St. John Paul II

Born Karol Wojtyła in Wadowice, Poland, in 1920, St. John Paul II survived Nazi occupation and Communist rule to become a priest, bishop and, in 1978, the first non-Italian pope in over 450 years. During his 27-year pontificate he traveled the world, helped bring down Communism in Eastern Europe, and founded World Youth Day. He died on April 2, 2005, and was canonized by Pope Francis on April 27, 2014. His feast day is October 22, and he is honored as a patron of World Youth Day and of families.