Celebrating the Canonization of John Paul II

Pope John XXIII is also being canonized this Sunday, and I feel like we are leaving him out, but the honest truth is that I just don't know all that much about him except that he wrote some great encyclicals and that he was a very humble man.  Perhaps when I no longer have a child under the age of 4, I will have more time to read up on him and his encyclicals too!

 Saint John XXIII, pray for us!

And that brings us to the man who was Pope when I was born, a Pope that inspired me, and a man I traveled across the United States to see at World Youth Day.  Even after his death, I have studied about him and been inspired by his life.  When I  studied abroad, we visited Poland and were guided through several areas that were significant in his life; his city of birth, Wadowice, and a school where he studied.  We even enjoyed a bit of Polish cream cake, now referred to as "Papal Cream Cake" or simply "Pope Cake" because he apparently loved the stuff so much.

 

The hubby and I met that semester abroad, so we share these memories, but what also really made me smile was finding out that my hubby was also present at World Youth Day in Toronto and shared that experience with our beloved Pope too.  We didn't know each other, but God brought us to the same place to be blessed by an amazing man who had so much wisdom to share and whose life was truly one of spreading the gospel in love.

You better believe we will be celebrating his canonization and sharing what we can about him with our children.  For Sunday, here are the grand plans:

1. We are making some "Pope Cake" in honor of JPII.  I found a fairly simple recipe here.  You might also check out Catholic Cuisine for a variation.

picture from about.com

2. I'm planning a Polish meal- some of it is still to be determined, so I'll have to do a follow-up post with pictures of how everything turned out...  My current thought is Perogies and Polish sausage at least...

3. We may be sporting some hipster JPII looks just for fun.  Seriously, the man was the coolest.  If you don't believe me, check out these 21 awesome facts about him.  Did you read them?  DO IT!  He is just incredible and amazing.  I've already decided that the next book I'm reading (and actually finishing!) is going to be this one as soon as I can get a copy.

4. We will be doing some fun crafts.  Definitely the cute John Paul II paper bag puppet (see the pic below and one of the links for direction), but perhaps more...Check out some fun stuff you can do with your kids at Catholic Icing HERE!  and also here on Catholic Icing.

5. Watch one of the Pope's (supposedly) favorite movies.  I came across a few sites that listed some and we have chosen Life is Beautiful.  (It's Uh-mazing!)

6. Go for a family hike (or do something outdoor-sy).  Pope John Paul II was an avid outdoorsman, who loved to ski, swim, hike, and kayak among other outdoor activities.  

found on usatoday.com

 And let's go back in time... to Pope John Paul II's beatification!  Check out Kayla's little project from back then.  And just look how little she was.....

Saint John Paul the Great, pray for us.