BLESSED JOHN XXIII AND BLESSED JOHN PAUL II TO BE CANONIZED ON THE DAY OF THE DIVINE MERCY

Good news to all Catholics around the world. At the consistory (a meeting where the Pope and the College of Cardinals discuss about the causes of beatification and canonization) held at the Vatican on September 30, 2013, Monday, Pope Francis announced that Blessed Popes John XXIII and John Paul II will be canonized on April 27, 2014, second Sunday of Easter which is the feast of the Divine Mercy.

On the light of their upcoming canonization, here are some few significant and interesting facts about Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II.

- Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II have one thing in common. Both popes have become Time Magazine's "Man of the Year". Pope John XXIII became "Man of the Year" in 1962, while Pope John Paul II became "Man of the Year" in 1994.

- Blessed John XXIII became Pope at the age of nearly 77 in October of 1958, while Blessed John Paul II was 58 years old when he was elected as Pope in October of 1978.

- One of Blessed John XXIII's most important achievements was the convening of the 2nd Vatican Council. Of those who took part at the council was Pope John Paul II who was then Bishop Karol Wojtyla along with Bishop Josef Ratzinger who in April 2005 became Pope Benedict XVI.

- Pope John XXIII was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000.

- The date of their forthcoming canonization, April 27, 2014 which falls on the feast of the Divine Mercy is very significant. Blessed John Paul II was the main key to the propagation of the message of the Divine Mercy. On April 30, 2000, he declared the 2nd Sunday of Easter as the Divine Mercy Sunday.

Blessed John XXIII, pray for us.

Blessed John Paul II, pray for us.

ST. JOHN BOSCO'S VISIT TO THE PHILIPPINES

NEGROS AND CEBU PROVINCES St. John Bosco's relic is on world tour, and the Philippines is one of those countries his relic visited. His relic made visits to different provinces, cities and towns in the country. From December 5 to December 23, 2010, his relic visited the cities and towns of the provinces of Negros and Cebu. The relic's first destination in the Philippines was the Negros province where it stayed there from December 5 to December 11, 2010. The relic arrived in my hometown, Cebu City on December 12 at the church of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, and from there, it visited other Salesian schools, homes, centers and the church of Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. On December 23, the relic was brought back to the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes for a farewell mass before its voyage to the nation's capital, Manila. The relic's journey in the Philippines ended on January 15, 2011. St. John Bosco's relic...

BLESSED JOHN PAUL II'S TOTUS TUUS

"Totus Tuus". It is a Latin phrase which means "I am totally yours." This was Blessed John Paul II's motto addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Have you ever wondered why John Paul II had so much devotion to Mary? Source: Wikimedia Commons / cc In his book, Crossing The Threshold of Hope, John Paul II explained that his motto Totus Tuus was not just an expression of piety and devotion, it was his total abandonment and personal consecration to the Mother of God. His deep devotion to Mary was manifested in many different ways; among these is his Coat of Arms which bears the letter M that stands for Mary. Even his coffin has a letter M on it. He credited St. Louis Marie de Montfort for his Totus Tuus when he read the saint's book "True Devotion to Mary." John Paul II came to know the book "True Devotion to Mary" when he worked as a factory worker at a chemical plant during World War II. He studied the book and oftent...

SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF THE HOLY ROSARY

The Holy Rosary is composed principally and in substance of the "Our Father" and the "Hail Mary". But what is the history of the Holy Rosary? In 1214, St. Dominic, a priest, was working hard for the conversion of the Albigensian heretics, but his efforts were hindered by the gravity of people's sins. Feeling so depressed, he withdrew into a forest near Toulouse, France where he unceasingly prayed for three days and three nights. He did nothing but weep and do harsh penances in order to appease God's anger. His body was lacerated that he finally fell into a coma. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him and said: "Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?" St. Dominic answered: "Oh my Lady, you know far better than I do because next to your son Jesus Christ, you have always been the chief instrument of our salvation." Our Lady replied: "I want you to know th...

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