Born and raised in the Polish town of Wadowice, Karol Jozef Wojtyla, was the man who would become Pope. He witnessed the atrocities of World War II, the early deaths of his immediate family and the rise and fall of communism. During the Nazi occupation he took note after his father's death of his calling to the priesthood and entered the underground seminary. It is during this period that he helped many Jews to find refuge from the Nazis.

He was ordained a priest in 1946 and continued his studies at the Angelicum in Rome, where he earn a licentiate and later a doctorate in sacred theology. Upon returning to Poland he began his ministry and writing in a response to a life under communism. He assumed the Chair of Ethics in 1956 at the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland.

As time would pass he was ordained as Bishop, Cardinal and then made Pope. As a Bishop he took part in the Second Vatican Council and had the wonderful experience of being able to contribute to some of the great Vatican II documents, the Decree on Religious Freedom (in Latin, Dignitatis Humanae) and the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes). In 1963, Pope Paul VI appointed him Archbishop of Krakow and in 1967 he was elevated to Cardinal. In 1978, he became Pope.

As Pope he was instrumental in guiding the Church to the new millennium and giving us so many teachings. One of his Pontificate hallmarks was the “new evangelization.” He took seriously, Vatican II's teaching about the Universal Call to Holiness. Other points include his development of the Theology of the Body, social doctrine, the relationship between Faith and Reason, and moral teachings. He was a prolific writer and light to the world.

There are many people who knew Pope John Paul II but there is one person who was by his side for so many years - Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz. Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) was another confidant and friend of John Paul II.

“Cardinal Wojtyla's method of action flowed purely from the Church and the Gospel. He tried to help the young develop a mature moral conscience,” said Cardinal Dziwisz

Pope Benedict summarized John Paul II's evangelical testimony in two words on the vigil of his death: “fidelity and commitment; total fidelity to God and commitment without reservations to his mission as Pastor of the universal Church. Fidelity and commitment which were even more convincing and moving in the last months, when he embodied in himself what he wrote in 1984 in the apostolic letter "Salvifici Doloris": "suffering is present in the world in order to release love, in order to give birth to works of love toward neighbor, in order to transform the whole human civilization into a 'civilization of love'" (No. 30). His illness, faced with courage, made everyone pay more attention to human pain, to all physical and spiritual pain; he gave suffering dignity and value, demonstrating that man is not of worth for his efficiency or his appearance, but for himself, because he has been created and loved by God. With his words and gestures, our beloved John Paul II did not tire of pointing out to the world that, if man allows himself to be embraced by Christ, it does not mortify the richness of his humanity; if he loves Him with all his heart, he will lack nothing. On the contrary, the encounter with Christ makes our life more exciting. Precisely because he drew ever closer to God in prayer, in contemplation, in love of the Truth and of Beauty, our beloved Pope was able to makes himself a fellow traveler of each one of us and to speak with authority even to those who are distant from the Christian faith.” (April 6, 2006)

To learn more about the late Pope John Paul II and especially his writings please reference the following websites and books:

Websites:
Vatican
Beatification

Books:
A Life with Karol: My Forty-Year Friendship with the Man who Became Pope by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz - An intimate, affectionate portrait of Pope John Paul II by his longtime secretary and confidant reveals fascinating new details about the opinions, hopes, fears, and dramatic life of this public man.
Witness To Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II by George Weigel - This book offers a groundbreaking portrait of the Pope as a man, a thinker, and a leader whose religious convictions defined a new approach to world politics - and changed the course of history.
Karol Wojtyla: The Thought of the Man who Became Pope John Paul II by Rocco Buttiglione - It is a standard work for all who want to understand the philosophical mind of Karol Wojtyla, the man who became Pope John Paul II.
Pope John Paul II: Young Man of the Church by George Edward Stanley - Describes the early life the Polish priest who became Pope, discussing his student days as an athlete and star pupil, the tragic deaths of his mother and brother, and his during the Nazi occupation.

