"I went downstairs the next morning, walked out of the door, and there on the pavement, rolled up as if someone had just thrown it away, was a small devotional image of John Paul II as he appeared on the balcony that day in 1978. I found another one just the same on New Year's Eve, and another on a fridge magnet someone had thrown away. Now explain that."
Wonderful story. Thanks for posting. I had the good fortune to attend a Field Mass with the Pope in Canada in the mid 1980s. As we were leaving to make our way back to our bus, my friend and I (impatient at the slow, shuffling crowd), moved a barricade asside and ducked around the back of the altar in order to walk faster. We ran smack into Pope John Paul II getting into his Popemobile. We were so startled that we bowed our heads and mumbled “Thank you”. He gave us a wave and a big smile, hopped into the vehicle, and away he went. I’ll never forget his piercing blue eyes.