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Pope John Paul II seated in Katowice Cathedral, looking up, photographed by Bernard Gotfryd on 20 June 1983

Saint John Paul II

The first pope from outside Italy in 455 years, who forgave the man who shot him

Patron of
World Youth Days
Western calendar
22 October
Orthodox calendar
Not kept

Karol Wojtyła of Wadowice lost his mother at nine, his brother at twelve and his father in 1941, and under the German occupation he worked in a quarry and a chemical plant before studying for the priesthood in Kraków's secret seminary. Elected in 1978, the first pope from outside Italy in 455 years, he cried out at the Mass that began his pontificate, "Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ!" He went to prison to forgive the man who shot him in 1981, travelled the world, and in his last years let the world watch him suffer, dying on 2 April 2005 with the words "Let me go to my Father's house."

Sources

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What is a saint’s feast day?

It is the day each year when the Church remembers a saint in its prayers, and for most saints it is the day they died and went home to God. Many saints here have two dates, because the Western and Orthodox Churches keep their own calendars, and some Orthodox churches still count by the old Julian calendar, which runs thirteen days behind ours.

What is a patron saint?

A patron saint is one we ask to pray for us in a particular place, work or need, as many ask Anthony of Padua for help when something is lost, and as Ireland looks to Patrick. A few patronages were declared by a pope, and most grew from long custom. A card says “Patron of” only where a source we checked names one.

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Why did you choose these saints and not others?

We began with the saints people search for most, by name, by need and by date, along with the apostles and the saints Orthodox Christians look for. Then we made sure every day of the year has at least one saint. That gives 378 so far, and we keep adding the saints readers ask for.

Every saint here, by feast day