As the Roman Catholic Church began its official nine-day period of mourning on Sunday, the faithful remembered Pope John Paul II in life and prayed for him in death. An oil painting of the pontiff, partially covered by a black shroud, was on the altar at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.
“For 26 years, John Paul II has led the church and has been a voice for Catholics and non-Catholics alike as a call to peace and holiness,” Rev. Andrew Fisher said. “He not only showed us how to live, he also showed us how to die.”
In reflection and in remembrance, Catholics everywhere clung to their personal memories of the pope. No matter if it was catching a glimpse of him during one of his visits to the U.S. or during a pilgrimage to the Vatican, small moments and objects were remembered with unusual precision.
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During a Sunday evening service at the National Shrine, an opulent sanctuary near the U.S. Capitol, Fisher reminded his congregation that the pope had visited that very church a quarter-century ago. The chalice used at mass, he said, was a gift from John Paul.
A line of worshipers formed at a small side altar known as the Polish Chapel, where red roses were placed beneath an inscription in the granite that read: “Pope John Paul II prayed in this chapel during his papal visit Oct. 7, 1979.”
In churches across the city, Catholics filled pews beyond their typical capacity. In the gift shop of the National Shrine, which is on the grounds of Catholic University of America, pictures and books of John Paul were selling at a rapid pace.
The white lilies and yellow daises left from Easter Sunday served as a fresh sign of celebration for all that the pope accomplished.
“Many of the great leaders of the world today are saying what they are saying because they heard him,” said Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the archbishop of Washington.