Archbishop Daniel N. DiNardo got a glimpse of Pope John Paul II’s desire to eschew formality the first time he met him while working at the Vatican in 1988. “I remember kneeling down to kiss his ring and, while he didn’t stop me, I got the sense that he was more anxious for us to get to work than to spend time on such things,” said DiNardo, who grew up in Castle Shannon and served as a priest in several area parishes. DiNardo, 55, who once worked in the Vatican’s Congregation of Bishops, was assigned last year to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas. News that the 84-year-old pontiff was near death Friday had DiNardo and countless others recalling with fondness the lengthy reign of John Paul II. Bishop Donald Wuerl of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh remembered being in St. Peter’s Square in 1978, when John Paul II was named to head the Roman Catholic Church. “It said to me the spirit continues to guide the church, continues to be with the church,” said Wuerl, who will celebrate Mass at 8 a.m. today at St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland for the pope. Several hundred worshippers were drawn to noon Mass yesterday at St. Mary of Mercy Church on Stanwix Street, Downtown. Kathryn Degler, of Greenfield, said she had planned to attend Mass last night, but “felt a need to be here now.” “I think people felt drawn to come to church today,” said Degler, who attended the Mass during a break from her job as a Pittsburgh police commander. “For most of my adult life, this is the pope I have known. That’s true for a lot of people.” Betsy Bossong, 76, of Green Tree, said while some in the small sanctuary prayed for the pontiff’s recovery, she prayed for his peace.

“He has suffered so much, I’m praying for God’s will,” said Bossong, who stopped at the church before an appointment Downtown. Referring to the pontiff’s liking for sports as a younger man, she said, “I see an image of him as a young man going to heaven. I see Jesus asking him to go skiing.” Parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary on Polish Hill always have felt a special connection to the Polish pope. In 1969, then-Cardinal Karol Wojtyla — John Paul II’s name before being elevated to the papacy in 1978 — visited with Immaculate Heart’s pastor at the time, the Rev. John Jendzura, who since has died. “I remember the parish and Father John telling us how fantastic it was about the cardinal coming to visit,” said Toni Dobies, a lifelong member of Immaculate Heart of Mary. “None of us knew he would become pope. Never in our wildest dreams would we have thought there would be a Polish pope.” Dobies, now 56, was 19 or 20 when Wojtyla came to Pittsburgh. She said she still remembers how excited her family was about the cardinal’s visit. In addition to his stop at Immaculate Heart of Mary, Wojtyla visited St. Stanislaus Church in the Strip District and St. Paul’s Cathedral in Oakland. Jerry Helwick, 61, of Polish Hill, said yesterday that he admires John Paul II’s strength and love of life. “He was truly for the people,” Helwick said. “This is an example to all of us: Don’t give up on life. Even though he was suffering through Easter, he made an attempt to show himself to people. And his mind was still clear.” Longtime Immaculate Heart of Mary member Regina Kopicko, 79, found word of the pope’s failing health “disheartening.” “He has been the conscience of this country and this world for the past 27 years,” she said. “He told us what was correct in God’s eyes.” Last year, Pittsburgh strengthened its connection with the Vatican when the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra became the first American orchestra to play for a pope. “We feel so blessed to have been part of that trip,” said oboist Cynthia DeAlmeida Koledo, who took her family, including her mother, on the trip to Rome. “Besides the actual religious beliefs of the Catholic Church, he meant something to people of all backgrounds and beliefs. “Those who make the pilgrimage and have been present at his Sunday morning prayers from his apartment come away with the knowledge he did mean something to the world, whether Catholic or not. It will be very difficult to fill his shoes,” she said. Violinist Christopher Wu, though not Roman Catholic, said he felt “completely blessed by the experience.” Monsignor William Kerr, former president of La Roche College in McCandless, recalled the pontiff as “very personable.” “His ability to relate to people on a very personal level is simply amazing,” said Kerr, who met with the pope a number of times and concelebrated Mass with him in his private chapel. “He has a brilliant ability when talking to large numbers of people to relate to them personally,” said Kerr, who has been executive director of Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., since June. Kerr agrees that John Paul will be remembered for blurring the lines that society creates among people. “He sees every person as a child of God,” Kerr said. “That perspective has given many people a greater appreciation of humanity and calls on people — regardless of their backgrounds — to build a community of faith, to treat each other as sisters and brothers.” Archbishop DiNardo believes John Paul’s fervent calls to value the sanctity of all human life will resound long after his passing. “The Holy Father will be remembered for many, many great things, but his teachings, actions and commitment to the dignity and worth of human life has had, and will continue to have, a profound influence on the world,” he said. DiNardo recalled the pope as a “remarkably vigorous” man, especially when it came to his pilgrimages around the world. “His extensive travels helped him cement a real affection with Catholics and non-Catholics everywhere,” DiNardo said.

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