POLAND: A church in Krakow holds a vigil on the eve of the Vatican's beatification mass of Pope John Paul II

Record ID: 805247

  • Title: POLAND: A church in Krakow holds a vigil on the eve of the Vatican's beatification mass of Pope John Paul II
  • Date: 1st May 2011
  • Summary: MORE PEOPLE PRESENT AT CEREMONY HANDS HOLDING ROSARY VARIOUS WOMEN PRAYING
  • Embargoed: 16th May 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Poland, Poland
  • Country: Poland
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVAD7EK19VNGZVJDGYJ47PZ5WNW6
  • Story Text: Hundreds of people came to a Krakow church on Saturday (April 30) to take part in an overnight vigil for Pope John Paul II a day ahead of his beatification in the Vatican.
    The Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in the Krakow suburb Lagiewniki has been the main church for events related to the late pontiff since his pilgrimage to Poland in 1999.
    "I came here with a pretty large group of pilgrims from Warsaw. I felt in my heart that I want to be here, this is a special place," said one pilgrim.
    "The beatification is a very important event for us. Our pilgrimage agency is dedicated to the three sanctifiers, so the respect to the Pope and to the Magisterium of the Church, which the Pope represents," said organizer of pilgrimages from the USA Mary Ann Batard.
    "We are here only because we love our Pope, who may not be physically with us anymore, but we feel him all the time, he is always with us during our visits to church, to Wadowice and so on," said another pilgrim who attended the ceremony.
    Screens were set up inside the church, showing events commemorating John Paul II in Rome.
    A mass was held before the overnight vigil began.
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