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In the life of every person and of every community there comes an event which becomes a benchmark to which we return in order to gain a deep sense and meaning and to give a direction to the future. The death of Pope John Paul II on April 2, 2005, remains an object of reflection and deep discernment in the universal Church as well as in other Christian communities, especially those associated with the teachings of the Pope. We remember his pilgrimages to many countries, his meetings with many different communities, but never will he gather around himself as many people as he did for his final pilgrimage to his heavenly Father. Nor has his presence ever been felt more deeply and more intensely. John Paul II undertook his final pilgrimage as he wrote in l999 in his letter to the elderly: "It is beautiful to serve the cause of the Kingdom of God to the very end. At the same time the thought of the moment when God will summon me to Himself fills me with deep peace - from life to Life! That is why I repeat without the slightest shadow of sorrow the prayer a priest recites after celebrating the Eucharistic liturgy: "In the hour of death call me and tell me to come to You."
John Paul II was a man of God, a man of prayer, immersed in the events of the world, who does not look at things in a superficial way but points out and touches the mysteries of God, man, and the world. And that is why millions of people in churches, in city squares, on streets accompanied him on this pilgrimage from life to Life showing how desperately the contemporary world needs holy witnesses to the faith. We realized that the heritage of John Paul II was indeed great. Our contemporaries wish to live in his spirit. Only after his death did we realize how great were his merits in building a global community based on the authentic witness of evangelical values. We must recognize this heritage, study it profoundly, introduce it into our lives, and bequeath it to future generations. When on the day of the funeral the wind waved the liturgical vestments of the cardinal concelebrants of the Mass in St. Peter's Square and turned the pages of the book that lay on the casket, we interpreted this as a visible sign. The twenty-six-year pontificate of John Paul II was ended and given to the Church to continue it.
During his pontificate John Paul II did not preach popular slogans that the people would have willingly listened to, but he attempted to show them the truth as it applied to them, make them aware of the dignity of the human being, its consequent vocation, and the rights and obligations flowing from that dignity. We remember his homilies, his apostolic letters, his exhortations, and his encyclicals. He was able to make splendid contact with large crowds of people and with individual persons, but the most important thing was that he authentically loved every person that he met. Each of us cherishes many precious memories, words, and actions that were our participation in the twenty-six-year pontificate and that we remember so well. It is this love that emanates from John Paul II and draws us to him and makes us feel that we are children of the one Father. He entrusts to us the essence of his teachings so that they might become for us a life of faith, hope, and love. His pontificate truly endures!
The John Paul II Foundation established by the Holy Father wishes to preserve the memory of his priceless treasure of teachings and to hand them down to future generations. The activities of the Foundation are always intimately connected with the pontificate of John Paul II, and the Foundation continues to implement these goals that the Holy Father presented to it.
The specific purposes of the Foundation are:
Next year the John Paul II Foundation will be celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary of existence. Against this background the Foundation has become a common home for all those who have found in the activities of the Foundation an opportunity for personal involvement and for a concern for handing on the values of Christian culture and the presence of the Gospel in the contemporary world. The Foundation was Polish in origins, but now it has transcended the boundaries of Poland and Polish culture and has become and institution that includes all those who are close to the person of John Paul II and his teachings. There are 42 Chapters and Societies of Friends of the Foundation in l6 countries. Members of the Foundation and other benefactors provide spiritual and material assistance to the Foundation allowing them to participate in the activities of the Foundation. We express deep gratitude to all who support the Foundation. We cherish the words spoken by John Paul II to the benefactors on October 29, l998: "By supporting the Foundation that bears my name you express your dedication and good will to the Pope. For this I thank you very much."
The twenty-fifth anniversary gives us an opportunity to see where we have been, and what we have accomplished in the areas of research, symposia, pilgrimages to the Polish Home, documentation, as well as the educational programs for youth from Central and Eastern Europe. We must also emphasize the work of individual Chapters and Societies in their own countries and the way in which they involve themselves in the life of their communities. All of this was made possible by the great numbers of benefactors who have wanted to be a vital and essential part of the activities of the Foundation. The Silver Jubilee of the Foundation is also an opportu-nity to look to the future and to plan for establishing the material future of the Foundation.
The twenty-fifth anniversary of the Foundation in October of 2006 will be the occasion for the unveiling of the Eighth Memorial Plaque of the Benefactors of the Foundation at the Polish Pilgrim Home. The names of individuals, institutions, and parishes who will contribute $2,500 or more (or its equivalent in other currencies) will be included on the plaque. At the time of the anniversary, all attending will hear the full reports of the work of the Foundation which were made possible by the gifts of the Friends and benefactors of the Foundation.
We ask that your checks be made out to a Chapter of the Foundation (Chapters are eligible to accept tax-free gifts) or can be sent to Rome: JOHN PAUL II FOUNDATION, VIA DI PORTA ANGELICA 63, 00L93, ROME, ITALY.
We invite all of the Friends and Benefactors of the John Paul II Foundation to come to Rome to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the Foundation's existence. The celebration will take place from October 2lst to the 23rd. The detailed program will be published several months before. The theme of the celebration will be: Honoring Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Foundation.
As we look at the Servant of God Holy Father John Paul II and his 26 year pontificate, we want to continue the work he brought into being on October l6, l98l. We invite all for whom the person and pontificate of John Paul II are dear and important.
In Christ,
Archbishop Szczepan Wesoly
Chairman of the Administrative Board of
John Paul II Foundation
Rome, October l6, 2005
Holy Mass at St Peter's Basilica - St Peter's Cathedra
Procession to the tomb of the Servant of God John in the Vatican Crypts. Individual prayer
The Unveiling and Blessing of the VIII Memorial Plaque
(location: the John Paul II Pilgrims Home, via Cassia 1200)
Dinner - Reception hosted by the John Paul II Foundation.
(The garden at the John Paul II Pilgrims Home, via Cassia 1200)
Holy Mass at the Church of the Holy Spirit near St Peter's Square,
(via Borgo Santo Spirito)
Angelus Domini with the Pope Benedict XVI in St Peter's Square,
Lunch hosted by the John Paul II Foundation
(location: Terminal Gianicolo Restaurant "La Piazza", 16 via Urbano VIII)
Concert: "In Honor of Pope John Paul II on the Occasion of the 25th
Anniversary of the Pope John Paul II Foundation"
- Auditorium Palazzo Pio, via della Conciliazione, 4
Meeting of the Presidents of Chapters and Societies of The Friends of John Paul II Foundation (the John Paul II Pilgrims Home: via Cassia 1200)