Local ecumenical service for Pope John Paul II
An ecumenical memorial service for Pope John Paul II will be held today at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, with a special processional planned for local faith leaders (see below for special Mass schedules in honor of the pope).
Pope John Paul, who died Saturday at age 84, is being remembered across the world this week as a builder of community for people of all faiths.
The event is a way to "emulate here in our community the openness, faith and trust in God and each other made visible in the words and actions of Pope John Paul II," said Father Frank O'Rourke, the parish priest. "He had a faith in God but he also had faith in humanity."
Clergy of all faiths are invited to take part in a processional of religious leaders in their ministerial robes, a reflection of the interfaith efforts the pope made in his lifetime. They will be seated near the altar. The processional will form at 6:45 p.m. at the Chapman Street entrance to Our Lady of Grace School (274-6520). The service starts at 7 p.m.
"I'm going to voice my Buddhism solidarity with all faiths -- this pope has reached across to the Jewish community, others, and he has had audiences with Buddhist monks including a personal friend of mine," said the Venerable Pra Achan Dhammarato Bikkhu of the Greensboro Buddhist Center.
There's a tremendous amount of goodwill in the words and gestures expressed around the world this week, O'Rourke said.
"Hope and peace seem attainable at times like this when people from all walks of life around the globe seem to be able to come together and identify goodness in the life of John Paul," he said.
Mark Sills, executive director of the FaithAction International House, agrees.
"Pope John Paul II came to be seen as an authentic spiritual leader, not only by Catholics, but by people from many religious traditions," Sills said. "His personal courage and his determination to hold fast to the ideals and values of his faith were inspiring to everyone."
The interfaith service also is a way to show respect to those who mourn his death, Sills said. It provides a very public witness that our faithfulness does not divide us as a community," Sills said. "Instead, we are enriched by the spiritual diversity that we encounter here."
Honoring The Pope
• St. Benedict Catholic Church, 109 W. Smith St., Greensboro; special Mass at 12:15 p.m. Friday.
• St. Mary's Catholic Church, 1414 Gorrell St., Greensboro; special celebrations: 6:30 p.m. rosary and 7 p.m. Mass, daily through Friday.
• Christ the King Catholic Church, 1505 E. Kivett Drive, High Point; special memorial with chance for people to share thoughts/memories at 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday. Condolence book to be forwarded to Rome.
• Immaculate Heart of Mary, 4145 Johnson St., High Point; memorial Mass at 6:30 p.m. today and 9 a.m. Thursday, IHM chapel (Montlieu and Denny streets). Condolence book to be forwarded to Rome.
• Our Lady of Grace, 2205 W. Market St., Greensboro; memorial Mass at 7 p.m. today. Condolence book to be forwarded to Rome.
• St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road, Greensboro; memorial Mass at 7 p.m. today. Condolence book to be forwarded to Rome.
• St. Pius X Catholic Church, 2210 N. Elm St., Greensboro; memorial Mass at 5:15 p.m. Friday; presentation of "The Jeweler Shop," a play written by John Paul II before he was pope, performed by Theophany Catholic Theater Company at 7 p.m. Saturday. Free; offering collected.