“I remember my first visit with John Paul II at the Vatican. I had asked some of the more veteran bishops what I should do when I went in to meet him. They said don’t get down on your knees — just genuflect, kiss his ring, and take off your skullcap. I was so nervous and apprehensive that when I went in, I forgot all the advice the other bishops gave me. All I did was shake his hand. He didn’t seem to mind. There weren’t any recriminations because I had forgotten the protocol. We just went on with our 10-minute conversation.

“He always listened very intently when you were with him. English was about only his seventh-best language, but he caught almost everything you said. His questions were very precise and he always made you feel very much at ease.

“On his last visit to the United States, in St. Louis, the pope was more respected and revered by the media than in previous visits. I attributed it to the fact that he was so weakened, debilitated and fragile, that the media listened more closely and seriously. It was a lesson for all of us in the power of powerlessness. That same attention has shown up this week – his illness and dying brought to the forefront the idea that in weakness there is strength and power.

“He will be respected more as a human being, even more than the sum of his accomplishments. The person that he was is his greatest legacy. He had so many gifts. He was honorable and good, a courageous person, wise and intelligent, and really transparent. What you saw was what he was. That’s what drew people to him.”

—Bishop Emeritus Francis A. Quinn

“He was a tireless crusader for the poor and underprivileged. He was a man of peace. He was an advocate for life in all its stages: from the unborn to those accused of murder. He forgave his would-be assassin. He was a huge factor in the fall of communism in his own country of Poland. He traveled the world bridging cultures and faith traditions. His gifts were as large as his heart. He followed humbly in the way of the fisherman Peter.”

—The Rev. David Thompson, senior pastor, Westminster Church, Sacramento

“Even though I knew the pope was very ill, hearing the news that he had died still made me cry. He was not only a leader for the people of Roman Catholic faith, but also a leader for people of many faiths. He was a citizen of the world.

—Terry Filipowicz, member of St. Anthony Parish in Sacramento and the Polish American Club of Greater Sacramento

“In a very public way under the gaze of the entire world we have seen the Way of the Cross being traversed by one of the great popes of all time. Who could see him in the final struggle and indeed over the last few years without being reminded very forcibly of the cross and the toll that it takes, however generously it is encountered and engaged…He gave clearly the impression that his own life was a small price to pay for the honor of serving his Lord.

“He will be remembered for many things. His name will be enshrined in history for his courage in taking on the dreaded communist regime that brought such sorrow to his own people and enslaved people everywhere that came under its cruel heel… All the while he was calling attention to the thousands and millions of people dying form genocide and starvation. He preached with deep conviction the obligation that richer nations had for the poorer nations. His was a gospel of life and liberation for the masses trapped under horrendous poverty and inhuman regimes, governments that fed on graft and corruption so that they could perpetuate themselves on the backs of the poor. The Third World knew that he was their champion and advocate.”

—Father Brendan O’Sullivan, pastor, St. Anthony Parish, Sacramento

“There was an aura about him. I think he just exuded love, peace, serenity. He is a supremely holy man but very human also.”

—Sonnie Cooper, member of Presentation Parish, Sacramento

“He inspired us to live faithful to our God, to live justly, with a passion for life, a commitment to the poor, the voiceless. He challenged even our Western approach to government. He challenged our reasons for going to war and we did not always like that. He fearlessly spoke out for respect for all life and not just innocent life when he applied that to capital punishment. He built bridges all over the world going to places where no religious leader ever went before. He was not afraid to say, ‘I am sorry.’”

—Father John Healy, chaplain, Mercy General Hospital, Sacramento

“He was a rock in my life. There was an incredible peace this man had when he spoke, but also the power was around him or in him. His favorite expression was that life is not to have but to be… It’s about existence, not about material possessions. He created a balance between those two realities in Europe and in the world.”

—Father Sylvester Kwiatkowski, parochial vicar, Saints Joseph and Teresa of Avila Parish, Auburn

“Our beloved pope was a charismatic leader. He touched the lives of many through his words, a glance, a touch, or a gesture. He was a leader for all, irrespective of age and faith.”

—Cheryl Ramirez, principal, Mercy High School, Red Bluff

“Coming as he did while in the last stages of Parkinson’s…to be with millions in Mexico (2002) was a special moment in Mexico’s history. He was very charismatic. When he gave you eye contact, it was like speaking to God. People were quite overtaken by his presence. He told us Mexicans he would always have Mexico in his thoughts.”

—Rene Aguilera, member of St. Rose of Lima Parish, Roseville

“He had unflinching moral courage. He was a pastor to the world who told people what he thought they needed to hear whether they liked it or not….When he became pope there was a great deal of confusion over moral teaching. One of his great legacies is the catechism, which made it clear what the church’s teaching is.”

