Area churches celebrated Masses in honor of Pope John Paul II's life and 26-year reign as pope. St. Matthew the Apostle Cathedral in Northwest D.C. held a special Mass in honor of the pope Saturday night, attended by President Bush and his wife.
The Pope celebrated Mass at St. Matthew's in 1979 during his first papal visit to the United States. Monsignor W. Ronald Jameson, rector of the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle said in a statement, "This extraordinary man has left an indelible mark not only on the Church and her millions of members, but on the entire world."
According to Jameson, the pope's vision, energy and profound love for the Church make him one of history's most beloved and memorable pontiffs.
Before leaving for Rome, Cardinal McCarrick, archbishop of Washington, D.C., celebrated Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Matthew's. Condoleezza Rice and other members of Bush's cabinet were in attendance, as was Sen. Ted Kennedy.
According to Rachelle Douillard-Proulx, a sophomore in the School of Communication, who attended the Mass, there was standing room only in the church 20 minutes before the service started.
"It was cool, someone who actually knew him and had a relationship with him," Douillard-Proulx said, speaking about Cardinal McCarrick's homily. "I felt like I wanted to pay my respects, and I can't go to Rome. ... I decided that St. Mathew's was the best option, it was just something to pay my respects from afar."
The John Paul II Cultural Center, located across from Catholic University, will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. A free shuttle to the Cultural Center will be offered from the Brookland/CUA Metro stop to the Cultural Center and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The center has some of John Paul II's personal effects on display, as well as photographs and videos. There are two condolence books to sign as well as opportunities to watch live footage of the funeral and election of the new pope. For more information on the Cultural Center, visit www.jp2cc.org.
