Pope John Paul II left footprints in Guayaquil

Pope John Paul II during Mass at Guayaquil

Guayaquil lived closely the presence of John Paul II. Between January 30 and February 1, 1985, the country received with fervor the visit of former Pope John Paul II. He arrived from Caracas (Venezuela), to Quito in the evening of that Tuesday 30. He kissed Ecuadorian soil at 18:09. He was in Latacunga and Cuenca. Guayaquil fervently welcomed him on the evening of Wednesday 31.

In his 22-hour stay in the city, the pope gathered thousands of Catholics in the church of Nuestra Señora de la Alborada, in the north of the city, and Stella Maris, in the south, and in the temple of Los Samanes, where it was celebrated a beatification Mass in honor of Mercedes de Jesús Molina, with around 250 thousand people.

Citizens from Guayaquil welcome with joy that John Paul II could be declared a saint this year, after a second miracle attributed to the Polish Pope, name Karol Wojtyla and died on April 2, 2005, at age 87, was recognized a few days ago by the Vatican and that involves an imminent canonization.

Father Ugolino Cerasuolo, bishop emeritus of Loja and pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church (located in Urdesa), who accompanied the Pope on his visit to the country, states that the presence of the Pope as God’s representative made some people “of little faith” to kneel and cry. For him, John Paul II is amazing.