October 11: POPE ST. JOHN XXIII: The Good Pope

Pope St. John XXIII surprised a Roman prison by walking in on Christmas Eve to visit the inmates himself.

Elected as an elderly caretaker pope, Angelo Roncalli instead threw open the windows of the Church by calling the Second Vatican Council, insisting the Church offer mercy rather than condemnation to the modern world. Each night he handed his worries to God directly in prayer before sleep, trusting that the weight of the whole Church wasn't really his to carry alone.

"Lord, it's your Church. I'm going to sleep."

Pope John's challenge doesn't have to end when the episode does. Our free Family Pack has a saint calendar, feast-day activity pages, and family discussion questions to keep it going at home — free when you subscribe: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/pages/every-days-a-feast-day-follow-along