By Esther McKenna
A universally beloved and respected leader, John Paul II was credited with helping to bring about the fall of communism, staunchly defending those "persecuted by ideologies and powers that denied the transcendent value of the human spirit," said Murphy. As a defender of human life and dignity, especially the poor and downtrodden, John Paul II was often referred to as the people's pope.
Each Mass held on Sunday at St. Christopher's Roman Catholic Church included a memorial service for the pontiff. Monsignor John F. Bennett, religious leader at St. Christopher's, said he was grateful for the pope's years of dedication and service. Bennett met the pope several times, once during a trip to Poland and Rome with a group of people of Polish descent in 1985, and another time when he was the crosier staff bearer at a Mass at Yankee Stadium in 1979.
"I was struck by the readings from the history of the life of Pope John Paul II," said Bennett. "He was a great leader, and I am very grateful for the pope's years of service." He offered these words of solace to his parishioners and fellow Catholics: "By learning from and following our own liturgy, which the late pontiff was seriously dedicated to, we will love and honor this great man."
The Rev. Kimberly Wilson of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church said her congregation "offered their hearts and prayers to all of our brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic Church. We stand with them in their sorrow in the loss of a very great man."
Two special masses were held for the pope on Sunday and Monday at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre. For one parishioner, the death couldn't be more personal. Rockville Centre resident Agnieszka, who asked that her last name not be used, is from Krakow, Poland, the homeland of the late pontiff. "For us, his death is particularly sad. We feel a certain bond with him that no one else can really understand," said Agnieszka, who left Poland three years ago. Visibly upset, she was among hundreds of mourners who attended the special 11 a.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Emil Wcela.
Amid strains of the opening hymn, mourners filled into the pews of the church to hear words of comfort about John Paul II, who had the third longest papacy in history.
On the second Sunday of Easter, also known as the Sunday of Divine Mercy, Bishop Wcela spoke about how the events of the past week - the deaths of Terri Schiavo and the pope - were reminders to all about the reality of death. With the two deaths occurring during the Easter season, the bishop said that it was a time to think about life and death and what it all means.
"I didn't know the pope well," said Bishop Wcela in his homily, but recalled four meetings he had with him over the years. He recalled seeing a vigorous pope on three of his four visits - one who was an athlete, a skier and a hiker who enjoyed great health. Wcela applauded the pontiff for his global visits, for connecting so well with youth, for being a dominant force in the fall of communism, for standing up to Nazi tyranny, and for healing the rift between the church and its Jewish brethren.
The bishop last visited the Vatican last October and, he said of the pope, "It was clear that his life had changed." No longer the robust man who would lunch with visiting bishops in small groups and ask them to show him their dioceses by pointing them out on a map, on this visit, Wcela recalled, the bishops met with the pope just once.
"Everyone's very sad," said Rockville Centre resident Al Rotondo, "but we should be very happy, because he was a great pope that connected with people. I think he brought morale and consciousness of the Catholic Church way up. He was a great inspiration."
May Rizzo of Oceanside was among the mourners who was tearful when she left St. Agnes on Sunday. "It's very sad, but he's with God and God bless us all," she said.
Wcela greeted people as they filed out into the cold noontime rain that had fallen during the service. "We lost a great man, but the church will continue," he said. "He made a great contribution to who we all are." Speaking for the people of Krakow, a sad Agnieszka said, "For us he was not only the Holy Father, but also a father and a brother."
John Paul II was the most widely traveled pope in history, having visited 170 countries during his 26-year papacy. His global visits endeared him to people of all races and religions. He encountered more people than any other pope. More than 17.6 million people attended his general audiences, and he had 737 meetings with heads of state.
Last January, the Pave the Way Foundation, a Long Island-based group whose mission is to promote peace by embracing the similarities among the world's religions and encouraging understanding through cultural, technological, and intellectual exchanges, had the last public audience with the pope. Pave the Way founders and Long Beach residents Gary and Merry Krupp led the largest group of Jewish leaders ever to visit the Vatican to "say thank you for all the pope has done for Jewish people and the state of Israel," said Gary.
Krupp's moving speech honoring the pontiff, and the pope's response to the Jewish delegation, can both be heard in their entirety at Pavethewayfoundation.org.
Krupp, who lived in Rockville Centre for more than 30 years before moving to Long Beach four years ago, was knighted by the pope into the order of St. Gregory the Great in 2000, making him a member of the House of the Holy See. Krupp was the seventh Jewish man ever to be so honored, and is one of only three who are still alive.
The Krupps had the opportunity to meet the pope four times since 1990. "Merry and I have lost a very good friend," said Gary. "My contact with him has changed the course of my life. Our dealings with the Vatican prompted us to form Pave the Way Foundation. We believe the pope's blessing in this endeavor has been responsible for many of our successes. We will continue to work toward our mission, knowing the pope was a supporter."
Rabbi Barry Dov Schwartz of Temple B'nai Sholom was among those in the Jewish delegation. "He was a pope of firsts," Schwartz said of John Paul II. "He made heroic and significant efforts to deepen the relationship between Roman Catholics and the Jewish people. He was beloved by the Jewish community. We went [to the Vatican] to express our appreciation for a pope who really, for the first time, embraced our people in a personal way. He will be remembered in death as he was in life."
Beth Wallach contributed to this story. Comments about it? Baldwineditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.
