Beatification Celebrations of John Paul II
To mark the 91st birthday and the beatification of Blessed John Paul II number of activities were organized. Essay writing on various topics related to John Paul II's life, quiz, drawings and sketches, poems and songs, including prayers were written. There were prizes offered to each participant.
To join the celebrations were the new Apostolic Nuncio, Edgar Pena Parra, Bishop Rufin, the bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Bishop Anthony Lobo (Emeritus) number of Marist Brothers, Priests, Religious Sisters, students from various schools, youth groups and church choirs.
In the presentations, the life of the Blessed Pope John Paul II was dramatized. The young Themothians (youth group) were the chief organizers. It was the evening, full of JPII.
Blessed John Paul II model for the youth will continue to inspire the youth of Pakistan and especially the young students at John Paul II Boys Town.
John Paul II Boys Town High School, a boarding school founded by the former bishop Anthony Lobo, for the youth of Islamabad-Rawalpindi diocese. The aim is to give good, solid catholic education to Pakistani young men and trained them to be leaders for the Church and the country. Another main aim is to raise the standard of education of boys, compare to the young catholic girls. In Pakistan, the Catholic girls are more educated and trained than the boys. Young women find it hard to find suitable young men to be their life partners in marriage. This has caused them to marry men from other religions.
Marist Brothers have been given the responsibility to run the boarding and the school. There are 106 students out of them 69 are the hostellers, residing in the Boys Town. These young boys come from the whole diocese, rather the whole country. Majority of the parents, though poor are keen to provide their children a good education. The hostel is run with big subsidy from the Bishop.
I am sure with the help and prayers of our beloved Blessed John Paul II, there will many more leaders for the church and the country to inspire the future generations of Pakistan.
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Br. Paul S. Bhatti.