The Feast of Saint Pope John Paul II in Greymouth


Pictured: Consoeur Abina Pope at John Paul II High School with the Presidential Chair.
Report by Bevan Killick
The Feast of Saint Pope John Paul II was celebrated with gusto at John Paul II High School in Greymouth, on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island.
As the school’s Director of Religious Studies is Consoeur Abina Pope DMG (who is both Polish and a Pope), it was a case of all things Polish! The school celebrated with red and white jelly cups for all students and traditional pierogi for staff morning tea.
Unfortunately due to Level 2 Covid-19 restrictions currently in place, the Polish Ambassador His Excellency Zbigniew Gniatkowskiwas unable to attend the student exhibition and parish Mass. The Ambassador has presented the school with the ‘Totus Tuus’ Cup (Totus Tuus, tr. “All yours”, being the motto of Pope John Paul II). The Totus Tuus Cup will be presented annually to a student who lives out the motto.
The Presidential Chair used by Pope John Paul II at the Mass at Lancaster Park in Christchurch during his 1986 visit to New Zealand was taken over the Southern Alps to Greymouth for the celebrations.