The Catholic Church Has Two New Saints

The Canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II

As a Catholic and, having seen Pope John Paul II in person 

in Chicago in October of 1979, 

I was excited to experience 

the canonization of him and Pope John XXIII, 

albeit via TV.

My 19 year-old daughter, 

a close teacher friend from St. Lawrence Elementary School 

and I rode the train to Chicago 

to be part of the sea of people congregated in Grant Park. 

Pope John Paul II greeted 

the worshipers in several different languages. 

There upon he celebrated the Mass 

with more than 350 bishops from North America.  

I think that I surely was not the only person there 

who felt the sensation of goose bumps developing on one’s skin. 

I felt the same phenomenon 

when Pope Francis declared the canonization 

of these two beloved popes.

Pope Francis greeting
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

one of three petitions
for the canonization
of Popes John XXIII
and John Paul II

relics of the new saints

The majority of the photos I am sharing here

 are the result of my snapping pictures 

from the live feed from St. Peter’s Square.  

Two were scanned from my Commemorative Album.

The banner photo is my own taken in our parish rectory entrance.

My Random 5 for April 4

1. I was privileged to have been in a jam-packed Emens Auditorium

 yesterday afternoon to listen to the compelling story of Eva Mozes Kor.  

She is not only a Holocaust survivor, 

but she and her twin sister Miriam survived 

the inhuman experiments done on twins by Josef Mengele, 

known as “The Angel of Death.”  

When my two friends and I arrived at the lecture hall, 

there were curtains drawn across the half closest to the stage, 

and the balcony was closed.  

As the time drew nearer to our viewing

the documentary film "Forgiving Dr. Mengele", 

we noticed that the curtains were drawn back esposing the back half, 

and the balcony seats were being filled.  

Ball State University’s Jewish Studies Program and Emen’s staff 

were not prepared for so many of us 

wanting to hear Eva’s story.  

The film documents time and again that the Holocaust did happen. 

And this story should be told again and again 

so that those who dare to revise this part of our history 

will have no audience.  

Thanks are owed to the innumerable people and organizations 

who funded this program.   

We Muncie citizens are fortunate to have Ball State 

and all the town’s people who make events like this one happen.  

Eva Mozes Kor has her own Holocaust museum in Terre Haute, Indiana.  

Detailed information can be found at this link.

2. Our Bible Study facilitator and her husband 

traveled to Rome this past week.  

She brought back for each of us ladies 

a choice of religious medals.  

How generous of her and her husband!  

I chose a John Paul II medal.   

3. Spring in Muncie, Indiana, 

seems to have taken its own spring break…

away from here.  

However, April Showers are in full swing.  

We have had so much rain that there are flood warnings.

4. My book club friends and I are now reading an oldie, but goodie- 

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.  

I am having a good time rereading it

because it has been many years since I first read it. 

5. Our parish has a new and faster way 

of connecting with us parishioners via www.flocknote.com  

It came in handy early this evening- 

I received a text reminding me of The Stations of the Cross.  

The booklet our parish is currently using 

is from our Mother Mary’s point of view.  

One of our women parishioners read Mary's words,

increasing the heartfelt meaning of the words,

penetrating my soul.

Even though Nancy 

is taking a well-needed

spring break,

I am still posting

my random 5.