Farewell, Pope John Paul II

Nineteen years ago at the Easter Vigil, I joined the Catholic Church. After going through the RCIA program at Loyola University, I joined the Church in a glorious ceremony at Madonna Della Strata Chapel on the campus of Loyola University in Chicago. The following year, my daughter, Mary, was baptized and joined the Catholic faith in the same chapel. We have only known one pope during our Catholic lifetimes, as have my other four children. We have seen the dedication that he had for life and for peace. We have seen the man stand by his convictions, often in the face of ridicule by those who do not understand the Catholic faith. He endured the scandalous accusations and actual cases of abuse by priests within the Catholic Church. He was instrumental in the fall of the Iron Curtain that oppressed much of Eastern Europe. He was a man who drew crowds in the millions and who connected with our youth like no other person in the world. Now he is gone from our earthly lives. He will be seen as a reconciler, one who reached out to all denominations in search of understanding. He beatified more potential saints than any other pope and served longer than all but two, Pius IX and St. Peter, the original Christian Pope. His papacy is defined by his love of life and his motto, "Be not afraid." He was not afraid of criticism for his deeply held convictions. He was not afraid to stand up for life in the face of a world that is immune to the atrocities of abortion, euthanasia, and genocide. He was not afraid to stand up and speak out for peace in the face of war, murder, social unrest and terrorism. He was not afraid to travel and be among the public even after an assasination attempt. He was not afraid of his physical death or of suffering or pain. He gave us the example of how to live a godly life here on earth. His was a life of compassion, conviction and Christianiaty. One of our most valuable reminders is the Papal blessing that we received for our wedding that hangs in our kitchen. It reminds us that our marriage is truly blessed and that we are to carry out our wedding vows and commitment to one another through our faith in Christ. Pope John Paul II has gone on to his heavenly reward and we are the richer for having been under his divine guidance.