Anniversary of a Death

Today is the 3rd Anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II. Like many people, I have a very clear memory of where I was and how I heard about the death of the only Pope I had known thus far in my life. On Saturday, April 2, 2005, the world knew that Pope John Paul's death was near. St. Peter's Square at the Vatican was filled with Romans and pilgrims from around the world. I was in my first year of priesthood, serving as Associate Pastor of three parishes in Richmond, Indiana. We had masses at two different churches each Saturday afternoon, each preceeded by the Sacrament of Reconciliation. That day, I was scheduled for confessions at 4:30 and mass at 5:30 at St. Andrew Church. The pastor, Fr. Todd Riebe, had confessions at 2:30 and mass at 4:00 at St. Mary Church.

I was sitting in my room at the rectory, with the TV on all afternoon, working on other things while always keeping one ear and one eye on the news. Shortly after 2:30, As the reports began to spread in Rome that the Holy Father had died, and as the reporters were beginning to announce unconfirmed information about his death, the phone rang. It was a reporter from the Palladium-Item, the town newspaper, where they had just received a wire report, along with news agencies around the world, from the Vatican, announcing Pope John Paul's death. The first call the local newspaper made was to the Catholic church in town, to make sure we had heard. I immediately began to put into place the plan that our parish staff had determined for this moment. I called the parish business manager who went to one of our three churches, Holy Family, to begin ringing the toll bell. I then went to St. Mary Church, right next to the rectory, to inform Fr. Todd of Pope John Paul's death - Fr. Todd was hearing confessions at the time. I then set the toll bell to ring at St. Mary and drove to St. Andrew to ring the toll bell there.

I stayed at St. Andrew for the rest of the afternoon as the church gradually filled with people upon hearing the news. As soon as the toll bells began to ring in our town, and throughout the world, many people left their homes and came to the churches to pray. It was quite a moving experience to see the church start to fill with people. I set out a framed picture of Pope John Paul and a candle in the sanctuary and began to prepare for mass. That evening was one of few times as a priest when I completely discarded my prepared homily and instead preached on the life, legacy, and death of Pope John Paul.

Two days later, I left for my annual retreat at Saint Meinrad Archabbey. I was there, on retreat, for the funeral, which was held on Friday morning. After watching the funeral live on television, I joined the monastic community, the seminary, and many others for a memorial mass in the Archabbey Church of Our Lady of Einsiedeln. Then, we began the wait for a conclave and a new pope.

Today, three years later, I celebrated a funeral at my current parish for a 51-year-old man. Surrounded by his family and friends, we celebrated the reality of Easter - the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and a hope for new life that has been given to each of us in the same measure as it had been given to a man named Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II. This evening, I celebrate mass for our faith formation students and families, and we will remember this day as the entrance into glory of a great Christian and shepherd who became a world-wide beacon of peace, understanding, and love.