Saint John Paul II went on over 100 trips, visited 129 countries, and traveled over 700,000 miles. He set the record for the most travel a pope has ever done!

What gave Saint John Paul II the energy for this? It all started with his father’s example at home. 

His father, Karol Wojtyła Sr., was a Polish military veteran and a passionate Catholic. He served in World War I, had three children with his wife Emilia, and supported his family after the war as a tailor. When Emilia and two of the children died, Karol Wojtyła Sr.’s life became a life of prayer. Saint John Paul II says that he would often wake up to the sight of his father kneeling in prayer. He writes:

“We never spoke about a vocation to the priesthood, but his example was in a way my first seminary, a kind of domestic seminary.”

Karol Wojtyła Sr. was completely dedicated to Jesus through daily Mass, prayer, and devotion. His sudden death in 1941 helped push Saint John Paul II to join an underground seminary during the Nazi occupation of Poland.

Just like Karol Wojtyła Sr., your example influences others. We can center our families on Christ through our example and leadership. In particular, when we expose and honor an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus we are establishing our family on the firm foundation of God’s providence and power. Through this devotion, we are entrusting all we have to His Sacred Heart!

May our piety be as fruitful as Karol Wojtyła Sr.’s. Who knows, one of our family might just become pope!

PRAY WITH US AT 7 PM CT

Join us tonight at 7pm CT for the Family Rosary Across America. Let’s open wide the doors of our homes and our hearts to Jesus.

And now, you can also join our Family Rosary Across America text group by texting “PRAY” to 914914 for updates and reminders to pray with us during this novena.

See you at the Rosary!