Archdiocese Celebrates St. John Paul II Day on April 2

​​​Thursday, April 2 has been declared Saint John Paul II Day by our provincial and federal governments. To commemorate the occasion, the City of Toronto will host a ceremony recognizing the late pontiff and raise the Vatican flag on the city's courtesy flag pole in Nathan Phillips Square. In addition, a student choir from Saint John Paul II Catholic Secondary School in Scarborough will perform at the event, which will include remarks from the Archbishop of Toronto, Cardinal Thomas Collins. The ceremony begins at 1 p.m.

Saint John Paul II made history i​n 1978 when he became the first non-Italian pope in more than 400 years. He served as pontiff from 1978 until his death 10 years ago on April 2, 2005, making 104 international pilgrimages, including three to Canada, most recently for World Youth Days in 2002. He was officially canonized by Pope Francis, joining the communion of saints in April 2014.

​If you can't attend the flag-raising event, you can celebrate St. John Paul II Day by viewing a new documentary about him on Salt + Light Television​. "John Paul I​I in America: Uniting a Continent" explores how the papacy of St. John Paul II left an indelible mark on the Western Hemisphere. Narrated by actor Andy Garcia, the film features rare archival footage and analyses from leading figures, including Knights of Columbus​ Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, founding CEO of Salt + Light Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, New Brunswick Lt. Gov. Graydon Nicholas, and John Paul II's biographer George Weigel.

"John Paul II in America: Uniting a Continent" airs on S+L on Sunday, April 12 at 9 p.m. ET and will stream live on the network's website. Click the image above to view the trailer. For more information about the film, including its DVD release, visit www.kofc.org/jpiifilm.