Wadowice is a town about 30 miles south of Krakow in Poland and the birth home of Karol Jozef Wojtyla who later brought fame to this town as Pope John Paul II. Karol lived with his parents and brother in an apartment situated next door to the parish church in which the family worshiped. Karol served as an altar boy at the church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the town's central square.
Located almost next door to the church is the building in which the Wojtyla family rented a small apartment. It is here that Karol grew into a young man. Today the entire building has been purchased and is being converted into a museum dedicated to John Paul II.
At the time of our visit the renovation of the building had been completed and was waiting for the artifacts and memorabilia to be brought in and set up for display. The museum should be completed by the end of 2012 if not sooner. Buildings such as these are important to Catholics as it brings the ordinary into the extra ordinary - it gives us hope that although our lives may seem ordinary today - what they may become in the future is filled with great possibilities - if we allow God room in our lives.
Deacon Dale
