Saints of Our Time · Week 3 · Grades 6–8
Guided Notes: St. John Paul II
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
Faith under two regimes
Karol Wojtyła was born in Wadowice, Poland, in blank 1. By age 20 he had lost his mother, his older brother and his father.
In blank 2 Nazi Germany invaded Poland and shut down his college. He worked in a rock quarry and a chemical factory. Many of his Jewish friends were taken away and killed.
Because the Nazis arrested priests, he studied in an underground blank 3, a secret school for future priests.
After the war, blank 4 ruled Poland and did not want people to go to church. As a priest and bishop, he defended the people’s right to pray and worship freely.
A pope without an army
In 1978 the cardinals elected him pope, the first non-Italian pope in blank 5 years. In his first speech he said, “Be not afraid!”
When he visited Poland in 1979, millions came to see him. People found the courage to stand up to the communist government. Ten years later, blank 6 ended in Poland and then across Eastern Europe.
In 1981 a man shot him in Saint Peter’s Square. He visited the man in prison and forgave him.
In his last years he had blank 7’s disease and did not hide it. He showed that every life has dignity.
From Wadowice to sainthood
Write what happened in each year.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1920 | Write your answer |
| 1939 | Write your answer |
| 1946 | Write your answer |
| 1978 | Write your answer |
| 1981 | Write your answer |
| 1985 | Write your answer |
| 1989 | Write your answer |
| 2014 | Write your answer |
Check your understanding
Why did the young people Father Wojtyła took hiking and kayaking call him “Uncle”? Circle one.
- A He was related to many of the students
- B So the communist police would not know he was a priest
- C Polish priests were always given that title
- D He was not yet ordained when the trips began
Why is that the right answer?
Cause and effect
What effect did John Paul II’s 1979 visit to Poland have? Circle one.
- A The government ended communism that same year
- B The Nazis were finally forced to leave Poland
- C A war began between Poland and its neighbors
- D People found courage to stand up to the government
Why is that the right answer?
Which chapter of his life?
Sort each event into the period of his life when it happened. Check one box for each.
| Item | Under the Nazis | Under communism in Poland | As pope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working in a rock quarry and a chemical factory | |||
| Studying in an underground seminary | |||
| Being called “Uncle” on hiking and kayaking trips | |||
| Becoming a bishop at age 38 | |||
| Starting World Youth Day | |||
| Forgiving the man who shot him |
Check your understanding
What did John Paul II show by not hiding his illness in his last years? Circle one.
- A That every human life has dignity
- B That a pope may never stop working
- C That sickness is a sign of weak faith
- D That holy people do not feel any pain
Why is that the right answer?
Be not afraid, online
John Paul II said “Be not afraid!” to people living in fear. Where is it hard to be brave or to treat people with dignity online, in group chats, games or posts? What would his words look like there?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “It is hard to be brave online when ...”“Treating someone with dignity online means ...”“One thing I could do differently is ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
Lord Jesus, you tell us not to be afraid.
Give us courage to do what is right and mercy to forgive.
Help us to see your image in every person.
St. John Paul II, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
You followed a man who answered loss, two harsh governments and a bullet with faith, courage and mercy.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. John Paul II shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: Choose one virtue practice from today and do it before our next class, online or in person.