Saint John Paul II Shrine
The Shrine to St John Paul II (1920 – 2005) at St Patrick's Catholic Church, East Gosford includes two first class relics on display. The Shrine was opened on Saturday, 22 October 2022 - the feast day of the much loved Pope. The day is also the anniversary of his papal inauguration.
The relics are strands of hair and blood from St John Paul II that have been placed in a reliquary near the altar in St Patrick's Catholic Church.
Everyone knows John Paul II: his face, his characteristic way of moving and speaking; his immersion in prayer, and his spontaneous cheerfulness. Many of his words have become indelibly engraved in our memories, starting with the passionate cry with which he introduced himself to the people at the beginning of his pontificate: "Open wide the doors to Christ, and be not afraid of him." It is as though he would like to open the doors for Christ everywhere and wishes to open up to people the gate that leads to true life, to true love.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
St John Paul II, born Karol Józef Wojtyla, was the 264th Catholic Pope. From humble beginnings in occupied Poland during World War II, he went on to become the leader of the Catholic Church. John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI in the 16th century and the second-longest-serving pope after Pius IX in modern history. He was one of the most travelled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. He visited every state and territory of Australia in 1986. In January 1995, he was in Australia at the age of 74 for a three-day visit to beatify Mother Mary Mackillop. During this trip, he said Mary Mackillop embodied all that was best in the nation and its people, praising the genuine openness to others, hospitality to strangers and generosity to the needy. She would be canonised by Pope Benedict XVI 15 years later.
He is widely recognised as one of the most influential and inspiring figures of the 20th century, revered by both Christians and non-Christians.
In January 2022, Fr Greg Skulski, the parish priest of Gosford Parish, approached Bishop Anthony Randazzo with a plan to obtain the first-class relics to establish a shrine at St Patrick’s Church. The relics of St John Paul II installed in the Shrine are first-class relics. The materials were collected when St John Paul II was in residence as Pope in the Vatican and were kept by Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki in Lviv, Ukraine and by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the principal private
secretary to the Pope, in Kraków, Poland. The Shrine is the first permanent St John Paul II Shrine to be located in Australia.
The Shrine is open to all visitors.
Prayer for the Intercession of St John Paul II
O Blessed Trinity, we thank you for having graced the Church with Saint John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your fatherly care, the glory of the Cross of Christ and the splendour of the Spirit of love to shine through him. Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd. He has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you. Grant us, by his intercession, and according to your will, the graces we implore, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint Pope John Paul II Pastoral Centre
An associated Pastoral Centre has been established to be of service to the people of the Diocese of Broken Bay through the provision of what St Pope John Paul II described as a mission to "gain new impetus in Christian living, making it the force which inspires our journey of faith" (Apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte 2001).
The Pastoral Centre includes a conference room, meeting rooms, a hospitality area and a display centre exploring the life of St Pope John Paul II. These facilities provide a variety of opportunities to help deepen our faith and educate the whole person. The St John Paul II Pastoral Centre commits to the calling to “Launch out into the deep” and to proclaim the Good News to all, young and old, lay and cleric.
Please contact the Pastoral Centre directly for information on their regularly scheduled series of events.
Contact the Pastoral Centre for group pilgrimages, talks, conferences, faith formation, workshops, and the John Paul II display.
Email: jpii.centre@bbcatholic.org.au
Phone: 04 9938 6336
Pastoral Centre address:
58 Victoria Street, East Gosford NSW 2250
Shrine address:
St Patrick’s Catholic Church
76 York Street, East Gosford NSW 2250
Parish Office:
www.bbcatholic.org.au/gosford
Email: patsgos@acs.net.au
Phone: (02) 4325 1042
Office Address:
76 York Street, East Gosford NSW 2250
Additional References
Background on St John Paul II at the Vatican
Biographical profile of St John Paul II at the Vatican
Background on St John Paul II at Wikipedia
The Shrine of Saint John Paul II