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Sunday, April 3, 2005
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Norcross
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The pope’s death hit Norcross resident Kamali Lara particularly hard. Kamali, 16, said she grew more connected to the pontiff when visiting him at the Vatican in January.
Kamali and 40 other parishioners from St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Norcross were among several groups to gain a private audience with the Pope. He blessed them and posed for pictures with the awestruck worshipers.
“I feel horrible that I lost him because I was there and I saw him,” she said. “He was coughing a little, but not much. It’s a shock that he’s not here anymore.”
Kamali, a junior at Meadowcreek High School, said she’s sure the pope is much happier now. But she still considers Pope John Paul II, the only pope she’s ever known, to be her pope.
“I think it’s going to be weird to have another pope,” she said.
Natalie Ann Abreu, a Meadowcreek High senior who sings at St. Patrick’s, also was part of the group. She and her family were praying for the pope between college visits over the weekend in South Georgia.
Natalie, 17, recalled the song they sang to the pope upon being introduced to him in an auditorium. It made him chuckle, Natalie said: “Oh Holy Father we love you. Oh Holy Father yes it’s true. When we’re in Georgia we’ll pray for you. Oh Holy Father we love you.”
The St. Patrick’s parishioners were standing in the fifth row, with the pope looking on from the stage. Kamali said she finds comfort in the thought of providing a little comedic relief for the pope.
“The whole time he seemed really bored, until we sang,” she said. “I choose to believe he was laughing with us, not at us.”
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Outside Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For Gina Jiannuzzi and Jordana Garcia, there was never a time in their lives when Pope John Paul II wasn’t there. Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Poland became pope 26 years ago, and both women are 23.
Outside the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta, Jiannuzzi described him as an inspiration to all people, including young people. Garcia agreed, saying, “He was normal and had that much connection with the faith and the church. He was the first one to reach out. He was the first one to visit a mosque. Because of him, the church no longer blames the Jews for the death of Christ, and he asked forgiveness for the Holocaust.”
She observed he was on television constantly, traveling and encouraging people, but he didn’t hesitate to lay down the law.
Jiannuzzi said she didn’t always agree with him on all issues, but said she still felt a sense of loss at his death.
“I respected him, but he didn’t necessarily change my views,” she said. “We’re starting over in a sense.”
“I wonder what the next pope will be like,” Garcia said. “How do you follow up on what he’s done?”
Steve Verlander, 39, of Atlanta also reflected on John Paul II after Mass at the cathedral.
“I think he will stand out in history,” Verlander said. “He’ll be remembered for his travels and his connection with the people. He loved the faithful, especially the youth. I think people admired his humility. He admitted he wasn’t a big disciplinarian. His was a more pastoral and loving approach.”
He said even as John Paul II suffered in his last years, he used his pain as a lesson.
“He was trying to give an example that all life is meaningful, no matter how disabled they are, and their life has meaning, and suffering has value,” Verlander said. “Our suffering joins us in Christ.”
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The scene at Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A lone, weeping woman knelt in prayer today before the black-shrouded painting of Pope John Paul II at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta. She was oblivious to the continuous stream of communicants filing past her, heedless of the hard stone marble she kneeled upon. A few others knelt beside her for a while, but she was there a long time, her head bowed in prayer, occasionally wiping tears from her cheeks.
Finally, Judy Raggi Moore of Atlanta arose and returned to her pew.
Moore, a professor of Italian at Emory University, said she felt a strong connection with the late pontiff, and even traveled to Rome for Easter to see him at St. Peter’s Square last week.
“I knew this would be his last time,” Moore said. “It was so painful to see him at the window. The piazza was packed. Even with all those people, there was silence. At noon, we were looking at the balcony and when he came out, there was such an outpouring of love. He was in pain but he did it. He was a people’s pope.”
The scene at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, Lilburn
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Between services at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Lilburn, Bill Marten, of Lawrenceville, today hammered a sheet of black mourning cloth over the main entrance into the sanctuary.
“He touched everyone’s heart because he reached out to everyone,” he said of Pope John Paul II. “He believed in the dignity of the human person and it didn’t matter where you lived. He was inclusive. He was a great source for life itself.”
During early Mass, Rev. John DeVore observed the Sunday after Easter is a time of celebration of Christ’s victory over death, and yet the church was saddened over the loss of its shepherd. Near the altar was a painting of a younger John Paul II, but it had a golden shroud, and a vase of dozens of red roses and baby’s breath.
“It’s a time of mixed feelings,” he said.
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The scene at Holy Trinity Church, Peachtree City
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At Holy Trinity in Peachtree City, worshippers at the first of six Sunday Masses heard one priest’s memory of meeting, praying and exchanging gifts with the pope.
In 1996, the Rev. Paul Burke, now chaplain at Our Lady of Mercy High School in Fairburn, celebrated Mass with the pope in his private chapel. He recalled the awe he felt watching the pontiff in prayer beforehand with pieces of paper laid out on his prie-dieu. They were prayer requests and as he prayed, the pope touched each one. And those petitions were on the altar as the pontiff and the newly ordained priest said Mass together.
His gift to the pope was a simple one, Father Burke told churchgoers - a white skull cap, or zucchetto.
The pope laughed when he saw it, took off the zucchetto he was wearing and put on the one Father Burke had given him. “Feels good,” the pontiff said, tapping his head. Then he gave the young priest the skullcap he’d been wearing, along with a Rosary “that will be buried with me when I die,” Burke said in a voice husky with emotion.
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The scene at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, Buford
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Metro Atlantans attending Sunday Mass joined with the world in offering prayers for Pope John Paul II, who died Saturday.
At Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Buford, a picture of the 84-year-old pontiff that usually hangs in the narthex, or gathering area, was moved to the foot of the altar and placed on an easel.
Before the 10 a.m. Mass began, a standing-room-only congregation honored the pope with a 4-minute silent prayer.
“Let us pray for our church in transition,” said a speaker at the service.
During the Prayers of the Faithful, the first petition was offered for the pope’s “eternal rest.”
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