Who could forget the thrill of being one of thousands, even millions, of young Catholics awaiting the arrival of Pope John Paul II to one of the many World Youth Days he attended? It was, as the media portrayed it, like waiting for a rock star. This pope had been pontiff for most of our young lives, he had contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union, and when he spoke to multitudes it felt like he was speaking directly to me. He had charisma. And now, the Vatican has just announced, Karol Wojtyla will be recognized as a saint this coming spring.

I could certainly be counted as part of the “JPII generation,” those young Catholics who embraced their faith under the dynamic pontificate of Blessed John Paul II. I know people who attribute hearing their vocational call to encounters with him and many others who were touched by his heroic life and then his suffering with Parkinson’s. He was, as aforementioned, a media sweetheart – a pope who made headlines because of his extensive travels, his bold words, and his evident holiness. It would be easy to reduce the JPII generation to fans of the hype that Blessed John Paul II’s dynamic pontificate generated. Yet, his canonization is a reminder to those who came to spiritual maturity under his guidance that there is much more to faith than just the externals.

Karol Wojtyla taught us much through his life and these lessons continue after his death. While there are more to choose from, the following are just a few moments from the soon-to-be-saint that have impacted the lives of many.

His pursuit of drama under the Nazi regime

Karol Wojtyla’s artistic temperament – from the poems and stories he wrote to the plays in which he performed – showed me that holiness is not limited to the pews or to theology texts. Living in occupied Poland as a young man, Karol worked long days at a factory, but still showed a vigor for life and for beautiful art. Indeed, his love of artistic beauty demonstrated that even under the worst of circumstances, even when we are oppressed and overworked, the truth of beauty is still worth pursuing and delighting in.

His pastoral care towards youth and young couples

Who can forget how, as Bishop of Krakow, Wojtyla would take time out of his busy schedule and continue to mentor young people, particularly young married couples? He wouldn’t just meet with them, he actually would go hiking and camping, truly sharing their life with them. He even took the time while pontiff to preside over the marriage of friends of mine (oh, how we all could wish for a blessing such as that!).

As a wife and a mother of young children, I continue to be moved by his concern on behalf of the Church for the vocation of marriage and family. This concern continued in his pontifical writings, which were certainly much more than the musings of a “media rock star.” I still have my marked up copy of Familiaris consortio that I read with surprising interest in high school – it is even more applicable to my life now!

His outreach to Catholics throughout the world

Yes, the media did capture some funny moments of Blessed John Paul II’s travels – an image of him hugging a koala bear comes to mind. But behind this captivating footage was a Vicar of Christ who truly wished to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth. More than any other pope before him, he left the Vatican and met people where they were at. I remember his visit to my home city of Baltimore and the amazement that spread throughout our parish – “the pope is coming here! To my town! To see us!” Living out those first words of his pontificate to “be not afraid,” JPII was not afraid to reach out to everyone, from those in the Vatican to tribes in Africa. As John Paul proclaims in one of his apostolic letters, we are called to follow Christ’s command to “put out into the deep” to spread the faith.

His Reliance on Divine Mercy

Only a short walk from the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome is what is commonly known as “the Divine Mercy Church,” a parish dedicated to Jesus under this title. Blessed John Paul II did much to spread the message of Divine Mercy, a devotion revealed to fellow Pole Saint Faustina, who the pope canonized in 2000. This emphasis on God’s overwhelming love and His mercy for each one of us is a reminder that our faith is very personal – Christ died to save me, to save you. And in response to Christ’s immense love, like Saint Faustina, we respond “Jesus, I trust in You.” So great was JPII’s devotion to Divine Mercy that he declared the Sunday after Easter “Divine Mercy Sunday” and – in what I cannot consider a coincidence – he died on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday in 2005.

His suffering and death

Of course, Blessed John Paul II, who had been considered young at the beginning of his pontificate, over twenty five years later showed not only signs of advanced age, but also of Parkinson’s disease. His voice wavered and he was often difficult to understand; his hands trembled as he said Mass and spoke to the faithful. Yet through all of this, the world saw how to suffer with dignity and with grace. He continued to travel and to meet with as many people as he was able.

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Additionally, his affection for young people remained even until the time of his death. It is reported that as he lay dying, thousands gathered around St. Peter’s Square, praying for their beloved pontiff. A group of young people joined the vigil and, looking out from his papal apartment, John Paul II said, “I have looked for you and you have come.” In many ways, his suffering was the most significant lesson of all. That this great man – known for such immense world-changing events as helping to precipitate the fall of the Soviet Union – was not embarrassed to let the world see his illness. He continued to cling to the Lord, an example to each one of us as we age and mature.

Of course, the points I mention do not begin to cover the impact that Blessed John Paul II had on so many people’s lives. I’m sure many readers would have chosen different ones to highlight. Yet, that is just one more testament to the man who has been known as John Paul the Great and soon will be Saint John Paul II. And, in the wonder that is the communion of saints, Karol Wojtyla will continue to make an impact on the “JPII generation” and the world from his place in Heaven.

Caitlin Bootsma is the editor of Human Life International’s Truth and Charity Forum. Mrs. Bootsma received a Licentiate in Catholic Social Communications at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome as well as a Master’s of Systematic Theology from Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College. She lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and two sons.

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