The feast day of Saint John Paul II falls on 22 October. To mark this significant feast, CatholicNews.ie has published the homilies and statements of Pope John Paul II delivered as part of his 1979 Apostolic pilgrimage to Ireland.
Saint John Paull II was Pope for over twenty-six years, from 22 October 1978, the inauguration of his ministry as a universal Pastor of the Church, until his death on 2 April 2005. He served as the third longest pope in history. Ordained Bishop of Krakow, Poland, in 1958, he contributed significantly to the Second Vatican Council (1962 to 1965).
On 16 October 1978, Cardinal Karol Józef Wojtyla was elected the 264th Pope of the Catholic Church, and took the name John Paul II. As Bishop of Rome and during his pontificate, Pope John Paul II visited almost all of the Roman parishes and made apostolic journeys to 104 countries, including Ireland from 29 September – 2 October 1979. During his Apostolic Pilgrimage to Ireland, the third of his twenty-six year Petrine ministry, the late pope visted Dublin, Drogheda, Clonmacnois, Galway, Knock, Maynooth and Limerick. The next apostolic vist to Ireland was Pope Francis during the IX World Meeting of Families in August 2018.
To read and listen to the homilies and statements visit CatholicBishops.ie.
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