To know Maria Esperanza we must look to her birth. In an excerpt from the Betania website about her life.

“Jesus said, 'Blessed the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom in heaven.'"
(Matthew 5:3)

The poor in spirit can be acknowledged by their humility. And humility was the virtue Mrs. Maria Esperanza emphasized on the most. Furthermore, in many opportunities she repeated a motto that she had received through divine inspiration, which is now engraved on the coffin that contains her remains, “Humility is the crystal bridge that leads us to heaven”.

There is no doubt that Mrs. Maria Esperanza's life was full of supernatural signs giving us a glimpse of the presence of God in all her deeds. However, she never took pride on the gifts God had given her. Even the story of her birth is filled with supernatural aspects: It is said that Mrs. Maria Filomena Parra de Medrano eagerly asked Our Lady and Jesus of Good Hope (Buena Esperanza) to grant her the miracle of a daughter promising to name the little girl Maria Esperanza. At that time, Mrs. Maria Filomena had three boys and longed for a girl.

Our Lady and Jesus answered the petition with the birth of Maria Esperanza. The people of San Rafael, frontier town with Barrancas, in the Southeast corner of Monagas State, Venezuela, asserted that on November 22, 1928 Mrs. Maria Filomena in labor pains hastily embarked on a humble craft. But not being able to reach the town hospital on time, she gave birth to her child on the craft on the waters where the Orinoco and Caroni Rivers meet. Thus, Maria Esperanza was born on the day of Saint Cecilia, Patroness of music.”

She grew to be a mystic and the protagonist of the approved the Marian apparition site in Betania. She was the first to see the apparitions of Mary in 1976 and on numerous occasions prior to 1984 when other people started to see Mary. The primary message that Our Lady came to impart was the message of reconciliation throughout the world. Our Lady came as Mary, Virgin and Mother Reconciler of People and Nations. “Additionally, her message is to commit oneself to a better service to the Catholic Church. And we, all Christians, have to do the service by reconciling ourselves more and more, since reconciliation brings forth human rights, social justice, renovation, and charisma. And furthermore reconciliation posits truth, love, reparation and Freedom of conscience, so we may live in accordance with the doctrine that Jesus Christ bequeathed us.”

For additional information

Born in 1917 in El Salvador, he had seven brothers and sisters. Ordained to the priesthood in 1942 in Rome, he continued his doctoral studies in ascetical theology and returned to El Salvador after being summoned home. He was a parish priest! He promoted apostolic groups, AAA and supported the devotion to the Virgin of the Peace.

He served the local Church in many facets and in 1970 he was appointed and ordained as an auxiliary bishop of the San Salvador diocese. This was followed by his elevation to Archbishop in 1977. It was also a time of persecution for the poor of El Salvador and the Church.

It was through unfailing courage that he spoke out against poverty, social injustice, assassinations and torture that dominated El Salvadoran culture and life.

He denounced the persecution of the church…
“In less than three years, more than fifty priests have been attacked, threatened and slandered. Six of them are martyrs, having been assassinated; various others have been tortured, and others expelled from the country. Religious women have also been the object of persecution. The archdiocesan radio station, Catholic educational institutions and Christian religious institutions have been constantly attacked, menaced, threatened with bombs.” -Archbishop Oscar Romero

Romero was killed on March 24, 1980 while celebrating Mass a day after speaking out against the governments repression and violations of basic human rights.

His spirituality was of courage, fidelity to God and full of Hope for what God calls humanity to and desires for man. Assassins who feared the message of hope, love and justice for man shortened his life. People whom knew him and who have come to know him, reflect on his conversion of ministry that occurred when he assumed the pastoral charge of the Archdiocese of San Salvador and the murder of Fr. Rutilio Grande, SJ in 1977.

Fr. Kevin Burke, SJ, in his article, “Remembering Oscar Romero” (Catholicism in the Modern World, April 7, 2005) he addresses this conversion.

