Pope’s legacy leaves behind fond memories!

Youth-adults around the diocese share remembrances of “el Papa”

- It has been my great privilege to spend eleven years in Rome, in formation for the priesthood, doing graduate studies and working at the Vatican. In the course of those years, I had numerous occasions to attend Papal Masses and audiences, to see and speak with Pope John Paul II.

But the most memorable of those events was among the first. It was the Christmas Midnight Mass of 1984, at which I was one of the altar servers. The role given to me was to be his crosier bearer (the crosier is a Bishop's pastoral staff). In the course of the liturgy it was my duty to receive the crosier from and return it to the Holy Father according to the flow of the liturgy. At the time, I was a first year seminarian in theology studies at the North American College. It was a thrilling moment to be so close to the Holy Father, the visible head of the Catholic Church. I was mesmerized by the solemn liturgy and the message of joy in the celebration of the birth of our Lord. On the occasions that I had to move in to take or give the crosier, my heart raced, aware of how special it was to be fulfilling this role for the Pope on this most holy night.

The Christmas Midnight Mass was broadcast to many countries around the world, including the United States. As it was my first year away from my family, it was some consolation knowing that they could see me on television as I served the Pope's Mass. After the Mass was over, the Holy Father greeted each of the altar servers. When it was time for him to greet me, I said a few Polish words that I had practiced, "Merry Christmas, Holy Father." His response to me was in English, "Thank you. But you are an American, no?" "Yes, Holy Father, I am from the New Ulm Diocese in Minnesota." "God Bless you."

While each encounter with the Holy Father over the years was exciting, that Christmas Mass with Pope John Paul II leaves an indelible mark in my memory. May God grant him eternal rest from his journey.

Rev. Mark S. Mallak, pastor

Church of St. Philip, Litchfield, MN

I was privileged to pilgrimage to Denver in August 1993 with youth from the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Renville, MN. We filled Mile High Stadium that day and those who could not get in stood in the plaza outside. We sang - 63,000 of us - for 3 hours, waiting the Holy Father’s arrival by helicopter. No one complained about how long it was taking for him to arrive. We just praised God together. When the three helicopters finally landed behind the stadium, we all stood. We chanted and sang all the louder. When the bishops and priests walked into the stadium ahead of Pope John Paul II, they received a long spontaneous standing ovation from the crowd. When the pope-mobile entered the stadium, there arose a warm roar of welcome. The vehicle circled the entire stadium. As he passed by, we were just 25 feet or less away from this holy man! He looked at us and blessed us. The picture in my memory is as vivid today as it was the minute after I saw him that day.

Don Clasemann, pastoral administrator

Church of St. John, Hector, MN

- The Holy Father is very dedicated to his job and is probably the closest person to God on earth that we can see. The Holy Father is also dedicated to making world peace, feeding the hungry and clothing the poor. The Holy Father is very selfless and preaches to everybody in the world no matter what. The Holy Father is also a very spiritual and prayerful person. When he stands at the altar, all the saints and angels and everyone in the world is listening, watching, praising, and worshiping God. When the Holy Father is reading it might be like a beautiful song. When the Holy Father is doing Communion it might taste like a very sweet piece of candy. When he is giving you the blood of Jesus it might be like a very good drink flowing down your throat. I love the Holy Father and I hope you do too!

