Saint John Paul II scales silo wearing full cassock in Portage County, WI, BONUS: 1976 video of the visit

I thought fo show I posted this already!

Get the book!  The following took place in 1976 on the soon to be pope's visit to Wisconsin.

Matt JK: JPII scales silo wearing cassock in portage county, great story! (my emphasis)

Portage County is generally known as a flat area with little change in elevation. It is often referred to as a plains area and is a mixture of agricultural fields and thick forests. Wojtyła had a knack for finding the highest place in a given area in order to survey it. As a result, when he noticed that the highest point on the farm was the silo, he naturally asked if he could scale it. The Zdroiks, especially the boys of the farm, were quite surprised by the request and at the same time impressed. They had never seen a Catholic priest, much less a cardinal dressed in his black cassock with a golden pectoral cross hanging around his neck, scale a silo. Yet, his clerical garb did not deter him, and Cardinal Wojtyła climbed the vertical ladder with relative ease, reached the top of the tower, and gazed over the vast plains below. He wanted to see the “green of America,” and that is exactly what he saw.33

Wisconsin farmland

AAAnnnnddd BONUS coverage today here on The Badger Catholic! Cardinal Karol Wojtyla's (Pope John Paul II) Visit to Stevens Point, WI, 23 August 1976

Lots of footage, media interviews
1:08:30 - Speech at UW Stevens Point(or I think UW Stevens Point rejected hosting the event, this is maybe at the public high school?)

In the Footsteps of a Saint: New Book on John Paul II’s Visit to Wisconsin

This is the story about a man who inspired millions and millions of people around the world and who continues to have a profound impact on society ten years after his death. His sanctity and attractive personality were well known throughout his life, but few people know about a very personal and intimate visit he made in the middle of Wisconsin two years before he was elected pope. It was a visit that greatly impacted all who were present and continues to be an inspiration to the people who live there, but more importantly it was a visit that was never supposed to happen.

The Visit That Was Never Supposed To Happen

In 1975, the United States media outlets were abuzz with the announcement that the next International Eucharistic Congress would be held in Philadelphia. When Dr. Waclaw Soroka, professor of Russian and East European history at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, heard it was going to be in the United States, he immediately sought to discover who would attend from his native Poland. At first, he wasn’t sure who would come, but it was understood that a large delegation of Polish priests and bishops would travel to Philadelphia. Not only would these Poles be present for the conferences in Philadelphia, but it was made clear that they desired to travel to various communities of Polish descent. Dr. Soroka knew what he had to do: he needed to invite Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski to Wisconsin.

On account of Cardinal Wyszynski’s position as Primate of Poland, as well as his unwavering resistance to communism, Dr. Soroka sought to invite him to central Wisconsin to give a talk at a newly established organization called the Annual Lectures on Poland. Dr. Soroka knew “Father” Wyszynski well, as both had been active at the University of Lublin during the Nazi occupation.

Unfortunately, the Primate was not attending the congress in Philadelphia and could not accept the invitation. Cardinal Wyszynski had another idea: invite a close colleague of his, whom he called the “other Polish cardinal” — Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, the young archbishop of Krakow. While Cardinal Wojtyła was not his first choice, Dr. Soroka decided to ask him to be the keynote speaker at the event in central Wisconsin.

He accepted.

Little did anyone know at the time that they would be welcoming a future pope (John Paul II) and a living saint.

continue at Philip Koslowski

And check this out: “In the Footsteps of a Saint” Book Giveaway!

Also Phil is doing a book signing in Stevens Point on April 4th.

I just bought on Kindle.