April 25, 2014— -- Miracles from France and Costa Rica helped Pope John Paul II blaze the fastest path to sainthood in the history of the Catholic church. While some wait decades -- even ...

St. John Paul II’s birthday is May 18; he was born on this day in 1920 in Wadowice, Poland. ... May 18 is normally the feast day of Pope St. John I, who was fervent in the faith.

John Paul II is the only pope ever to have engaged in the modern give-and-take press conference, but there was only one place he would do it -- at 35,000 feet, flying between countries.

Pope John Paul II arrived in the U.S. on Monday, Oct. 1, 1979 — touching down in Boston, and stopping in New York, Philadelphia, and Des Moines before arriving in Chicago on Thursday, Oct. 4.