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What's Your Fondest Memory Of Pope John Paul Ii?


Margaret Mary

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ithinkjesusiscool

I never really met him but I like this video (JP2 spoke Swedish): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx-F9i7OJl4

It's one thing to read what he wrote but another thing to hear his voice. I can't say whether he was perfect or not (only God knows) but his way of speaking is really special. I wish he had given me hug while still on earth. 

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blazeingstar

In all honesty I have mixed feelings about the Church canonizing John Paul II. Despite his great humanitarian efforts, which truly need to be commended, some of his actions as Vicar were just strange in my opinion. One image I have ingrained in my mind was when he was blessed by a Native American shaman. Can you image the Holy Father receiving blessings from a man invoking demons and then the Pope says the Church was enriched by the blessing? Just very very strange, I'm not sure what the Holy Father was thinking at that moment, and there are numerous other cases like this unfortunately. 

 

Seriously Mortify? 

 

He wasn't perfect, but all saints made mistakes and missteps.  Padre Pio to Aquantis said some pretty wild and even a bit non-kosher stuff at times.  I'm sure if they'd have C-span up their cassocks 24/7 there's of been a lot more of that.

 

The Church has spoke, God has spoken, give the guy a break.

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When he was elected, I was in sixth period history class.  The announcement was made by Fr. Kielbasa (yes, that was his real name, I'm NOT making that up!) that the new Pope was from Krakow, Poland.  My history teacher, who was South Side Irish, thought he was pulling a big-time joke and sent someone to the office to find out if it was true.  (Gotta love those traditional Chicago ethnic rivalries even among archdiocesan priests).

 

A dense crowd of us standing in the street in Chicago for eight hours during his first trip to the U.S., singing and praying together.  Then joining in a resounding "Alleluia" when he finally appeared at the side entrance of the Cathedral, laughing and telling us, "You must go sleep!"

 

I remember that night - his plane was late in getting to Chicago and the motorcade was late as well.  He was scheduled to stop by the Copernicus center less than a mile from where I lived, so I did a Zacchaeus and climbed up the railroad embankment on Lawrence Ave. to get a good viewing spot - unfortunately he didn't stop.  However, the next day he visited our sister school and we went to see him there.

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He was mine first! :p When are you getting Confirmed?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BTW: He is being canonized on year and a day away from when I was Confirmed (366 days)

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littlesister

There is something different (providential) about this:

 

When Pope John Paul II was elected, I was on the way to Paris to renew my passport after several years in France.  The next morning, at the end of Mass at the Rue du Bac the celebrant - a visiting priest with an accent that we could not place - said that we had a new father.  "We don't know much about him, but we do know that he is devoted to Our Lady.  So, in thanksgiving and intercession, we will sing the Salve Regina."  And so we did, literally every tribe and tongue and people and nation.  I still get the chills remembering it.

 

When he died, I was in the U.S., on the way to Paris, traveling to a Spiritual Renewal program at our Motherhouse..  An airline employee was at the bottom of the ramp to extend condolences from the company and himself personally.

 

When he is canonized this Sunday, I will be on the way to Paris, again traveling to a program at the Motherhouse.  It would be wonderful to be in the Rue du Bac again on Monday morning.

 

 

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mysisterisalittlesister

He was mine first! :P When are you getting Confirmed?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BTW: He is being canonized on year and a day away from when I was Confirmed (366 days)

 :|

 

June 1st. That's awesome! 

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OnlySunshine

Unfortunately, even though I was Catholic when he was alive, I don't have any memories of JP2 because I cared little about my faith.  Everything I know about him, I learned after his death when I reverted in 2007.  :(

 

I did get to see a 1st class relic and kiss it and THAT was a fond memory. 

Edited by MaterMisericordiae
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