Beatification of Pope John Paul II

To celebrate the Beatification of Pope John Paul II Fr Renzo Sala, a priest of the Society of St Paul, has put together a brief illustrated biography of the newly Blessed. The English edition has been published by us in London. Details of this 16 page booklet can be seen here.

It was Pope John Paul II who pronounced the Declaration of Beatification of our Founder, James Alberione, in 2003 and it is humbling to think the Church now regards both men as Blessed.

Fr Devassy Athalathil, the Director of ST PAULS India, based in Mumbai, was amongst the many Paulines who attended the celebration in Rome. He writes:

"Today was indeed a memorable day in my life.  I had the privilege to participate in the ceremony of the beatification of Pope John Paul II. It was an unforgettable experience. As I had secured a special pass, I could get a seat specially assigned for priests for distributing communion.

St Peter's Square and all its surroundings were filled with people from all over the world. I reached St Peter's Square early in the morning (6.00 a.m.). The ceremony began at 10.00 and concluded at 13.30 hours. Due to the number of people there, it took me nearly an hour to reach the metro station to return to my community next to St Paul's Basilica.

Yesterday was a rainy day in Rome. However, today was much brighter. Blessed Pope John Paul II has truly blessed his people to participate in the ceremony with maximum comfort.

Let us pray to Blessed Pope John Paul II for the reign of unity and peace all over the world."