What Will Be Your Catholic Legacy?

Sherry Hayes-Peirce compares lessons she has learned from the legacies of Queen Elizabeth II and Saint John Paul II.

I am a huge fan of England’s royal family. My heart was broken to hear Elizabeth II had died after 96 years of life and a 70-year reign as the Queen of England. Every day of the mourning period I watched Sky News to watch live and recapped coverage. It was comforting to know that she rests with her beloved Philip who died a year before. I purchased one commemorative magazine issue about her life, and a friend who knows I am a fan bought me three more.

Newsreels of her pledge of service in her twenties had been played many times during the jubilee celebrations; this pledge foreshadowed her long reign and devotion to the United Kingdom as well as the Commonwealth she’d grown. Queen Elizabeth II was respected and honored by world leaders for the legacy she leaves behind. The first time I heard them sing "God Save the King," tears spilled out of my eyes and down my cheeks.

null

I also found myself celebrating my sister’s birthday at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and thought about the legacy of Walt Disney. His Imagineers created a place that truly makes millions of people happy every year. While we were standing in line, not the happiest part of the experience, my sister asked me about why I would mourn someone who didn’t really impact my life. Before I could answer, she said “I mean, it’s not like Pope John Paul ll.” My mouth dropped and eyes widened to hear her say that when she hasn’t been to church since before he died.

I explained to her that having a real royal family brings a sense of reality to the possibility that the Cinderella experience could be real. She was iconic for my generation and personified the country. Then I circled back to ask her about Saint John Paul ll. "Did you mourn the loss of Pope John Paul ll?"

She said, “Of course I mourned him; he was the only Pope I knew. I mean, that was when I was a practicing Catholic and remember his visit to Dodger Stadium." She also spoke about the Popemobile and him being shot and him forgiving the assailant.

On October 22, we celebrate the Feast of Saint John Paul II and my conversation with my sister caused me to think about his legacy. I was in the 8th grade when John Paul I died after one month of being Pope and clearing the way for John Paul II to be elected by the papal conclave. His reign as pope was far less than the queen's reign, as it was less than thirty years, but its impact endures for the faithful.

His encyclicals Laborem Exercens (Through Work), about the need for the equality of women in the workforce, and Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), on respecting the value of life at all its stages, continue to be referenced in today's discussions as a guide for Catholics on church teaching on respecting humanity.

null

In 2004 I traveled to the Vatican for an audience with the Pope. Although he was frail, as it was about six months before he died, his holiness was palpable. It was as if it was God himself blessing me as he made the sign of the cross in front of me from the Popemobile. Strangely, I don’t have magazines about him tucked away in a box. I do have a commemorative rosary that I pray with on his feast day.

Do not be afraid to be saints, follow Jesus Christ who is the source of freedom and light. Be open to the Lord so that he might lighten all your ways. (Saint John Paul II)

This beloved saint also reminded us that sainthood is not merely offered to a few, but to all who love and serve our Lord Jesus Christ. Still, so many, myself included, struggle with the notion that an ordinary person could be a saint. Their deeds must be extraordinary to be deemed holy enough to join the Communion of Saints.

Click to tweet:
Sainthood is not merely offered to a few, but to all who love and serve our Lord Jesus Christ. #catholicmom

What kind of legacy will I leave behind as a Catholic? Will people say that I was a model for the faith? Before my wedding day Msgr. Acton asked myself and my husband-to-be to write down three things that we loved about one another. On our wedding day Monsignor read them out loud, and to my surprise one of the things my “Dude” loved was how faithful I was to Catholicism. He often commented on how he would watch me during Mass in full participation even during the homily pay while others read the bulletin or even slept. He built me a little prayer table and bought me items to adorn it with. He would have said she was a good and faithful Catholic that models the faith.

If you were to ask your friends and family what kind of Catholic legacy you are leaving or if you are being a model of the faith, what would their response be? This question is really important for mothers. A September 2022 Pew Research Study states that the number of people who state they have a Christian religious affiliation (including Catholicism) has dropped from 78% in 2007 to 63% in 2022. The projection is that by 2060 we will lose our Christian majority if this downturn continues, but we will remain the largest religious group. It was interesting that the article asserts that a Christian mother is the most important component of a child's connection to their faith practices.

Raising children in our faith and modeling that to others could put you on the road for sainthood. Remember St. Monica! Another powerful quote from Saint John Paul II reminds us of the importance and impact of families modeling our faith.