The death Saturday of Pope John Paul II brought Roman Catholics
and non-Catholics alike around the world together for prayer and
remembrance. The Morgan Hill Catholic community will have its own
memorial service Thursday at 7pm at St. Catherine Church.
The death Saturday of Pope John Paul II brought Roman Catholics and non-Catholics alike around the world together for prayer and remembrance. The Morgan Hill Catholic community will have its own memorial service Thursday at 7pm at St. Catherine Church.
“This pope, John Paul II, he was a man of God, a very holy man,” St. Catherine Pastor Father Gene O’Donnell said Monday. “Our housekeeper, Rosa, described him as a saint, and I think that was why people were attracted to him, because he was real, he was not posturing… . He was an extraordinary mystic, a man with one leg here and one leg in heaven.”
John Paul, 84, died Saturday evening at his apartment in the Vatican. It was 9:37pm in Italy, 11:37am in Morgan Hill. The pope, who held the position for 26 years, suffered from many illnesses in his last years.
Last rites, the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, were administered Thursday evening as the pope suffered from a high fever as a result of an infection. He was hospitalized for nearly a month with breathing problems, and a feeding tube was finally inserted to keep him nourished.
He was released from the hospital before Easter Sunday, but was unable to preside over the services for the first time as pope. As his illness worsened, he declined to return to the hospital, deciding to stay in his private apartment.
Several days of intensive media coverage beginning Thursday, when his condition worsened, were filled with information about his years as a pope as well as his early life.
Laura Hernandez, a “new” Catholic who joined the Catholic Church five years ago, said she has learned a lot about the pope in the few days from following media coverage.
“It makes me wish I had know more about him when he was alive,” the Morgan Hill resident said. “He did so much for the church, for people in general. His travels, I can’t believe how many countries he visited, how much he traveled. I heard that no pope had left Rome before 1965.”
John Paul visited 104 countries during his pontificate, or term of service as the head of the church.
Hernandez is a member of MOMS, or Ministry of Mothers Sharing, a group that gets together to study the Bible, share experiences and go on outings together. Hernandez agreed to coordinate an evening group at St. Catherine several years ago and is still active in the group.
“I think one of the things that stands out to me about Pope John Paul, from all I heard, is his conviction,” she said. “He had very strong beliefs, and he was not swayed from those beliefs. I think he can be an excellent role model for us, even after his death.”
Denny Fiala, also a St. Catherine parishioner and Grand Knight of the local order of Knights of Columbus, a Catholic service group, agreed with Hernandez about John Paul’s steadfast beliefs.
“One of the things I admired most about him was the way he spoke his mind irregardless of who he was talking to, whether it was a king, a president, a leader of a country, whether it was popular in that country to say it or not,” Fiala said. “He stuck with his convictions.”
John Paul’s appeal to youth also set him apart, Fiala said.
“He related to youth well,” he said. “I think they could feel that he genuinely cared for them, was concerned for them.”
O’Donnell said he was fortunate to be present in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City when the pope was hosting a youth conference.
“There were probably 40,000 young people there, singing their songs, dancing their dances, praying with enthusiasm, while the pope sat on stage,” he said. “He was completely in tune with them. There was a group of girls doing a dance, and when they finished the dance, they embraced him. They were in tears, crying with happiness to be there with him.”
Weekend Masses at St. Catherine were well attended, O’Donnell said.
“We had the usual congregants who normally come, but overall the numbers were up considerably,” he said. “In addition, people came by during the day and also on Saturday. We had a memorial altar, and people came to spend some time there praying or just reflecting.”
The church also held an impromptu prayer Mass Friday at noon, with approximately 20 people in attendance.
At St. Catherine School this week, teachers will be discussing the pope and his life with their students. The entire school will participate in a Living Rosary at 2:30pm today.
The Diocese of San Jose will hold a memorial mass at 7 tonight in St. Joseph’s Cathedral Basilica. All are welcome to attend, O’Donnell said.
A conclave of the world’s cardinals will chose the new pope.
“My real hope is that they really listen to each other and listen to the Holy Spirit,” said O’Donnell. “I hope and pray they listen carefully and discern what it is the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church.”
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at md****@mo*************.com or phoning (408) 779-4106, ext. 202
