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Standing Behind the Pope: A Seminarian's Memory of St. John Paul II at Living History Farms – Fr. Greg Leach – 10/22/2026
Forty-seven years after St. John Paul II celebrated Mass on a hillside at Living History Farms, Fr. Greg Leach, a retired priest of the Diocese of Des Moines, shares his story.
Fr. Leach discusses:
His assignment that day: as a seminarian, he rehearsed carrying the papal staff up and down the steps, until a Vatican master of ceremonies placed him directly behind the Pope, landing him in photos he never expected (with his sunglasses on)
(Photo credit Des Moines Register)
The moment the clouds opened and the papal helicopter descended over a crowd the size of the metro area
A Pope newly…
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