For Ryan

I don't know what to say about the Pope's passing that hasn't already been said. Of course he was a giant of the 20th century. Of course he was an admirable man who drew young and old alike of all faiths to him. Of course he set an example of peace and love in the world. Of course the amount of media coverage given to his death only testified to how much the world loved him and will miss him. And of course it will be difficult for the next pope to fill his shoes. All I can say is that I was blessed to witness his papacy, especially when I got to see him in person at the Mass he celebrated in St. Louis, and perhaps someday I'll tell my children about how great of a man he was. Now all we can do is look forward to the future and stand behind whoever is chosen as JPII's successor...

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Added later: Actually, I wanted to add a little memory I have of him from when he came to St. Louis... I remember he was speaking to the congregation during the Mass, probably during the homily. He spoke in slow, heavily accented English, as if it was taking all his concentration just to pronounce the words correctly. Finally he seemed to have strained himself to the breaking point, as if he were trying to sustain a large weight, and suddenly let it go and an outpouring of Italian or maybe Polish came cascading out in a breath of relief. The audience, of course having no idea how he finished the sentence he was in the middle of, just laughed. He once again put on the yoke of English and finished the homily, which I remember was an excellent one, I just don't remember what it was about.

I'll also never forget the flash of cameras when he elevated the host during the Eucharistic Prayer.
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And no, I haven't gotten HoB yet. But sometime I will have to look for it. I've just been far too busy! I do want to see it though! :)