I have vivid & fond memories of Pope John Paul II’s first visit to the US in 1979 when I was 9 yrs. old—we attended the Papal Mass on the National Mall in Washington, DC.  This was back in the pre-heightened security days & my older sister & I were able to get amazingly close to the Holy Father in his open Popemobile as he drove away after Mass.  :o)

My personal memories are of him at Madison Square Garden in 1980 (I think) at the Youth Rally, and at Central Park in the 90’s.  My daughter sang with the Archdiocesan Youth Choir and we were there at 4 in the morning.  What a rainy morning it was too!  After they sang, “Papa” came out in the Pope Mobile. He was so close we could almost touch him. I am getting goose bumps just thinking about it.  It brings tears to my eyes when I think of how much he loved the young people.  A few years later at World Youth Day, my 2 daughters had the opportunity to see him in Rome.  They told wonderful stories about their experience.  It is something they will never forget.

I was present during Mass at the Vatican as a 16 year old which was very memorable but I think the most profound effect the Holy Father had on me was the way he changed my understanding of suffering.  I always preferred the pictures of the Holy Father when he was young and so handsome.  The pictures of him as he aged and became sick and weak were not as pleasing to me.  Then a friend pointed out to me how beautiful he was in his suffering, how he resembled Christ more and more in his weakness and abandonment.  I am so grateful for his incredible witness of love and hope and for my friend who enlightened me!

Rebecca, I love your personal stories! I just can’t picture you yelling out like you did!!! But what a grace you received. As for me, I did see JPII in 1987 when he came to Detroit, and it was an amazing moment in my young adult life. But my fondest memories are really of encounters my husband and children have had with him—my husband took our oldest daughter to Rome for her First Communion, and there is a video we have that just has a slight clip of my husband’s exhuberant face as the Holy Father passed by—so precious! I also remember from JPII’s funeral—watching as the liturgical book that was set on top of his casket was blown closed by the wind—such a vivid image of the spiritual reality that was happening there. And my newest memory is still in the making: my 16-year-old son is in Rome right now and will be present for the beatification. Such a great grace for our whole family! The impact that John Paul II has had and will continue to have on my children is my best “memory” of him!

No personal story of contact with the Holy Father. But I will say from the moment I first saw his face when he became Pope when I was 13, to every time I’ve seen a photograph or film/tv footage of of him the thought, “he’s beautiful” crosses my mind. And I mean that in the most giving, loving, holy, spirit-filled, child of God beauty. JPII has key in my faith journey and that my dear spouse and hence our family. And I know he will continue to be. Santo Subito ... indeed!

I am fortunate to have two memories of the Holy Father.  The first was back in 1979 or so when he made his first visit to Chicago.  I believe there was a Mass at St. Holy Martyrs Church, where my mother was able to get an actual seat in the church.  My grandmother and I waited outside in what I remember as cold and unpleasant, but we were right next to a fence.  I can only recall the Pope coming past above me, so maybe he was in the Pope Mobile, but I can’t remember if he had it yet.  I didn’t expect it, but I began to cry and my grandmother was very tiny and couldn’t see, so I remember picking her up!  The next time I saw the Pope was in Rome at one of his Wed. audiences.  My husband, son and I arrived early and were able to get pictures from far away.  This was probably in 2004, and I felt so priviledged to see him again before he returned to Our Father the following year.

This is not “considered” a miracle, but I believe that it is.  For the Funeral of the Pontiff, Millions poured from all over the globe to Rome, he drew pilgrims to the Lord.  There was no possible way that so many people could be housed, fed and sanitation taken care of… but it was done.  Various groups, governments, and individuals did “little things” that added up.  What was an over-ripe terrorist target, remained a safe and hallowed place out of time.  I heard stories from a few of my friends that were able to be there in Rome.

Those days of community and communion, I truly believe with all my heart and mind was the FIRST Miracle by Pope John-Paul II the Great.

I remember the Pope from when I saw him pass by in the Popemobile at the World Youth Day in Manila in 1995. He seemed to have an aura about him even just doing something as mundane as going somewhere. Years later, when my nonCatholic new husband and I got married in 2004, we went to Rome during our honeymoon in Italy to attend a Wednesday audience and get a blessing from him. There are many people there on any given day asking for a blessing—the infirm, the newly baptized, the religious, and a long line of newlyweds in wedding attire as requested. I was sad at how weak and frail and in pain he appeared to be, but with what love he made the sign of the cross over each of us, hundreds of times it seemed. Certainly it would have been hard even for a younger man with no illness to do. Yet he did it. He again had a remarkable aura about him, as if you could “see” his holiness.  We have his picture blessing us, me in my gown and my husband in his tux, framed and in our living room. Afterwards each of the new brides was given a white rosary blessed by him as a gift, and each of the grooms a keychain. I keep that rosary in my jewelry box, and pray with it on special occasions. My husband later converted to the Catholic faith in 2010. Thank God for his grace!

I was blessed to be in the crowd in Iowa in 1979 or 1980, I can’t remember exactly.  I was only 7 or 8 years old, but I remember getting up in the middle of the night and driving there from Kansas, to catch a glimpse of the Pope.

Then I was privileged to be part of a choir providing music for World Youth Day in Denver.  That was amazing!

Then, when my younger brother was in the seminary at the North American College, my whole family was able to go to one of Pope John Paul II’s private Masses in the Vatican.  Wow, that was really something, as there were only about 25-30 people in his little chapel.  Afterwards, we all waited in his library and he came out and greeted each person.  I remember kissing his ring, then looking into his eyes, and not being able to say a word.  He liked seeing our family, as we were the only family there, and came back to us at the end, saying, “Look at the family!”  In Italian, of course. 

The last time I got to see him up close was in Feb. 2003, when my new husband and I went to Italy on our honeymoon and received the newlywed blessing.  It was so exciting to parade through Rome in my wedding dress, then get to sit up front in the audience hall and walk up there to be blessed by the Pope.  If you want to see a picture of that, you can see it on the sidebar of my blog. 

I will always remember and treasure these experiences!