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[SU] REL NPT
-- WITH PHOTO -- TO NATIONAL, AND RELIGION EDITORS:
National Shrine Among First Sites in World to Bear the Name "St. John
Paul II"
WASHINGTON, April 27, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Just a few hours
after Pope John Paul II was declared a saint by Pope Francis in Rome
on April 27, the U.S. shrine dedicated to his life and legacy was
officially renamed. The Washington, D.C. site is among the first
places in the world to bear the name "St. John Paul."
During a ceremony near the entrance to the shrine, which is sponsored
by the Knights of Columbus, a permanent sign was unveiled with the
facility's new name - Saint John Paul II National Shrine.
"As the premier site dedicated to St. John Paul II in the United
States, we are entrusted with the mission of developing and promoting
popular devotion to him," Patrick E. Kelly, the shrine's Executive
Director, said at the unveiling ceremony. "Many will come here because
of an enduring admiration for St. John Paul II; others will be
introduced to him for the first time. The shrine is here to answer the
questions: 'Who is St. John Paul II?' 'What does it mean to have a
devotion to him?'"
Kelly conducted the renaming ceremony with Deputy Supreme Knight Logan
T. Ludwig, who said "the shrine is at the service of the Church and
can be seen as a gift from the Knights of Columbus to the Church and
the whole of society for generations to come."
After the ceremony, a Mass of Thanksgiving for the canonization of St.
John Paul II was celebrated for an overflow congregation at the
shrine's chapel.
The Mass concluded two days of events at the shrine that included,
live music, a gathering of young people and an early-morning live
simulcast of the canonization ceremony from Rome in which Pope Francis
canonized St. John XXIII along with St. John Paul II. The weekend also
featured opportunities to venerate a relic of St. John Paul II that
consists of a vial of the new saint's blood that was drawn following
the 1981 attempt on his life.
"Pope John XXIII led the Church into the Second Vatican Council, and
Pope John Paul II served as its key interpreter," said Supreme Knight
Carl A. Anderson, who was in Rome for the ceremonies. "Together, they
left the Church a profound legacy that continues to shape the third
millennium of Christianity."
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140427/81067
SOURCE Knights of Columbus
-0- 04/27/2014
/CONTACT: Joseph Cullen, 203-415-9314, Joseph.cullen@kofc.org
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140427/81067
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN1
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CO: Knights of Columbus
ST: District of Columbia
SU: REL NPT
PRN
-- DC13849 --
0000 04/27/2014 17:10:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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