• Home
  • Diocese
  • Bishop Burns
  • Synod
  • Columnists
  • Revista Catolica
  • Vatican
  • Subscribe
The Texas Catholic
The Texas Catholic

Dallas, Texas

Today is Wednesday, March 29, 2023
  • Home
  • Diocese
  • Bishop Burns
  • Synod
  • Columnists
  • Revista Catolica
  • Vatican
  • Subscribe
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Instagram
Home
Diocese

JPII High School celebrates Mass of Thanksgiving

Monday, April 28, 2014

Students, faculty, staff and family members gather at John Paul II High School on April 28 for a Mass of Thanksgiving, following the canonization of St. John Paul II on April 27.

Students, faculty, staff, alumni and family members gather at John Paul II High School on April 28 for a Mass of Thanksgiving, following the canonization of St. John Paul II and St. John XXIII on April 27. (JENNA TETER/The Texas Catholic)

From The Texas Catholic

Hundreds of people gathered at John Paul II High School on Monday for a special Mass to commemorate the Catholic Church’s two newest saints—St. John XIII and the school’s namesake, St. John Paul II.

Students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and other guests filled the school’s gymnasium to honor the two popes a day after the canonization ceremony at the Vatican attended by hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe.

Bishop Deshotel was joined at the Plano school by several other priests to concelebrate the Mass.

The Knights of Columbus led the procession and members of the school’s orchestra and choir dressed in formal attire as they participated in the liturgy.

In his homily, the bishop thanked the school administrators for organization the liturgy so quickly after the official canonization ceremony. He said that as he watched the ceremony in the early morning hours a day earlier, he reflected on why the two popes were declared saints.

“Despite what you read in the news media or what you see on TV is it not because of deeds that were great as the world accounts deeds to be great,” he said. “They are declared to be saints not because they were popular with the press. They are not even declared to be saints not because they ever committed a sin in their lives.

“They are declared to be saints because they allowed the Lord to transform them,” he said. “It is the goal in all of our lives as Christians to be changed, to be transformed, to be reformed and these two men in their vocations as shepherds of the flock of Christ on Earth gave themselves so completely to Christ that they were able to carry out the Gospel to the world.”

The bishop said that no matter one’s occupation or status that they are called to be saints.

He also asked the students to thank those in the diocese who have supported John Paul II High School because those benefactors of all walks of life have given “of their time and their and their treasure for you to sit here today and celebrate this liturgy in this school.”

John Paul II High School is in its ninth year and is the diocese’s newest high school. It currently serves more than 650 students in its co-educational college preparatory curriculum in grades 9-12.

  • Tags
  • Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel
  • canonization
  • Dallas Catholic Diocese
  • Diocese of Dallas
  • John Paul II High School
  • Saint John Paul II
  • The Texas Catholic
Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Next article The Catholic Foundation awards $555,000 in grants
Previous article Pope canonizes Saints John XXIII and John Paul II

Related Posts

Sharing faith through music Diocese
Monday, March 27, 2023

Sharing faith through music

Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops supports parental choice in education bills Diocese
Sunday, March 26, 2023

Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops supports parental choice in education bills

Making wishes come true Diocese
Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Making wishes come true

Texas Catholic Classics

A look at the five Dallas law enforcement officers who gave their lives while protecting citizens during a mass shooting in downtown Dallas in July 2016.

 

How a child with special needs inspired a high school volleyball team, community and a family who heeded God’s call to protect life.

 

After a young runner collapsed at a Dallas marathon, grace and providence unfolded for those involved in the valiant effort to help her.

   

In the summer of 2016, 50 students and 25 chaperones from Dallas Catholic high schools traveled to Nicaragua for a 10-day mission trip.

 

Early on a November morning, Kenndrick Mendieta bounded from the gym at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep toward the campus’ athletic fields as clouds lifted on a fresh new day.

 

Subscribe

Get the award-winning Texas Catholic delivered to your door. Use the menu below to subscribe now.


Subscription length




 

Photo Gallery

Click here to find your favorite Texas Catholic photographs.

The Texas Catholic Newspaper

Catholic Diocese of Dallas
Michael Gresham, Editor

3725 Blackburn Street
Dallas, Texas 75219
(214) 379-2800

Our Affiliated Sites

Texas Catholic Youth

Revista Católica

Legal and Other

Contact us

Terms of service

Privacy policy

Site map

Site powered by TexasCatholicMedia

© 2013-2019 The Texas Catholic Publishing Company. All rights reserved.