Born in Poland in 1920, Carol Woytila was the second of three children, but his older sister died before he was born and by the time he was 21, he’d also lost his mother and older brother. 

An outstanding athlete and a gifted student, Carol was attracted most to the arts but his life changed dramatically with the outbreak of WWII, and while working in a rock quarry, he made the decision to join an underground seminary. 

He was ordained in 1946 and sent to Rome, where he earned a Doctorate in Theology and then returned home where he served briefly as a parish priest. 

Carol Wojtila then earned another Doctorate in Philosophy and taught at the university. 

In 1958 he was named Bishop of Crackow. 

Attending all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council, he was a significant contributor. Then, in 1964, he was named Cardinal. 

14 years later, in 1978 after the death of Pope John Paul I, he was elected Pope, and took the name John Paul, becoming the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years. 

Addressing the United Nations in 1979, he called himself “a Witness to Hope”, saying: ”Christ is the center of the universe and human history.” 

His support of the Solidarity movement contributed to the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. He wrote five books, and 14 encyclicals, visited 124 countries, and came to St. Louis for an electrifying 31-hour visit, in January of 1999. 

Pope John Paul II also Canonized 482 Saints including St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. 

He died during the Vigil of Divine Mercy in 2005. 

In her Diary, paragraph 1732, Jesus tells St. Faustina:
“I bear a special love for Poland. If she will be obedient to My Will, I will exalt her in might and holiness. From her will come forth the spark that will prepare the world for My final coming.” 

St. Pope John Paul II, please pray for us.