These Last Days News - October 22, 2025
We encourage everyone to share this web page with others, especially bishops and clergy.

Learn 10 Lesser-Known Facts About Pope Saint John Paul II...

LIVES OF THE SAINTS
"The greatest trials are given, My children, to those who are on the narrow road to the Kingdom. You must all learn the value of suffering. The Eternal Father allows this for reason. If you will study the past lives of your saints, My children, you will understand why I say that penance and suffering are truly the way of the cross.” – Our Lady of the Roses, October 2, 1976

PRAY TO YOUR PATRONS
"My children, pray a constant vigilance of prayer. Keep your thoughts going to Heaven, the Eternal Father. Ask your angels to protect you. They are invisible supports, My children. Pray, pray to your patrons, your saints.” – Jesus, August 5, 1977

The above Messages from Our Lady were given to Veronica Lueken at Bayside, New York. Read more

CatholicVote.org reported on October 21, 2025:

By Felix Miller

Pope Saint John Paul II is widely beloved, but there’s a lot that people don’t know about him. His feast day, Oct. 22, is a great chance to learn more about this holy man. Here are 10 little-known facts about this great saint to help you get to know him better.

1.      He attended a secret underground seminary

Poland in the 1940s wasn’t always a safe place for Catholics. When they occupied the country, the Nazis forced all Catholic seminaries to be closed, so the young Karol Wojtyła (later Pope John Paul II) entered formation for the priesthood at an underground seminary that was kept secret from the Nazis.

2.      He joked about resigning from the papacy

Pope John Paul II loved exercise and the outdoors, and he even had a pool built at the Papal summer residence, Castel Gandolfo. When he heard that people were criticizing using the Church’s money to build a pool, he joked, “Another conclave would cost a lot more.”

 3.      He wrote plays

Pope John Paul II loved the arts all his life. As a young man, he even wrote plays like The Jeweler’s Shop, a beautiful story of love in the face of difficulties. He was also involved in an underground theater group in Poland. During his papacy, he encouraged artists to nurture their God-given talent, and he even wrote a Letter to Artists!

4.      His devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary started young

After Karol Wojtyła’s mother died, his father brought the boy to an image of the Virgin Mary and told him, “From today on, she will be your mother.” The boy, who was not yet 10 years old, developed a deep love for the Blessed Mother and did much to encourage devotion to her, even making his Papal motto “Totus tuus,” (all to you) in reference to his consecration to Mary.

5.      He loved Polish food all his life

Even though Pope John Paul II had to spend most of his time in Rome, he always appreciated the chance to eat some delicious Polish cuisine. His favorite was kremowka, a puff pastry filled with cream that eventually came to be called “the Pope’s cream cake.”

6.      His youth minister has a cause for canonization

Throughout the history of the Church, lots of saints have helped each other on the road to Heaven. Saints Cosmas and Damien, Cyril and Methodius, and Louie and Zellie are examples, just to name a few. Pope John Paul II was no exception. Venerable Jan Tyranowski was the young Karol Wojtyła’s youth minister. Ven. Tyranowski served as a mentor to the young man and even helped him discern his call to the priesthood.

7.      He popularized (but didn’t invent) the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary

Today, Catholics all over the world take for granted that Thursdays are typically the days to pray the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. There is a misconception that Pope John Paul II created this set of mysteries; in reality, they were developed by Saint George Preca (1880-1962) and introduced by him to his fellow Carmelites in 1957. Pope John Paul II liked the Luminous Mysteries, and he eventually altered them slightly and recommended them to the Catholic world via an apostolic letter in 2002.

8.      His Papacy was predicted by Pope Saint John Paul I

Lots of people know that John Paul II came right after Pope St. John Paul I, who died suddenly barely a month after becoming Pope. What most people don’t know is that the first Pope John Paul predicted the second. According to Pope St. John Paul I’s personal secretary, the Holy Father knew within a few days of being elected that he would not live long. He also expressed bewilderment at being chosen to be pope, saying that Karol Wojtyła (later Pope St. John Paul II) would have been a better choice.

9.      He holds a Guiness World Record

Pope St. John Paul II made 104 foreign trips during his pontificate, visiting about 129 countries. Because of this, he holds the Guiness World Record for “most international visits by a Pope.”

10.   He confessed to Padre Pio

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (better known as “Padre Pio”) is known as one of the greatest confessors of all time. The future pope experienced this firsthand when he went to confession with Padre Pio as a young man. Decades later, the Holy Father would canonize the saint.

If you enjoyed this list of facts about Pope St. John Paul II’s life, try checking out one of the many books about his life, such as Crossing the Threshold of Hope, or his biography, Witness to Hope.

Pope St. John Paul II, pray for us!

Be sure to email this page to all your friends.

"The judgment of your God is not akin to the judgment of man. The Eternal Father will only judge by the heart. Your rank, your accumulation of worldly goods does not set you up before another. Many have sold their souls within the holy House of God. Better that you strip yourself and remove all worldly interests now while you have the time to make amends to your God, for many mitres will fall into hell." - St. Thomas Aquinas, August 21, 1972

The Virgin Mary's Bayside Prophecy Books are Now Available in E-book Version. Click Here Now!

When you pray the Holy Rosary, you have Our Lady's hand in yours. When you pray the Holy Rosary, you have the power of God in your hands. Start now!  Click here...

Our Lady of the Roses Awesome Bayside Prophecies... https://www.tldm.org/Bayside/ These prophecies came from Jesus, Mary, and the saints to Veronica Lueken at Bayside, NY, from 1968 to 1995.

Directives from Heaven... https://www.tldm.org/directives/directives.htm

D36 - Bishops (Part 1) PDF
D37 - Bishops (Part 2) PDF
D38 - Priests (Part 1) PDF
D39 - Priests (Part 2) PDF
D40 - Infiltrators PDF

The electronic form of this document is copyrighted.
Quotations are permissible as long as this web site is acknowledged with a hyperlink to: http://www.tldm.org
Copyright © These Last Days Ministries, Inc. 1996 - 2025   All rights reserved.
P.O. Box 40                   616-698-6448
Lowell, MI 49331-0040
Revised: October 22, 2025