Where is Holythis Week & Easter Bishop Folda’s message mystery steeple? — Page 2 Page 4
New Earth CATHOLIC DIOCESE
OF
FARGO
September 2011 April 2014 Vol. 35 No. 32 No. 48 Vol.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth” — Rev. 21:1
www.FargoDiocese.org www.FargoDiocese.org
DECLARED
‘WITH GOD’ POPE JOHN X X III and POPE JOHN PAUL II T O B EC OM E S A I N T S
APRIL 27
Pope Francis to canonize two popes in St. Peter’s Square By Kristina Lahr
“S
anto subito!” or “Sainthood now!” was the cry of the crowd at the end of Pope John Paul II’s funeral Mass in Vatican Square, April 8, 2005. On April 27, just eight years and 18 days later, the prayer will be answered. After the shortest canonization period in history, Blessed John Paul II along with Blessed John XXIII will be declared a saint of the universal church. The celebration will occur on Divine Mercy Sunday, a feast day inaugurated by Pope John Paul II for the entire Catholic Church on April 30, 2000: the canonization of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. He established this feast day to honor St. Faustina who had complete devotion to the Divine Mercy of Jesus.
The Vatican is preparing for what is sure be an enormous celebration as a number of pilgrims from around the world will take part in the canonizations of two of the greatest popes in modern time. An estimated 1.5 million visitors filled St. Peter’s Square for John Paul II’s beatification May 1, 2011, which means even more are expected for the joint canonization.
Good Pope John Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli — Blessed John XXIII — was born to a poor family of sharecroppers in 1881 at Sotto il Monte, Italy. He was the third of 13 children. At the age of 12 he entered the seminary but continued to visit his family regularly. The people of his hometown saw him as pompous be-
cause he left at such an early age. He enjoyed a life of study, prayer and fellowship at the seminary and later in Rome where he completed his doctorate in theology and was ordained a priest in 1904. While he continued his studies in canon law, he was also a secretary to the bishop of Bergamo, Italy. During World War I he was enlisted in the army as a hospital orderly and later as a military chaplain with the rank of lieutenant. After the war he became the director for the support of foreign missions. He served in Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece as apostolic delegate for 10 years. He protected the interest of small Roman Catholic communities in areas that Please turn to SAINTS-TO-BE on page 8