Feast of Blessed John XXIII - October 11, 2010

I am one of those who sometimes loses track of the liturgical calendar. So I was surprised when I looked at my St. Anthony Guild's calendar hanging in my cubicle and saw that October 11th was the feast day of Blessed John XXIII.

I was a child during his pontificate, though I do not remember much of the events that surrounded his death. When I was in high school, I read a biography of him published by the Daughters of Saint Paul, I remember a book of his most humorous sayings and encounters. Blessed John XXIII did much to change the image of the Papacy. From the stiff images of his predecessors, and the strick formalities of the papal office; the world saw this roly poly little man, with a big smile. We saw a father, who did not always follow protocol if the situation required it.

When lists of the most influential persons of the 20th Century came out, Pope John Paul II's name always appears on the lists. Probably because his was among the longest pontificates in history. But for me, Pope John XXIII, who served for a relatively short time, belongs on those lists. His was the foresight, the skills, to bring about the Second Vatican Council, that put the Church on the road of renewal. Happy Feast Day!