Planning underway for celebration marking life of John Paul II

By Robert DeFrancesco, The Catholic Sun
July 19, 2007

Fans, admirers and those influenced by the leadership and teachings of the late John Paul II may want to block out Sept. 15 on their calendars.

This is the day chosen to celebrate the impact his life, leadership and teaching had on the world during a special Mass, dinner and presentation.

The September celebration coincides with the 20-year anniversary of the Holy Father’s only visit to Arizona, a day in which hundreds of thousands from all over the Southwest converged on this city to catch a rare glimpse of John Paul II.

“This historic event is still vividly remembered by many here,” said Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, “remembered not so much for what happened in those two days, but for all that Christ accomplished through John Paul II in his 26 years of papal ministry — like the Theology of the Body, World Youth Day, and a highly personalized style of evangelization.”

The evening, themed “An Encounter with Christ,” starts with a 5 p.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Olmsted at St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix. Dinner and program will follow across the street at the Phoenix Convention Center.