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| Blessed John Paul II (1980) |
History
In 1920, Karol Wojtyla was born in
Poland. His mother died when he was nine, and his only brother died three years later. Karol’s father taught him to love and serve Christ and to look upon
the Lord’s mother as his own. Karol went to university to study theatre, but
when the Nazis took over Poland, they closed the school. When he was 22, Karol realized God was calling him to become a priest and started to take classes at
a secret seminary run by the archbishop of Krakow. He also performed in plays
that quietly condemned the Nazi government. After the war was over, he was able to complete
his seminary training. He was ordained in 1946. Father Wojtyla was much loved
and respected. He was made a bishop, then cardinal and in 1978, he became Pope
John Paul II. As pope, he worked to unify believers and to inspire people to
love Jesus more deeply. Toward the end of his life, Pope John Paul II was
severely disabled by Parkinson’s disease, but he continued to serve the Lord
and the Church, teaching us that everyone has a role in the Church, no matter
what their limitations are. Very soon after his death, people began calling him
John Paul the Great. On April 27 – just over six months from today! – Blessed Pope
John Paul II will be canonized a saint.
Activity
When Blessed John Paul II was a young man, he used theatre
to tell important stories. This is something you can do, too. Write a short
play about Blessed John Paul II and perform it with your family or friends.
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