A traditional Polish color guard parades a statue of Pope John Paul II among parishioners at Five Holy Martyrs following a Mass in thanksgiving for the beatification John Paul II May 1. Parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago celebrated the Polish pontiffs elevation to blessed along with the beatification Mass by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome. Here are some photos from Chicago-area Catholics marking the momentous event.
St. Thomas Beckett parishioners walk by a photograph of Pope John Paul II April 30. The parish broadcast the beatification live in the early morning hours of May 1.
Photo: Karen Callaway / Catholic New World