Baltimore archdiocese to celebrate JPII beatification
The Archdiocese of Baltimore is hosting several events this weekend to celebrate the beatification on Sunday of Pope John Paul II.
The pontiff came to the archdiocese in October 1995, visiting the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Our Daily Bread soup kitchen and St. Mary’s Seminary & University.
The pope also visited the Baltimore Basilica in 1976, as Cardinal Karol Wojtyla. The archdiocese has commemorated his visits with the Pope John Paul II Prayer Garden at Charles and Franklin streets, dedicated in October 2008.
His beatification Sunday in Rome will move him a step away from sainthood. The Baltimore archdiocese will celebrate the event with a succession of events Sunday and Monday. They include:
Sunday, May 1
10:45 a.m. Mass at the Baltimore Basilica
11:45 a.m. Eucharistic Procession from the Basilica to the Pope John Paul II Prayer Garden
Praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Prayer Garden
4:30 p.m. Mass for young adults, Basilica
5:30 p.m. Eucharistic Procession following from Basilica to Pope John Paul II Prayer Garden
Praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Prayer Garden
Monday, May 2
Students in all Catholic schools will recite special beatification prayer, and learn about life of Pope John Paul II and making of saints.
From the archdiocese:
Beatification is an intermediate step toward sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. At the May 1 Mass of Beatification in Rome, the former pontiff will become Blessed John Paul II. The miraculous recovery of Sr. Marie Simon-Pierre from Parkinson’s disease opened the way for the beatification process. In January, Pope Benedict XVI certified the findings of a panel charged with investigating the alleged miracle ascribed to his predecessor. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are expected in Rome for the three-day program, which will be aired live on EWTN.
