Today is Pope John Paul II Day — a good time to pause and think about the lessons he left us, especially when it comes to how we treat one another. John Paul II talked often about what he called “the dignity of the human person.” It sounds like fancy church language, but really, it’s something simple: every person matters. Every life has value — from the unborn to the elderly, from the poor and forgotten to the powerful and comfortable. And it’s our job, whether you’re a Catholic or not, to see that dignity in everyone.
That idea shows up in a lot of his writings and speeches, but it also comes through in the small-town faith life we know so well here in Southeastern Indiana. Whether it’s a food pantry run by parish volunteers, a fundraiser for a neighbor in need, or school kids collecting coats in the winter, those are the kinds of acts John Paul II called “living out the Gospel.” He believed social justice wasn’t just about politics or big programs — it was about people. He said more than once that the measure of any community is how it treats “the least of these.”
Our parishes around the Batesville Deanery — St. Louis in Batesville, Immaculate Conception in Millhousen, Holy Family in Oldenburg, St. Charles in Milan, and so many others — live that out every day. You see it when parishioners gather meals for a family facing illness, or when a youth group spends a Saturday raking leaves for an elderly neighbor. You see it when Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis steps in to help folks struggling to pay rent, or when local churches work together to serve families at the food bank. John Paul II once said, “The future starts today, not tomorrow.” Every act of mercy and kindness — even the small ones — builds that better future right here at home.
He also reminded us that caring for others isn’t optional; it’s central. He wrote that “a society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members.” Those words feel especially real in small towns like ours, where we notice when someone’s car breaks down, when a neighbor loses a loved one, or when a child needs school supplies. The correct response, in his eyes, wasn’t to wait for someone else to fix it — it was to roll up our sleeves and love our neighbor.
Even in places he never visited, like our corner of Indiana, his influence runs deep. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis and its parishes carry his message through ministries that help the poor, programs that support families, and schools that teach kids not just to be smart, but to be good. His words still echo in every church that opens its doors to the hungry, every volunteer who gives a few hours to serve, and every person who decides to lead with compassion instead of judgment.
So today, maybe the best way to honor Pope John Paul II isn’t with ceremony or speeches, but with kindness. Check on an elderly neighbor. Leave groceries on someone’s porch. Forgive a grudge that’s been sitting too long. That’s the kind of faith he believed in — one that doesn’t just talk about love, but lives it out in small, steady ways.
Here in Southeastern Indiana, we don’t have to look far to find the kind of holiness John Paul II admired. It’s right here, in the quiet generosity of our parishes and the goodness of ordinary people doing what they can, where they are, for the sake of others.