Scots church given vial of Pope John Paul II’s blood

A SCOTS church hopes to become a centre of devotion after being offered a vial containing the blood of former Pope John Paul II.

By The Newsroom Wednesday, 12th August 2015, 6:29 pm

Four vials of Pope John Paul II's blood were drawn in case they were needed for transfusions. Picture: AP

St Patrick’s Church in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, plans to hold a special ceremony in October to install the relic.

The vial is one of four containing the former Pope’s blood, drawn in case they were needed for transfusion but never used.

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After his death in 2005, Archbishop of Krakow Cathedral Stanislaw Dziwisz was given two of the vials.

Cardinal Winning (then Archbishop) greets Pope John Paul II in 1982. Picture: TSPL

Father Krzystof Garwolinski of St Patrick’s, then wrote to him, asking whether they could have one of the vials for a short time as he believed it would bring the community closer together and revive the faith.

He said: “I never personally met St John Paul II, but I took part in pilgrimages when I was younger in both our native Poland and in Rome and co-celebrated mass in 1999 which was a great experience and it was an honour to be in his presence.

“St John Paul II was like a father figure to us all and I hope that by bringing his relic to St Patrick’s that the parish can become a centre of devotion to him.

“I wrote to Archbishop Dziwisz explaining the situation in St Patrick’s with the large Polish community and thought that the relic would be a good way to inspire a revival of the faith.”

St John Paul II was the first Pope to visit Scotland and had a link to St Patrick’s after raising the area’s Thomas Winning to the rank of cardinal.

Fr Garwolinski added: “Obviously we have Scots here as well as Poles and they are very well integrated but I hope the relic being here will bring them closer together.