Presents to you a Centennial Celebration video series entitled:

St. John Paul II: 
A Man for the Second Millenium

May 18, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of St. John Paul II.  Born in the last century of the First Millenium, it was a time of worldwide strife: two great World Wars, followed by the uneasy peace of a Cold War.  A sign of the times was Berlin, Germany…a city complely divided by a wall.  On one side were those under communism, locked away from their brothers and sisters living in freedom on the other side.

Karol Wojtyla would be born only 18 miles from a place the world would come to know as Auschwitz. As a young man, Karol was forced to confront the deepest, darkest depravity of man: the starving, torturing, and exterminating of innocent human beings; in this case because they were Jews. He developed, not hate for others, but love for others; love of life, of the human person. Not a simple love, but a devotion to the human person, a deep reverence for the human being, a sense of mercy and sorrow for any human person ever deprived of their dignity, or suffering from their own terrible choices.

As God would have it, the wonderful stirring of the Holy Spirit at this difficult time in history would fashion for the world what it desperately needed: a young leader who was becoming a holy, courageous, merciful man of God.  He seemed chosen to enrich and inspire others through his writing, his presence, his faithfulness, and his intellect. In time, he would fearlessly resist oppressors using those four gifts; and he was able to motivate and bring hope to people from every corner of the globe. During his remarkable life, he never wavered in pointing to the truth of love and responsibility, while at the same time, assuring us of God’s boundless love and mercy, in which he believed so ardently that he chose “Do not be afraid” as his papal motto.

As you will hear in our first video presentation, it is speculated that JPII was seen in person by more people than anyone else who ever lived.  The impact he made on the world through personal encounter and deep and genuine holiness is easy to believe in if you count the number of institutions that now bear his name.

Perhaps what is coming in this Second Millenium, the era in which we live, is a new hope, a time of overflowing grace, as the study of St. John Paul II’s masterpiece, the Scripture-immersed “Theology of the Body,” is embraced by more and more Christians around the world.

If you dare to take a couple of minutes of your time, come along now with us on a video-series adventure, filmed at various locations in Europe, which will immerse you into the life and work of our poet, priest, philosopher, theologian, papa, and beloved saint!  Our first video is short, and succinct.

We are pleased to introduce to you our new International Correspondent, Eamonn Clark, who will be our guide in these monthly videos. Eamonn will be taking us on a year-long centennial celebration journey!
Thank you, Eamonn, for this fabulous gift!

To those who view this video or join FRP events in any way: 
May God bless you and your families, fill you with hope, and keep you safe within the mantle of Mary’s love, through the intercession of St. John Paul, a Man for the Second Millenium, and in the name of Jesus, our resurrected Lord.  Amen.

Happy Birthday, JPII!  We love you!

Want to learn more about this great man? We have a vast St. John Paul II and Theology of the Body Resource Library!
Visit our Resources page or contact us to learn more!