Aleteia logoAleteia logoAleteia
Friday 29 March |
Good Friday
Aleteia logo
Spirituality
separateurCreated with Sketch.

This is the daily schedule John Paul II had as a teenager

POPE

Fr Lawrence Lew / CC BY-NC 2.0

Philip Kosloski - published on 10/19/19 - updated on 10/18/23

John Paul II called the schedule set by his father his "first seminary" that inspired him to become a priest.

Please consider a gift for Aleteia!
Help us spread the joy of Christ's victory.
Aleteia depends on your support.

Join our Lenten Campaign 2024.

DONATE NOW

John Paul II’s road to the papacy and to the heights of sanctity began while he was in high school. At this point he had experienced the deep pain of loss. Both his mother and his only sibling died during his childhood, leaving him alone with his father.

This could have led to a sorrowful life for young John Paul II, but instead he clung tightly to his father (Karol Sr.) and they both turned to God. Drawing from his own time in the military, Karol Sr. developed a rigorous schedule that they both kept each day.

St. John Paul II’s daily schedule as a teenager

Rising early in the morning, father and son would say their morning prayers, attend morning Mass at 7:00, and eat breakfast before school started. John Paul II was an altar boy and served the daily Mass he attended with his father.

At the end of the school day, there was time for play, homework, and walks together after supper. They would read the Bible, pray the Rosary, and have deep discussions about faith.

Looking back at his childhood, John Paul II was eternally grateful for the example of his father, who provided for him his “first seminary” and gave him the foundation needed to continue in his quest for holiness. It would also provide the first seeds of a vocation to the priesthood, although at the beginning, he was reluctant to accept the call of the Lord.

It is said that sons need good fathers in order to become a fully formed man, capable of fulfilling their vocation to fatherhood, whether as a priest or in a family. John Paul II had one of the best fathers a son could ever have, and so it is no surprise that he developed into a confident man, ready to change the world.

As John Paul II would repeatedly say during his pontificate, “The family is the ‘first and vital cell of society’ … The future of the world and of the Church, therefore, passes through the family.”


RODZICE KAROLA WOJTYŁY

Read more:
Archdiocese of Krakow opens beatification process of John Paul II’s parents


FAMILY PRAYING

Read more:
Prayer for the protection of families in America by St. John Paul II

Tags:
Pope John Paul IISpiritual Life
Support Aleteia!

Enjoying your time on Aleteia?

Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you.

Thanks to their partnership in our mission, we reach more than 20 million unique users per month!

Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting and transformative Catholic news, stories, spirituality, and more.

Support Aleteia with a gift today!

jour1_V2.gif
Daily prayer
And today we celebrate...




Top 10
See More
Newsletter
Get Aleteia delivered to your inbox. Subscribe here.