 A statue of Pope John Paul II greets students in a hall at the Catholic elementary school named after the late Polish pontiff in Wilmington, Del. (CNS/Don Blake, The Dialog) |
-- Pope John Paul II High School in Lacey, Wash., will celebrate the May 1 beatification of the late pope with a prayer service and the showing of a video that celebrates his life and what he means to the school.
Across the country, in Lecanto, Fla., a Catholic grade school bearing his name also plans to show videos about his "life history and his personal story" and to celebrate a memorial Mass, said principal Lou Whitaker.
"He was such an inspirational leader. He will most likely go down in history as one of the most influential people in modern history," she said in a telephone interview with Catholic News Service.
There are currently 32 grade schools and high schools in the United States named for Pope John Paul. A 33rd school -- a regional elementary school -- will open in the Detroit Archdiocese in the fall.
Among other U.S. institutions named for the late pontiff are John Paul the Great Catholic University in San Diego; the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America in Washington, and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, also in Washington. The center, currently up for sale and open only by appointment, has several events planned to mark the beatification.
Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate the beatification Mass in St. Peter's Square. Estimates for how many people will attend the liturgy range from 300,000 to 1.5 million.
In Louisville, Ky., Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz will celebrate Mass at John Paul II Academy the same day as the Mass in Rome, said principal Lynn Wilt. The special Mass will feature student choirs from three schools.
But the school has been celebrating the life of the late pontiff for a number of weeks leading up to his beatification, and "and we will continue doing so for a while afterward," Wilt told CNS. "We have also been featuring videos about John Paul II.
"John Paul II is so important to us as a school because he put such an emphasis on the youth and bringing our faith to our everyday life. Faith is the central part of daily life and he really stressed that," she said.
Principal Susan Vadas of Pope John Paul II Catholic School in Wilmington, Del., called the pope "such an ideal role model for living the Christian life. We have taken his example and we try to instill that in our students." This school, too, planned a special Mass.
At John Paul II Catholic High School in Terre Haute, Ind., "we'll remember him: his life, story and influence. He was so loved. When we started our school in 2000, we would use a lot off his homilies for our Masses," said principal Sandy McBroom.
"We will continue to use them after his beatification and through the life of the school," she said.
Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, Tenn., will mark the beatification with an art exhibit at the school as well as a spring choral concert and a Mass May 1 that is open to the whole Nashville Diocese.
Catholic schools in the diocese were asked to send a delegation of five to 10 teachers and students to represent their school at the Mass, which will be celebrated in the school's courtyard.
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