—Deacon Gerald Pauly, parish steward, Immaculate Conception Parish, Sacramento

“Pope John Paul II was a holy man of courage. His life touched the hearts of the world. Our challenge will be to live up to his example.”

—Loretto Sister Helen Timothy, president, Loretto High School, Sacramento

“He has forever changed the papacy. He will be remembered for his consistent moral teaching, his love for the poor, desire for peace, great inclusiveness, and his leadership in world affairs. Particularly in the fall of communism, he inspired Catholics and non-Catholics alike.”

—Patty Cole, director of stewardship and development, St. Basil Parish, Vallejo

“When I see the outpouring of love from all the countries for our Holy Father, I’m proud to be a Catholic. His ability to bring together different religions is exactly what God would want us to do: to come together in love.”

—Dianna Mendoza, Office of Vocations, Diocese of Sacramento

“Pope John Paul II wanted us to all to be something more than we are today. His lack of fear was a great thing. If you’ve come through what he’s come through — the Nazis, communism, working his way through the seminary, his illness — you can’t tell him something is too hard.”

—Father Michael Carroll, pastor, Presentation Parish, Sacramento

“I appreciate the pope’s openness to all kinds of people, to being open for justice as a social right.”

—Alex Blaine, sophomore, Jesuit High School, Carmichael

“I thought he was truly doing the work God sent us on earth to do, to be a good Christians. He was all about peace and unity. It was moving to see him go out to the world, to see and feel the love he had for everyone.”

—Belinda Guzman-Ruvalcaba, member of Sacred Heart Parish, Gridley

“Perhaps his greatest legacy will be in the lives of the many young people he touched throughout his pontificate. He was an inspiration to many of us in our youth and was an important factor in my decision to answer God’s call to ordained ministry. His passion, his zeal, and his commitment to the Gospel of Christ were an example for us all.”

—Father Mark Richards, pastor, St. Theresa Parish, South Lake Tahoe

“He changed the perspective of the Catholic-Jewish relationship, which history will verify was something extraordinary. He was a man of all seasons and all people. Everything he did was based on a deep spirituality: building the culture of life, talking about suffering as a gift of God.”

—Father Leon Juchniewicz, pastor, St. Basil Parish, Vallejo

“I will never forget when in March of 2000 Pope John Paul II traveled to Israel and placed the prayer of contrition in the Western Wall in reference to the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. As I look back at the many gestures of friendship and the pope’s pastoral action in recognition of the Jewish people, I recall the act of reconciliation as the defining characteristic of his relationship to the Jewish people, his important journey to Auschwitz after his election as pope, his denunciation of anti-Semitism as a ‘sin against God and humanity,’ his historic visit to Rome’s synagogue…and establishing diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the state of Israel in 1992.”

—Rabbi Reuven Taff, spiritual leader of Mosaic Law Congregation, Sacramento

“Our communities in Eastern Europe who lived underground for several years benefited from his visit to Poland and his work toward the demise of communism. Religious communities and the church in Eastern Europe changed because of the pope, his physical presence as well as his behind the scenes work.”

—Sister of Social Service Martha McCarthy, executive director of Jericho, Sacramento

“I was the first person in the square the morning of his investiture. He talked to us for a half hour. He said, ‘Be not afraid,’ and I thought this man taking over our church will be a powerful pope. His voice was so powerful. I will never forget how it felt to be in his presence.”

—David Leatherby, Sr., member of St. Ignatius Loyola Parish, Sacramento

“Pope John Paul II has been such an inspiration as he has taught us how to live with great love for each other and to feel great compassion for each other in our suffering.”

—Helen Arbini, teacher, Mercy High School, Red Bluff

“Pope John Paul II led as an example to us all through his actions and words. His speeches were heard around the world and touched the lives of millions. His life will be remembered for years to come.”

—Kathryn Ward, ninth grader, Mercy High School, Red Bluff

“His papacy impacted Catholics and people throughout the world. We will remember him for his humanity, his compassion, his global travels touching many cultures, and his open dialogue with the leaders of many religions. He had a strong positive impact on our youth through World Youth Day and his ability to communicate so well with the younger generation. We were blessed to have such a courageous and faithful leader to guide the church and our world during a time of many social changes and political conflicts.”

—Don Smail, president, Notre Dame Club of Chico/Northern California

“John Paul II was a person fully alive even until the month of his death. He showed us how to live, how to live for one another, and how to live for God. The words of St. Irenaeus apply to him: The life of this person was the glory of God, the life of this person is a vision of God. How privileged we are to have had this glory and vision.”

—Abbot Thomas X. Davis, Trappist Abbey of New Clairvaux, Vina

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