10/23/2024
Twenty-seven years of my adult Catholic life was spent under the papacy of Pope John Paul II, who served our Church from 1978 to 2005. Today celebrating his memory and legacy, I could not help but to reflect what this man of God meant to me. He was the pilgrim pope who traveled throughout the continents to make Jesus known. He was the second pope to travel to Africa and the first to Haiti. During his travels the world changed: Communism ended in Eastern Europe, and the government in Haiti toppled. He was a model of deep faith, prayer, and demonstrated truly what forgiveness is. I feel so blessed to have attended the 2 masses he celebrated in 1995 NYC: Central Park and the Aqueduct. I cherish these pictures that were gifted to me from this visit. I thank St John Paul II for nurturing my faith by his word and example - making me the proud Catholic despite and for life that I am today. St John Paul II pray for us.