ROME - Getting into St. Peter’s Square for the canonization Mass of Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II was not for the faint of heart.

ROME - The historic “Sunday of four popes” attracted more than 800,000 pilgrims — the largest turnout ever for a canonization Mass — including seven Canadian bishops.

VATICAN CITY - When preparing for two canonizations that draw nearly 1 million people to Rome, people usually pack essentials like food, water, raingear and sunhats.

Brampton, Ont. - Polish Catholics flocked to St. Eugene de Mazenod parish in the early morning to celebrate the canonization of St. John Paul II, a son of Poland and beloved pope of the universal Church.
St. Eugene’s houses a first-class relic of St. John Paul II, three drops of his blood located below a statue of the pontiff.

On April 27, by 3 a.m. parishioners had already begun to arrive to pray. They listened to broadcasts from local priests who were present at the canonization in Rome.

Fr. Peter Nowak celebrated mass at 4 a.m. in both English and Polish. He opened mass by giving thanks to both popes — St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II — being canonized on this Divine Mercy Sunday.

“We are, for the most part, people of the head,” he said. “Yet both of these saints spoke to the heart, spoke from the heart.”

Nowak called St. John XXIII someone who simply felt the call of God in his heart. This “caretaker pope,” he said, stretched out his arms to welcome the 20th century and tear down barriers between the faithful and clergy. He wanted the basic language of the Church to be the language of love, said Nowak.

He went on to say that St. John XXIII was the beginning and St. John Paul II was the natural progression, carrying out what the former pope started.

By 5 a.m., parishioners lined up to venerate the relic of St. John Paul II before walking out into the sunrise on this historic day.
More to come from The Catholic Register.

KRAKOW, Poland - Tens of thousands of Polish Catholics celebrated their country's newest saint -- John Paul II -- by converging on the southern city where he served as cardinal-archbishop before becoming pope.

OTTAWA - In a career as a senator, academic and former seminarian in Rome, Senate Speaker Noel Kinsella met both Pope John XXIII and John Paul II.

The following is excerpted with permission from John Paul II: A Saint for Canada by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, published by Novalis Publishing, www.novalis.ca.

VATICAN CITY - Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II left lasting marks on the way the Catholic Church understands other religions and the way it interacts with believers of other faith communities.

VATICAN CITY - Canonizing two recent popes in the presence of his immediate predecessor, Pope Francis praised the new Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II as men of courage and mercy, who responded to challenges of their time by modernizing the Catholic Church in fidelity to its ancient traditions.

VATICAN CITY - Volunteers wearing neon yellow vests interlocked their arms and led the crowds, several hundred at a time, slowly toward St. Peter's Square.

VATICAN CITY - From the moment Pope Francis said, "We declare and define Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II be saints" and "they are to be venerated as such by the whole church," their October feast days automatically could be celebrated at Masses around the world.

VATICAN CITY - A plump, elderly, smiling Italian of peasant origins, Pope John XXIII brought a humble yet charismatic, personal style to the papacy. He placed great importance on his modest upbringing in a village about 40 km northeast of Milan, saying: “I come from the country, from poverty,” adding it was a “happy and blessed poverty — not cursed, not endured.”

VATICAN CITY - Blessed John XXIII struggled to shake off many formalities that came with the papacy and often conspired with his valet to sneak out of the Vatican.

VATICAN CITY - Blessed John Paul II is remembered as was one of the most forceful moral leaders of the modern age.

VATICAN CITY - The first anniversary of Pope Francis’ election brought stories highlighting the unique style he has brought to the papacy. But maybe people have forgotten how much of what passes today for papal “tradition” was actually an innovation of Pope John Paul II.