“Significantly, however, Romero himself did not use the term ‘conversion’ to refer to the changes in his ministry. In a famous letter to Cardinal Baggio in Rome, Romero wrote: ‘What happened in my priestly life, I have tried to explain for myself as an evolution of the same desire that I have always had to be faithful to what God asks of me.’ The language of an ‘evolution of the same desire’ might seem insufficiently robust to capture the impact of the transformation in the Archbishop. But it is worth pondering Romero’s interpretation of the changes that overtook him. His language clarifies that he was not “converted” in the sense of “coming to believe” or even “coming alive in faith” for the first time. Whatever changed in him, it did not render inauthentic the faith from which he lived previously. Nevertheless, the change was real. On the level of his personal faith it involved a deepening of his inner freedom, perhaps even a breakthrough to a new level of freedom in faith. On a public level, it involved a major shift in the orienting audience of his episcopal ministry.”

Msgr. Ricardo Urioste, Romero’s former Vicar General, indicated that Romero is the prophet of hope because his words continue to guide and transform peoples' lives.

To learn more about Archbishop Oscar Romero and his unfailing courage in defending those who had no voice please visit the following website:
Resources for Catholic Educators
Article: Rembering Oscar Romero by Fr. Kevin Burke, SJ

Mother Teresa of Calcutta died in 1997 but only after she poured out her heart in love and sevice of man for her greatest love-God. She describes herself in the following manner in accordance to the short biography on Mother Teresa of Calcutta Center, the official site for her Beatification.

“By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.”

Small of stature, rocklike in faith, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was entrusted with the mission of proclaiming God's thirsting love for humanity, especially for the poorest of the poor. “God still loves the world and He sends you and me to be His love and His compassion to the poor.” She was a soul filled with the light of Christ, on fire with love for Him and burning with one desire: “ to quench His thirst for love and for souls.”

She desired to be a missionary so she joined the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland and subsequently went to India where she taught at St. Mary's school for girls. Final vows came during 1937. She was in Loreto for 20 years until she received her “inspiration”, her “call within a call”. On that day, she explained that Jesus' thirst for love and for souls so penetrated her heart that the desire to satiate His thirst became the driving force of her life. His heart's desire was for “victims of love” who would radiate His love on souls. “Come be My light,” He begged her. “I cannot go alone.” He revealed His pain at the neglect of the poor, His sorrow at their ignorance of Him and His longing for their love. He asked her to establish the Missionaries of Charity, dedicated to the service of the poorest of the poor.

Mother Teresa's words were simple but they spoke with clarity and loudly.

On the topic of Love she said…

“Do ordinary things with extraordinary Love.

Let us love one another as God loves each one of us. And where does this love begin? In our own home. How does it begin? By praying together.

God told us, “love your neighbor as yourself.” So first I am to love myself rightly, and then to love my neighbor like that. But how can I love myself unless I accept myself as God has made me?”

On the topic of Holiness she said...

“Holiness is not the luxury of the few; it is a simple duty, for you and for me. Be only all for Jesus through Mary. Be holy. God Bless you!”

It was her yes that led to a life of richness, spiritual dryness and great service for the poor because of her Love for God. Come be my light is what she evolved into regardless of the challenges and struggles. It commenced a journey never to be forgotten...

To learn more about Blessed Teresa's life, passion and mission please visit the following website and publications:

Mother Teresa of Calcutta Center: Official Site that aims to promote and support authentic knowledge and devotion to Mother Teresa by the study and development and dissemination of her work, spirituality and message.

Mother Teresa Come Be My Light - The private writings of the Saint of Calcutta. Compiled and presented by Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C. You will find here primarily correspondence between Teresa and her confessors and superiors over a period of 66 years. Many of these letters were preserved against her wishes and they reveal that for nearly half a century she lived in spiritual dryness and lived by faith alone.