Saint John Paul II

Canonization of a Saint

In October of 1978, Karol Jozef Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II and dedicated his life to leading the Catholic Church. He made many significant achievements during his time as head of the Catholic Church including improvement of the relationships of the Catholic Church with other religions, including Judaism, Islam, Eastern Orthodoxy and the Anglican Communion. He passed away on April 2, 2005, becoming known then as Pope John Paul the Great. Waiving the usual five-year waiting period, the Church decided to beatify Pope John Paul II only one month after his death. This decision was because of miracles attributed to him.  Pope Francis approved John Paul II’s canonization on July 4, 2013, and he was declared a saint on April 27, 2014.

Miracles

Sister Marie Simon-Pierre was cured of Parkinson’s disease after praying to Pope John Paul II, and later, the healing of a Costa Rican woman suffering from a terminal brain aneurysm was credited to his intercession.