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.
Father Stanley Lasota wears a vestment bearing the image of Pope John Paul II during a Mass to celebrate the beatification of the Polish pope at St. Hyacinth Basilica, 3636 W. Wolfram St., on May 1.
Photo: Karen Callaway / Catholic New World