Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II was already Pope for four years by the time I was born. To me, and an entire generation of young Catholics, he was and had been the only Pope. When I went to Rome first quickly on a high school trip and later for three months during my sophomore year of college I was thrilled to go to the Vatican where this great and inspirational man lived.

When I was there for college my goal was to see the Pope as many times as I could. I went to several Sunday angelus, my school arranged a Papal audience, and then there was Holy Week. We went to St. Peter's for Palm Sunday mass, we returned on Good Friday for Stations of The Cross, on Saturday was the Easter Vigil and then Sunday was Easter mass. we got to the square early and got a good spot in the middle of a row. At the end of the mass people began moving to where they thought John Paul II was going to drive which allowed me to walk to the barricade. Then John Paul II made a turn and began heading towards the aisle that I was near. I climbed up on  a chair (And I think about six nuns tried to follow me on to the chair). And watched as he drove just a few feet away from me. I can close my eyes and see that day in my mind.

When he became ill and it was clear he would not live much longer I felt as if I was losing someone I knew. I remember stopping at my parish church one day to light a candle and say a prayer. When I left the church I got in my car and I had the radio on set to 1010 Wins (24 hour news radio). The correspondent said that the Pope had reportedly said something along the lines of "you have come back to me." Now I don't know when he said that but I felt like he was talking to me.  To me he was as much an integral part of the Church as the Bible and the sacraments. He had always been there. I had never even thought about a different Pope.

I'm not surprised that Pope John Paul II has meet the requirements for Sainthood so quickly. We all knew that we were in the presence of a Saint and now it is official.