New Chapter of John Paul II Foundation was established in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Sixty young people took part in a three-day John Paul II Walking Pilgrimage to Walsingham this summer. Next month the organisers are planning a 20-mile reunion walk along the Thames.

The John Paul II Walking Pilgrimage for the New Evangelisation saw a team of some 60 young people walking from Bury St Edmunds to Walsingham from 9-12 August covering 20 miles a day, with stops at Brandon and Swaffham, with daily Mass, and with the Rosary, hymns, and talks on the way. The pilgrims were led by the Dominican Sisters of St Joseph. This was the seventh annual Walk.

High on the list of most-visited Catholic shrines in the world is Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland. Blessed John Paul II prayed there countless times; he had a lifelong devotion to Our Lady of Czestochowa.

Before becoming Pope, he also visited the "American Czestochowa" - the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA.

This American Czestochowa has strong connections to the centuries-old original at Jasna Góra in Czestochowa (Chez-ta-HO-va). It also has connections to John Paul II.

The shrine draws pilgrims by the score to its 200 acres, especially on weekends and for its many liturgical feasts and events. One of the largest celebrations is the annual feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa on Aug. 26.

The establishment of the John Paul II Australian Leaders Forum is an “important milestone for the Catholic Church in Australia”, the Archbishop of Sydney, George Cardinal Pell, said last week.

The cardinal discussed the leadership of Blessed Pope John Paul II in his address at the welcoming dinner for the forum.

The forum was established to bring together Catholic and other Christian leaders in religion, politics, education, sport, public affairs and advocacy to encourage fellowship and networking, and to discuss issues affecting religious freedom.