With The Help Of God And With The Help Of Men

Today we at the Shrine are celebrating the anniversary of Blessed John Paul II’s election to the papacy. On this day in 1978, he accepted over 26 years of courageous and loving service to Christ’s flock here on Earth.

In his address immediately after the election, the late Holy Father, after mentioning the grievous occasion of the death of John Paul I and after admitting that he may need some help with his Italian, humbly said:

           

…And so I present myself to you all, to confess our common faith, our hope, our trust in the Mother of Christ and of the Church, and also to start anew on this road of history and the Church, with the help of God and with the help of men (as quoted in George Weigel’s Witness to Hope, 256).

And start anew we did. As we continue to build our permanent exhibit on the life and legacy of Blessed John Paul II, slated to open mid-2014, we hope to capture this pivotal moment and others throughout his papacy.

Blessed John Paul II, Pray for Us!