Little Known Fact #3
- During his fourth year of Theological studies, Karol Wojtyla felt an increasing call to enter a Carmelite monastery. In the same year, one of his good friends, Br. Leonard Kowalowka, was appointed Novice Master at a Carmelite monastery. This appointment of his friend prompted Wojtyla to pursue his desire to be a Carmelite. Wojtyla applied to enter the monastery at Czerna, but transferring from the Diocesesan seminary to a religious monastery needed the approval of the bishop. Cardinal Sapieha did not give his approval and instead told Wojtyla to “finish what he started.” Wojtyla did exactly that and stayed the path of a Diocesesan priest.
Novena Prayer
O Holy Trinity,
we thank you for having given to the Church
Pope John Paul II,
and for having made him shine with your fatherly tenderness,
the glory of the Cross of Christ and the splendor of the Spirit of love
He, trusting completely in your infinite mercy
and in the maternal intercession of Mary, has shown himself
in the likeness of Jesus the Good Shepherd
and has pointed out to us holiness
as the path to reach eternal communion with You.
Grant us, through his intercession,
according to your will, the grace that we implore, [state your intention here]
in thanksgiving that he has been numbered among your saints.
Amen.
This is the third day of our Nine Days of Prayer with John Paul II.