Saint John Paul II, Pope

Saint John Paul II was born Karol Józef Wojtyła on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland. Marked early by sorrow, he lost his mother as a child and later his brother and father, yet his faith deepened amid suffering. As a young man he loved literature and theater, studied in Kraków, and during the Nazi occupation labored in a quarry and factory to avoid deportation. In those dark years he discerned God’s call and entered the underground seminary, preparing quietly for the priesthood. Rising through service as a priest and bishop, he became Archbishop of Kraków and a cardinal before being elected pope in 1978, taking the name John Paul II. A tireless shepherd, he traveled widely, preached the universal call to holiness, strengthened the Church through the revised Code of Canon Law and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and worked to build bridges with Jews, Muslims, and Orthodox Christians. He is also remembered for his witness against oppression and for encouraging hope in the face of atheistic regimes. He is invoked as patron of Bełchatów, Pope John Paul II High School, Rivignano, and the Shalom Catholic Community. His feast day is October 22.

Saint Longinus is traditionally remembered as a Roman soldier at Jerusalem who stood near the Cross of Christ. Though unnamed in the canonical Gospels, later Christian tradition—drawing especially from early apocryphal sources—gave him the name Longinus and identified him with the centurion who, witnessing Jesus’ death, confessed that He was truly the Son of God. In the Gospel of John, a soldier pierces the Lord’s side with a lance, and from that wound flow blood and water; devotion came to see this moment as intimately joined to the mystery of Christ’s saving Passion and to the final of His Five Holy Wounds. Over time, Longinus’ story grew into a witness of conversion: the one who struck the Crucified is also remembered as one who came to believe, and in many traditions he is venerated as a martyr who suffered for his faith. His name is linked with the “Holy Lance,” long honored in Christian memory. Saint Longinus is honored as patron of Baschi. His feast day is October 22.

Saint Moderanus of Rennes was a French bishop and priest whose life is remembered in the Church with quiet reverence. Born in Rennes, he served Christ and His people in the heart of Brittany, offering pastoral care and guiding the faithful as a shepherd of the local Church. Though few details of his earthly journey have come down to us, his enduring veneration as a saint points to a life marked by fidelity and devoted service. Saint Moderanus died in the year 730, leaving behind a legacy rooted not in fame, but in steadfast holiness. He is honored as patron of Berceto, and his feast is celebrated on October 22, inviting believers today to seek God with the same humble perseverance.