Pope St. John Paul II guided the Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005 and called the world to open its doors to Christ. Catholics seek his intercession for courage, human dignity, families, young people, and trust in Divine Mercy.
Begin PrayingMore about Pope St. John Paul II
Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in Wadowice, Poland, in 1920. He lost close family members while still young and lived through both Nazi occupation and communist rule. He studied for the priesthood in secret, was ordained in 1946, and later served as auxiliary bishop and archbishop of Kraków. Elected pope in 1978, he took the name John Paul II and began his ministry with the appeal, “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ.”
During more than twenty-six years as pope, John Paul II traveled widely, defended the dignity of every human person, encouraged a new evangelization, and gave special attention to marriage, family life, youth, religious freedom, and solidarity with the suffering. His teaching helped prepare the Church for the Great Jubilee of 2000, and he established the Sunday of Divine Mercy for the whole Church. He died in 2005 and was canonized by Pope Francis in 2014. This novena asks for his intercession so that faith in Christ can shape both personal conversion and public life.
