Touched By Pope, Woman Gathers Prayer For Him

By ERIKA ANDERSON, Staff Writer

Published: October 23, 2003

ATLANTA—Sharon Zukauckas’ life changed forever in 1982. It was the year she had a personal encounter with Pope John Paul II, at that time, a pope for only four years.

While processing into a room of Catholics gathered for a private audience and Mass, the pope walked by Zukauckas and her husband, Gerald, only to turn around and pull Mrs. Zukauckas out of the crowd. He placed his hands on her head and looked right into her eyes.

“It was an intense, moving experience. There is this aura of nothing but white and light around him. It’s like he was illuminated,” she said. “He really is the vicar of Christ. None of us knows what Christ looks like, but to me, when he looked into my eyes, I saw Christ. And when he looked at me, it was like an X-ray machine that went right to my heart and to my soul.”

“That meeting was the turning point of my life,” she said.

Since then, Zukauckas has devoured everything the pope has written, and the leader of the Catholic Church has had a profound impact on her faith.

So as the 25th anniversary of the pope’s election approached, Zukauckas knew she had to be a part of something special in his honor.

Zukauckas approached Father John Matejek, a parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, where she is a parishioner. Together they planned a candlelight Mass that drew approximately 300 people on Oct. 16.

“It was a very incredible, beautiful votive Mass,” Zukauckas said.

The Mass was celebrated by Father Matejek and concelebrated by four other priests. Following the Mass, Father Matejek led the congregation in praying the luminous mysteries of the rosary—mysteries created by Pope John Paul II last year.

“Father said that the rosary would take about 25 minutes—one minute for every year of the Holy Father’s (pontificate),” Zukauckas said. “Everyone stayed to pray.”

Following the Mass, the congregation gathered in the parish center for a reception that featured “pope cakes,” large sheet cakes with pictures of the pope on them.

To continue the spirit of the Mass and to do something to further honor Pope John Paul II, Zukauckas is gathering “pray-ers” for a spiritual bouquet. Those who wish can choose one or all of the following options.

They can attend 25 Masses, offering them up for the Holy Father and his intentions, or they can pray 25 rosaries for his intentions, focusing on the luminous mysteries, or they can sign up for 25 hours of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, offered for the Holy Father and his intentions. The rosaries, hours of adoration and Masses can be spread out over as much time as the person wishes. However, those who wish to sign up must contact Zukauckas by Dec. 1.

She, in turn, will send the names to the Holy Father as a gift. A form on which people can sign up for the spiritual bouquet will be available in next week’s Georgia Bulletin.

For more information, contact Zukauckas at (404) 467-0870 or gjz_saz@bellsouth.net.