Saint John Paul II Day

The Polish National Union of Canada would like to thank the Canadian Government for proclaiming April 2 as Saint John Paul II Day.

The official ceremony of raising the Vatican Flag occurred on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto.

This is a special day to commemorate the impact and contributions of Saint John Paul II. “ Be not afraid.” These words, which Saint John Paul II proclaimed throughout his Pontificate of nearly 27 years, gave courage and hope to the young, the old, the rich and the poor. Saint John Paul II was the witness of hope. He believed that the truth could set people free. In the most profound sense of freedom, the truth about human dignity, vocation and destiny, which he felt had been revealed in Jesus Christ.

On April 27, 2014, nine years after his death, the Catholic Church recognized Pope John Paul II as a saint. He is a saint of the world but, uniquely, a saint of Canada. His three visits —1984 a cross-country tour, 1987 visited Aboriginal people in the North, 2002 World Youth Day in Toronto, which will never be forgotten.

In his final days with us here on earth, the Holy Father said to the thousands who kept prayerful vigil with him in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican,
“I have looked for you. Now you have come to me. And I thank you.”