for answering my prayers and for your intercession. I was selected for the position and received a job offer. Thank you very much God the Father Almighty and Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Dear Blessed John Paul II, we offer thanks for your witness to our living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We ask your continued intercession for our brothers and sisters suffering with the cross of Multiple Sclerosis, especially those in Montana. We also ask your continued intercession for the children, mothers, and families impacted by the scourge of abortion in our world
Thank you for being here for us when we needed it. Thank you for keeping my prayers safe and having them brought before God. :)
Most Dear & Respected Holy Father Pope John Paul II,
You are our favorite living saint, since we had the good fortune of seeing and listening to your words, when Your Holiness visited Kerala way back in 1986. Your pictures are still intact with us. We pray for your intercession daily. Please continue to intercede for our family for all our spiritual and temporal needs. Thank You again, Holy Father!
Blessed Pope John Paul II, like all Catholics living in this age I have witnessed your life of sanctity, courage, suffering and leadership. Thankfully, there is so much media coverage, TV, internet, newspaper, that all posterity will be able to read about you. "Santo Subito" was the cry for you to be proclaimed a saint speedily. I, like others would like you to work a miracles for me. I hope that through your intercession, all baptised but lapsed Catholics will reconcile themselves with Christ in the Sacraments, that a permanent cure will be found for all children suffering from fragile X. I also pray that my charity work will honestly and truly find its way, in the right channels to the most needy. I desire and implore your guidance in my professional life and protection from jealousies. Help me in my edtiorial work, give me great inspiration, creativity and ingenuity in all the tasks I do. Again, I would like to thank Catholic Online for their website and inspirational saints each and every day. Amen.