St John Paul II

It was he who created World Youth Day, in 1984, to invite young people from all over the world to come together in faith. The prayer dedicated to him on the official WYD website remembers him like this: he found hope in young people and gathered them into the Church.

His symbol is the crozier, the bishop’s staff, which represents the Good Shepherd who protects, cares for and guides the flock. John Paul II’s is well known for its cross shape.

He was born in Poland in 1920. While still very young he lost all his closest family, and his youth coincided with the Second World War and the oppression of the Nazi occupation. In the midst of these trials his vocation gradually matured: he trained in a clandestine seminary and in 1946 he was ordained a priest.

He later became auxiliary bishop and then Archbishop of Kraków, and took part in the Second Vatican Council, where he contributed to the renewal of the Church and to its dialogue with today’s world. In 1978 he was elected Pope, the 264th, and he proclaimed the Gospel on pastoral visits to 129 countries.

In 1981 he survived an assassination attempt in St Peter’s Square. He explained that the motherly hand of Our Lady had protected him, and he forgave his attacker: a profound witness of mercy and reconciliation. Three years later, in 1984, he created World Youth Day.

He died in 2005 and was canonised in 2014. The Church celebrates his feast on 22 October.