A Saint for Young People: St. John Paul II

Picture of John Paul II distributed at His Canonization
in Rome and given to the Children's Rosary

The Church honors St. John Paul II tomorrow: October 22nd.  This being the first time we will celebrate his Feast as a Saint within the Church it is a particularly special day.  St. John Paul II spent a good deal of his life reaching out to young people.  He began World Youth Day during his Pontificate. His invitation to young people was a personal one for me as I grew up during the years he was Pope. For my own part I was one of the hundreds of thousands of young people who gathered in Denver to welcome the Pope to World Youth Day in 1992.  I remember clearly, as the Pope landed in Mile High Stadium by helicopter, the rain stopped and a rainbow stretched across the sky. 

His love of young people would span his whole lifetime.  The Pope's last audible words, on hearing tens of thousands of young people singing in St. Peter's Square as he lay in his deathbed, Friday, April 1, 2005: "I sought you out and now you come to me. Thank you."

There has been a feeling throughout the formation and growth of the Children's Rosary that Pope John Paul II has been close to this project and in a special way interceding for us.  The Children's Rosary book was written in large part on his Feast October 22nd 2012.  Both the book and then the subsequent CDs were dedicated to the Holy Trinity, Our Blessed Mother and in gratitude for the Intercession of Pope John Paul II.  Throughout these projects there have been wonderful little signal graces reassuring us that Pope John Paul indeed is close to us and helping us in our work to bring little children to the Rosary and Our Blessed Mother.  Two devotions that were particularly dear to him.
Tomorrow on the Feast of St. John Paul II there is beautiful news.  A new Children's Rosary group is meeting for the first time in a school in Queensland, Australia.  The name of the school is St. Kieran's School.  This was one of the first schools in Australia begun by the Italian order of Conossian nuns.  The school is located in Brighton.  The children will be meeting before school to hold their first Children's Rosary.  As with all new Children's Rosary groups the group will be Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary.  In this way the group is under the protection of Christ and His Mother.  

Other Posts you may enjoy:
Favorite Quotes by John Paul II
How to Start a Children's Rosary