Tomorrow is a special day. It's my daughter's second birthday and it will also be the day that Blessed Pope John Paul II is canonized. Since my daughter has a Polish half (my genes) and the story of my own conception has roots with JPII's visit to the US, it is a day that will be remembered for years to come.
So the story is, my mother was dealing with infertility. Back then, they didn't know much of what was happening with her (if she had miscarriages, endometriosis, etc), but it had been several years that she and my father tried to conceive without success. JPII came to DC in late 1979, so my mom and grandma made a trip to see him. I was told that as the Pope passed by, as they were standing in the streets, you could feel a Holy presence around him. My grandma fainted after he went passed. This is not surprising, as she loved him and was a very devout Catholic. Afterward, my mom and grandma went to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. I was told that while there my mom prayed to conceive a child.
Another story I've heard was about how they believed my mom and grandma encountered something supernatural (or at least bizarre) while in DC. They were walking around one evening after the Pope made an appearance and my mom commented on how beautiful the buildings and art were, but it was a shame that she just realized that she needed a new flash for her camera. They couldn't take pictures, as it was getting too dark. This was back in '79, when stores weren't open late, so they couldn't go buy one at the time. Moments after this realization and woman walked up to them and handed my mom the exact flash she needed for her camera and said, "Here, I think you need this". Completely stunned, my mom and grandma looked at each other in shock. When they turned back toward the woman, she was gone. Of course, my grandma's conclusion was that God must have sent the woman as their angel, not just to help them with what they needed, but also with their faith.
Once my mom returned home, she continued to pray. When she did conceive, a year later (after finally figuring out the problem), she became more devoted to the Catholic Faith. In the past, she had 'tried' out other Churches and left the Faith for awhile. I heard a story from my grandma about how my mom was baptized in the Grand River when it was almost freezing, she got sick, went in the hospital and the members of this 'church' went absolutely crazy. They claimed demonic presence, since she got sick from the baptism and tried praying over her (this was not a Catholic church, just to be sure you know). So, she dipped her feet into some crazy other waters (literally and figuratively). So, my mom and grandma strongly believed that the blessings given by JPII to the crowd and prayer at the Basilica was what eventually led to my conception and my mother's stronger devotion to raising me Catholic. I was baptized Catholic and attended Catholic School until 6th grade. I am an only child and my name was chosen because my mom believed that prayers in heaven helped send me here.
Unfortunately after my parents' divorce, my mom struggled with depression, which led to less frequent Mass attendance. At least I was in Catholic School and my grandma helped financially and always prayed for me. I am quite certain that my grandma's prayers are what contributed to bringing me back to the Church after I had gone astray for awhile.
So, with JPII being a big influence in my mom's life surrounding my birth and infancy, my first daughter having a birthday on his canonization date is pretty wonderful, in my eyes. I pray to get to learn much more about St. JPII in the future because I am very proud of my Polish ancestry and the wonderful impact this man had on not just Poland, but the world.
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