http://www.rosary-center.org/comepray.htm

Karol Jozef Wojtyla was born on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland.  Much of his advanced education was obtained underground after the Nazi invasion of Poland, and in 1942 he entered the clandestine seminary in Krakow.  He was ordained a priest in 1946, a bishop in 1958, was appointed archbishop of Krakow in 1964, and elevated to the College of Cardinals in 1967.  He was elected to the Chair of Peter as Pope John Paul II in 1978.  His lifelong devotion to “the Most Holy Madonna” was expressed in his papal motto, Totus tuus (“Totally yours”), dedicating himself, his papacy, and the world to Mary.  A groundbreaker in many ways, he was the first Polish pope and the first non-Italian pontiff in four hundred years.  He was a worldwide traveler, visiting places where no pope had gone before, and opened dialogues with Protestant and Orthodox denominations.  He was tireless in his work for the poor and powerless, speaking out against war, economic injustice, and political oppression.  He left the Church more than a dozen encyclicals and scores of other documents, and beatified and canonized more than a thousand men and women from all walks of life.  He died on April 2, 2005, was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on May 1, 2011, and canonized by Pope Francis on April 27, 2014.



Papal Motto:  Totus Tuus --- Totally Yours


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Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was born on November 25, 1881, in Sotto il Monte, Italy.  He was ordained a priest in 1904, a bishop in 1925, and elevated to the College of Cardinals in 1953.  He was elected to the Chair of Peter as Pope John XXIII in 1958.  “The Good Pope” was perhaps the most influential pope of the twentieth century.  When he was elected at the age of 76, many thought he would be a short-term caretaker until his successor was chosen after h
is death.  He surprised the Church and the world with his reforming spirit, manifested most poignantly when he convened the Second Vatican Council in 1962, which laid out a broad new vision and set of reforms for the Roman Catholic Church.  While pope, Saint John XXIII internationalized the college of cardinals, revised the code of canon law, and wrote eight papal encyclicals, including Mater et Magistra (Mother and Teacher), which expounded on themes of Christianity and social progress, and Pacem en Terris (Peace on Earth), which focused on the establishment of universal peace in truth, justice, charity, and liberty.  He died on June 3, 1963.  He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000, and canonized by Pope Francis on April 27, 2014.  

Papal Motto:  Obediencia et Pax --- Obedience and Peace

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