At 22 years old, Karol Józef Wojtyła knocked on the door at the Bishop's Palace in Kraków, Poland. The future Pope John Paul II asked to study for the priesthood. A year earlier, his father had died of a heart attack. His brother had died of scarlet fever and his mother died during childbirth. At one point, the future saint wondered “why hasn’t God taken me yet?” Looking back on the incredible witness to holiness that the 264th pontiff was, it is clear that the Lord had much of the Gospel to spread with his humble servant.

As previously stated, John Paul II suffered many losses early in his life. In addition to his family members, he lost many friends due to the Nazi occupation of Poland. Karol Wojtyla’s father saw the intellectual potential of his son, so he moved them to Kraków.

Wojtyla attended college and was involved in drama. But as the Second World War unfolded, the university was forced to shut down. Bombs hit Kraków and the two were forced to travel 120 miles by foot to escape the violence. When the Soviets mounted an invasion from the east, they had no choice but to return to their ransacked city. Miraculously, their home was still intact. Karol worked a difficult job at the quarry as his father convalesced.

One day after a long day at work he went to bring medicine to his ailing dad and learned that he had passed away. “I’m all alone!” he said “I’ve already lost all the people I’ve loved.” This moment could have been a moment of despair for him. It was certainly a moment of sadness, but the loneliness he felt did not have negative effects on him, it instead fueled his holiness.

He moved in with a family in Krakow who observed how he went to mass daily and prayed almost constantly in his room. After a year of quarry work, he was transferred to a chemical plant where he spent the next four years working long hours. Karol would kneel in the factory and pray the Angelus. He worked for hundreds of night shifts in a row followed by early morning mass where Jesus gave him the strength to carry on. He took little rest. At one point, he took on a shift for a fellow co-worker whose wife had just given birth. Wojtyla made sure that the man could be with his wife and child.

When his father died, he began to seriously discern the priestly vocation. In the midst of the Nazi Occupation of Poland, he attended the clandestine underground seminary in Krakow. Initially, he worked at the chemical plant while attending the seminary, but the situation grew more dangerous. One night, SS soldiers stormed through his house while he prayed in the basement. Wojtyla and the other seminarians spent months on end in the Bishop’s Palace as they continued their forbidden studies. When allied forces finally pushed the Nazi Army out of Poland, the Poles realized the horror that the war had imposed on their homeland. Millions were dead. Buildings were damaged or leveled. The future pope and some of his fellow classmates took up the task of chopping up and carting away the frozen excrement that filled the Theological Seminary Building.

In 1946, at the age of 26, Karol was ordained a priest. Soon after this, he was sent to Rome for a couple of years to study philosophy and moral theology. Once he earned his doctorate, he came back to Poland, which had been occupied by soviet forces and communist thought since the end of the war. He was a Priest at St Florian's Parish in Krakow, Poland in 1949.

During the next decade, Karol developed what would be the hallmarks of his eventual Papacy. He became a mentor and spiritual leader to a circle of young adults. They would get together for kayaking and camping trips. This was the beginning of his life-long love for the outdoors. Karol and his friends would celebrate mass in the open at a time when worship outside of Church buildings was prohibited by the communist regime. Many have seen this time period as the inspiration for "World Youth Day." These interactions with young adults and his background in sexual ethics informed his first non-fiction book, "Love and Responsibility." Later on, Karol would use this work as the basis for his "Theology of the Body" lectures as Pope Paul II.

Church leaders were so impressed by Karol Wojtyła’s pastorate that they named him auxiliary bishop of Kraków in 1958. His performance at the Vatican Council got him promoted to the archbishop of Kraków in 1963. Four years later he was made a cardinal. He worked closely with another Polish cardinal, Stefan Wyszyński, archbishop of Warsaw. Both men believed that Christianity, not communism, was the true protector of the poor and oppressed. The communist authorities in Poland didn't allow the Cardinals access to the media, so instead, Wojtyła and his contemporaries became very skilled at communicating with large crowds. This ability had an impact when he traveled and gave speeches as pope.

Karol Wojtyła became Pope John Paul II, after his predecessor, John Paul I reigned for only 33 days. He was a very unlikely candidate, but he was chosen by the College of Cardinals because he was seen as traditional in church discipline but he also accepted the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. His 26-year pontificate is the third longest in history. Here are some of his major accomplishments:

Ending Communism: Due to his relationships and private conversations with Polish and Soviet leaders, he was able to end the Soviet Regime in Eastern Europe. He was also a champion of the Solidarity movement in Poland which helped to peacefully dissolve the Soviet Union in 1991.

New Catechism of the Catholic Church: John Paul II promulgated a new catechism in 1992. Here is his statement on the matter:

"The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I approved 25 June last and the publication of which I today order by virtue of my Apostolic Authority, is a statement of the Church's faith and of Catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, Apostolic Tradition and the Church's Magisterium. I declare it to be a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion and a sure norm for teaching the faith."

Papal Writing: John Paul II penned 14 encyclicals, 15 apostolic exhortations, 11 apostolic constitutions, and 45 apostolic letters.

World Travel: This Pope traveled far greater distances than any other pope before him. This promoted greater understanding between nations and religions.

A Bevy of Saints: He beatified 1,338 people. More than any other Pope.

Contrition: In an unprecedented move, he issued apologies to groups that had been wronged by Catholics, most notably Jews and Muslims.

John Paul II opposed communism. He didn’t support it because it viewed people as a means to an end. Karol believed that there was a truth to the dignity of the human person. He believed that if a government didn’t respect this truth, inhumane living conditions and acts would be close behind.

He spent the majority of the rest of his life promoting a message of divine mercy. A message that promoted the dignity of God’s children. The message was there when he evangelized college students early on in his priesthood. His message was present as he became the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. It rang loud and clear when he helped topple the Berlin wall. His message of dignity was on display when he taught us about how the love embedded in the trinity is present in our bodies and in our souls. If the question is asked: what do you do when all the people you have loved are gone? Saint John Paul II’s life has the answer:

Love more.