PAWTUCKET — Clutching a pectoral cross that held added meaning for him on the day that Pope Francis enrolled two former popes into the Litany of Saints, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin reflected on the day in Vatican City that one of the two, now known as St. John Paul II, presented that symbol of the episcopacy to him.
In delivering the homily at the 10 o’clock Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday at now St. John Paul II Parish — which is in the process of legally updating its name to reflect the elevation of its patron to sainthood — the bishop also recalled another connection he had to the late pontiff: he was the last American bishop appointed by John Paul before he died in 2005. That appointment brought Bishop Tobin from Youngstown, Ohio, to serve as shepherd of the Diocese of Providence.
“It is a holy day for the church,” he said of the day on which Pope Francis canonized as saints Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II, both of whom he described as great leaders in the faith.
“We pray we will be able to imitate their holiness,” Bishop Tobin said.
The bishop offered his thanksgiving for the prayers of the combined congregations in helping to make the church’s first Polish pontiff a saint.
“Of all the 145 parishes in the diocese, this parish had more reason than others to offer their prayers,” Bishop Tobin said. “You’ve done a good job, and now you have a saint in heaven.”
Following the Mass, which featured much inspired singing by the choir, the bishop also blessed prayer cards and a statue of John Paul II, which was donated by the Donais family in memory of a relative.
The pastor, Father Michael A. Sisco, then joined Bishop Tobin in leading a procession of Knights of Columbus, who carried the Italian-made statue, and worshippers who followed out of the church and across Newport Avenue to St. Cecilia Church — which united with the former St. Leo the Great to become Blessed John Paul II in 2011. There, the statue was placed in the Eucharistic chapel.
Father Sisco said that his parish would now begin the process of legally changing its name, knowing by the time the Mass began that Pope Francis, canonizing the two popes a few hours before at the Vatican, given the difference in the time zones, had chosen to name their patron St. John Paul II, not St. John Paul or St. John Paul the Great.
“This is very exciting,” Father Sisco said. “I got to be a participant in a moment in history, where I was pastor of one the first parishes in the country named after John Paul II. How many times in a lifetime of a priest does this ever happen, where you get to see your patron saint canonized?”
Parishioners Michael and Donna Magill also felt a sense of awe over the events of the day.
“It’s an historic occasion,” Michael Magill said, after attending the Mass and walking in the procession to deliver the statue to St. Cecilia.
He said that both of the new saints had left an indelible mark on the church. St. John XXIII had amended some traditions to allow worshippers a greater degree of participation in the Mass, while St. John Paul II reached out to inspire a new generation to embrace their faith.
Mike and Mary Kraskouskas, who live in Rehoboth, Mass., but who have long been parishioners at the now combined Saint John Paul II Parish, said that having Bishop Tobin preside over the Mass on such an historic occasion made the day’s event even more special for them.
They expressed how their patron saint, in particular, made an impact on the faithful around the world with his ability to communicate with them on a level that made them feel at peace.
“He really rejuvenated the faith of people,” said Mike Kraskouskas.
“Pope John Paul II went to great lengths to reach people all around the world,” said Mary Kraskouskas.
Other parishes in the diocese also celebrated the canonization of the two popes in special ways during the weekend.
On Sunday, at St. Joseph Parish in Central Falls, Violetta Skordas held her son Ethan, 2, as she enjoyed listening to her son Yianni, 10, sing with the choir at a Mass said in Polish, which was attended by many children of the Polish language school dressed in festive attire. Also attending were members of the Pulaski Society, who processed into and out of the church while carrying both Polish and American flags.
Skordas said she was overjoyed at the canonization of the two former popes, especially John Paul II, whom she recalled seeing in person back in her native Poland when she was about seven years old.
During a visit to his homeland after being elected to the papacy in 1978, John Paul was being driven slowly through the streets, where Skordas, seated atop her uncle’s shoulders, got an up-close look at the pontiff as the vehicle transporting him drove slowly by.
“He was just a wonderful human being, and he was very involved with bringing the faith to youth and children,” Skordas said.
Father Dariusz Jonczyk, the pastor, said in his homily that now St. John Paul II, who faced many difficult trials in his lifetime, will always be known for his message to all to be resolute in their faith, and to never be afraid.
“He was just a wonderful human being,” said Maria de Ris, principal of the Polish language school, which is held at St. Joseph Parish.
St. Joseph’s parishioner Greg Malec, leader of the non-profit Rhode Island Polonia Scholarship Program, which encourages Polish youth to practice their cultural heritage by offering educational scholarships, said it was an honor for him that a previously planned trip to Poland would place the group of 12 travelers in Krakow, the city where the former Karol Wojtyla had served as bishop becoming being elected pope.
On Sunday evening, in an interview with Rhode Island Catholic from Krakow, Malec described their bus trip along the highway from Warsaw to Krakow earlier in the day as “strangely quiet” as they entered the city just after noon. They assumed that most people were either at church or at home watching the historic events unfold from Rome on their televisions or computers.
“The sides of the roads were draped in yellow and white Vatican flags with pictures of John Paul II draped in their windows, even more so as we neared Krakow,” Malec said. “We were able to walk into the town square, and there we saw the throngs of people lined up outside of Kosciol Mariacki to go inside as others flowed out. We entered and saw people in deep prayer. There was a sense of serenity and at the same time jubilation in their faces.”
Arriving at Wawel Cathedral, they found people in adoration in front of the altar that was dedicated to St. John Paul II. Upon the altar was a receptacle containing the blood of John Paul II, blood which they were told was drawn about two hours prior to his death for analysis, but was never used.
“Many pilgrims passed this altar in deep reverence and prayer as they continued their way through the cathedral,” Malec said.
On a personal level, Malec said the occasion was especially joyous for him in that he had been a student in Poland at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow when Karol Wojtila was elected pope in 1978.
“What a coincidence of fate to be in Poland at both these historic events,” he said.
Meanwhile, back in Tiverton on Saturday, the eve of the canonization, parishioners at St. Christopher and St. Theresa parishes — where Polish-born Father “Shemek” Lepak serves as pastor — celebrated a special Mass in honor of the soon-to-be saints at St. Christopher, followed by a Polish dinner in the church hall. Father Shemek said that Pope John Paul II had been a great inspiration to him in his life.
Afterward, approximately 175 parishioners stepped out into the darkness and released red and white helium filled balloons into the air. The balloons floated up with messages written by the parishioners, prayers and well-wishes for the new soon-to-be enrolled saints.
Susan Parent said she believed that the two popes were deserving of canonization and that both would continue to intercede for us on earth.
Parishioner Mike Santos, 18, said his message was a prayer to the saints for the downtrodden and those in need of protection.
“I prayed for the conversion of sinners, the souls in purgatory and for vocations and the unborn,” he said, before releasing his balloon into the chilly night air.
