North Texas Catholics Heading To Rome For Dual Canonization
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Pope Francis will make history Sunday at the Vatican. He will grant sainthood to Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII. The joint ceremony will be the first dual canonization in the church's more than 2,000-year history.
Catholics the world over are heading to Rome – among them some North Texans excited to witness history.
According to catholic tradition, it is a formal declaration of sainthood and one Dallas Catholic leader explained, "It means their lives were exemplary, measured on the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Bishop Kevin Farrell, chief shepherd of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, will not only attend the sainthood celebration for the two popes in Vatican City on Sunday, but before leaving wants people to know why the men deserve to be canonized.
"You've got to look at these two men for what they tried to make the church do, and that was to go out there and to expand our care and our service to the whole world," Bishop Farrell said.
In Grand Prairie, for Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth the canonization of John Paul II and John XXIII is exciting, but for two nuns there it is truly divine.
Sisters Margo Majszczwk and Monica Brulinska are from Poland -- the home of John Paul II. They both traveled to Rome for Pope John Paul's beatification four years ago and say his sainthood generates special pride for them.
Sister Monica said, "So, we see John Paul II Saint as the one who really... we could see Christ through him."
"I claim him. He's mine," Sister Margo said proudly. "And I can say for Polish people, we just lended (sic) the Pope to the world. We never let go."
Two other North Texas catholic parishes are sending members to Vatican City for Sunday's canonization ceremony.
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