SAU connections to late pope

April 21, 2005
By Alvaro Macias
Staff Writer

Pope John Paul II left a legacy full of profound changes that will be hard to follow by the new pope.  He left Vatican City over 200 times to visit more than 125 countries, making him the most traveled pope in history. 

One of those visits was to Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, where a special mass took place and The St. Ambrose University Choir sang the song "Stolat" in the pope's native language of Polish.  They caught his attention and then he walked towards them. 

“At the end of the mass he was working the crowd along the fence line, and the Ambrose choir struck up this song and he gravitated to them,” SAU president Ed Rogalski said.  “Then I understood from when he was with them, he said they spoke good Polish.”

People from all over the Midwest gathered on Oct. 4, 1979, to see John Paul II after farmer Joe Hays and the late Bishop Maurice Dingman wrote a letter to the pope and asked him to visit Iowa. 

Rogalski, whose ancestors are Polish, helped the choir learn the song.  Rogalski said the choir was ecstatic that the pope would go towards them and commend them on their pronunciation.  Rogalski was flattered. 

The visit was hosted by the Des Moines Diocese. The Rev. Robert “Bud” Grant was one of six seminarians that participated in the event.  He had the unique task of holding the pope’s miter for a special mass. 

“Obviously it was a tremendous experience, especially for a young guy that just graduated college,” Grant said. “Recognizing the importance of the event, the historical nature of the event and exactly what this person represents not just for the church but really for the world.”

He was chosen to hold the pope’s miter because he was shorter and would not stand out as the taller seminaries might.

Rogalsk got a chance to talk to the pope on another occasion when he attended a meeting of Catholic colleges and universities at Loyola University in New Orleans.  It was during Rogalski’s first year as president, and the pope spoke about the relationship of the Catholic Church and institutions of higher learning.  After the speech Rogalski caught John Paul II’s attention when he greeted him in Polish.

“I said, ‘Praise be thy name of Jesus Christ, and it behooves an individual who hears that and understands it to respond, ‘now and forever, amen,” Rogalski said. 

From there they struck up a conversation that may be considered small talk. 

“Where are you from?" John Paul II asked.

"[He asked], ‘Where did you learn to speak? Where are your folk from in Poland?’ Things of that nature, and it was just a chance encounter that lasted a few minutes,” Rogalski said.

Both Rogalski and Grant realize that people are witnessing history with the passing of Pope John Paul II, and remind people to speak to his legacy.

“[The media] need to focus on the most meaningful of those kinds of contacts, where the people actually do speak to his legacy, and talk about what he has been able to accomplish,” Rogalski said. “And how he’s made a difference in the world, because that’s the essence of his life and his contribution to the world.”

“His legacy is social justice, environmental justice, criticism of the powerful and the elite, criticism of the war, criticism of capitalism and communism,” Grant said.

Grant is concern with the situation turning into “a Princess Diana” thing in the media.

 According to Grant, the pope worked very hard to draw attention to the plight of the third world. Even in his last days he drew attention to deliver the message of the power of the theology of suffering. 

“To suffer is to embrace Christ’s suffering and there is a dignity in suffering,” Grant said.

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