Brody Bratsch - 4th grade

St. Pius X Catholic School

Glencoe, MN

- Pope John Paul II is the only pope I have ever known. While growing up, my very idea of the pontificate was an image of our Polish pontiff, his staff in hand and wisdom in his eyes. However, he was still a figure in Rome far removed from my own little farm in Tyler, until I studied in Rome for four months in the spring of 2004. The first time I saw the Holy Father is deeply ingrained in my memory. Moments after venerating the very bones of St. Peter in the Scavi under his Basilica and while walking through the tombs of other popes, my group and I heard a voice descending from the church above us. Our guide immediately motioned for us to be quiet, and pointed to the ceiling. "It is the pope," she said. With wide eyes and thumping hearts my friends and I darted through the square as soon as we left the tour in hope of a glimpse of the Holy Father. Along with the devoted and curious, we lined the center isle and watched him process out of the Basilica. It was at that moment that the reality of the richness of our Catholic tradition came alive and I understood that this man holds the same keys to the Kingdom that Peter did 2000 years ago. This is the Vicar of Christ. I saw the Holy Father (who we affectionally called 'Il Papa") at least once a week for the rest of my time in Rome, and I was (and continue to be) inspired by his resilient spirit and love for the truth. We have lost a truly great man and father, but we will gain a great saint to intercede for us.

Maria Wiering - Age 21

St. Thomas University Junior /Catholic Studies major

Hometown - Tyler, MN

- He changed his name Karol Wojtyla to John Paul II. He was the first non-Italian Pope since 1523. In 1981, a man shot him and he was seriously injured. But he visited the man in prison and forgave him. He always showed special love to the kids. He has shown me to always forgive no matter what others do to you and live according to God’s will. Pope John Paul II died at age 84. I know he is happy with the Lord in Heaven! I think everyone wanted him to live on forever if he could, but he’s in God’s hands now.

Abby Surprenant - 4th Grade

Holy Redeemer Catholic School, Marshall, MN

- I got to see Pope John Paul II twice when I went to World Youth Day in Toronto, Canada in 2002. This was a great experience for me. Both times I got to see the Holy Father less than 10 feet away. He was driving along the route before he talked to all of us. Getting to see and hear him was a great feeling for me. It was like being close to God. Everyone was yelling and going crazy because we got to see him. It was just like as if we were at a rock concert and the band just came out. Only this was the Holy Father. This was an event I will never forget.

Donald Pavek

Church of St. John Cantius, Wilno

- I’ve heard it said that there are some memories that forever stick with us, remain a part of our very identity. We can call them up at any time, like it were yesterday. For me, John Paul II is one of those memories. I didn’t know it then, but my life was forever changed when I first saw John Paul II at World Youth Day in Denver, 1993. We were in the nosebleed section of Mile High Stadium, binoculars around our necks underneath our soaking wet ponchos. We erupted in cheers as the Holy Father got out of the helicopter and into his pope mobile.The rain that had soaked our ponchos for hours stopped. We later heard rumors that the engineers feared for the structure of the stadium when the Holy Father first entered and drove around his flock. Our screaming, stomping on the bleachers and clapping were literally bringing down the house. I’ve never experienced such excitement. The pure joy, friendly atmosphere and love of the Pope radiating from just under one million youth set me on fire. I came home with his words in mind, which I later learned were the same words he spoke when he first became Pope. "Do not be afraid – to live your faith as a Catholic in the midst of your society: in school, at work, with friends and at home." I listened. And I’m not the only one. We’ve been called the John Paul II Generation. Thousands, millions of young adults have grown up loving and admiring the only Holy Father we have ever known. John Paul II has been like a beacon of light in my life ever since that World Youth Day. A few years later I entered the seminary. A couple years after that I had the chance to meet him, face to face, after participating at Mass in his private chapel. Eventually I ended up at the seminary here in Rome, ten minutes from his apartment. I got to meet him once with my whole family, and again with Bishop Nienstedt. What do you tell the Pope in ten seconds? "Thank you," was all I could get out.

Today, as I await my priestly ordination this coming July, I am studying at the institute John Paul II founded. The last time I saw Pope John Paul II was March 20th, Palm Sunday. He couldn’t walk. He couldn’t talk, and he didn’t stay long. But we all cried seeing him bless us from his window, because we saw with our eyes how much he truly loved us. "Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus," (Heb 12:2) he once told our seminary community. I love and will deeply miss our Pope, because looking at him, I saw a glimpse of the face of Christ.

Deacon Craig Timmerman

Seminarian for the New Ulm diocese

Home Parish: St. Clotilde, Green Valley