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.