OPTIONAL MEMORIAL DATE ON AMERICAN LITURGICAL CALENDAR APPROVED FOR BLESSED JOHN PAUL II............

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced Friday, that the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, has approved a date on the American Liturgical Calendar for an Optional Memorial of the Blessed John Paul II.  October 22nd, the anniversary of the date of his 1978 papal inauguration is the day approved for an annual liturgical celebration of the immediate past Pope's observance in Dioceses of the United States.  Following John Paul II's beatification on May 11, of last year on the fast track to canonization as a Saint; local Bishops were given the ability to declare a date for a Mass of Thanksgiving to be celebrated in the Blessed John Paul II's memory during the twelve months following.  Yesterday's announced decision denotes the final step in establishing a date on the American Calendar for a liturgical commemoration of the late Holy Father whose nearly 26.5 years as Bishop of Rome / Pope of the Universal Church, was met with the acclamation at his death in April 2005, to his being called John Paul the Great, by many of the Faithful............Fr.  Troy