We were married on August 3, 1978, and a few months later - Pope John Paul II became Pope and reigned for the first 28 years of our marriage! His love of LIFE and family filled our world and led us deeper and deeper in love for The Church! On our first date we shared what we valued in LIFE and they all were the same... Our Catholic Faith, Openness to Family, and love of nature/the caring for this world we have been given to rule and use to the good of the world/farming. So with the attraction there to be the glue that binds through the ups and downs as well as foremost our shared Faith - we married. And such a blessing to have Saint/Pope John Paul II there to guide us and fill us with his deep wisdom and love gained from The Cross! I totally loved him and was devoted to him!
Early in our marriage and our life in The Church - at a wedding for my brother at Basilica of St Mary where we had been married a few years before. So wonderful to share our Faith with our extended family too!
Ruth and Paul getting their marriage blessed in November of 2003 - just days after their wedding here in Marshall. "Please, bless us with a happy healthy family." said Paul
Open to LIFE had led us to 7 at this point - 4 with us and 3 in heaven... then John and 4 more losses. A total of the 12 we had wanted, and many treasures in heaven. Each life is a gift no matter how short or small.
Early in our marriage - I was able to be home with the kids and help on the farm. John Paul II was with us each day of our journey!
The first two and the others behind have all taken The Faith of The Church to heart - we share it without reservation, and praying to Saint John Paul during John's brain cancer journey was very big for us!
Early in our marriage and led down the narrow path to LIFE everlasting with Pope John Paul II leading our Church into the Truth!
Wedding day - loving Jesus and his Bride, The Church!
I have this large and on my wall! The man truly loved Jesus and promoted The Truth in The Church!
So beautiful!!!
Ruth and Paul in Rome on their way to get their marriage blessed by St John Paul II! He had been too sick on and off to bless marriages at the general audiences, but this day he was able to be there! So wonderful!
I equate our wedding day to the journey we were blessed with having Saint John Paul II as our pope guiding us and giving us all we needed to continue on the journey of being open to LIFE and placing our domestic Church/family foremost in our raising LIGHTS for the world!
This picture was given to John early on in our battle for his life against brain cancer beginning on Father's Day 2009... it is Saint John Paul laying hands on a girl with a brain tumor and she was healed! We prayed for his intercession for John in our litany of prayer without ceasing!
I was gifted with this picture by a friend - two amazing saints from our lifetime! We are so blessed to have them to look to for direction in this dark and confusing world - they fill me with HOPE for the journey!
My parents on our wedding day - they had led our family of 13 into The Catholic Church just 7 years before! Pat had said that he would only marry a Catholic, so I am eternally grateful. I have also loved each day of being in the True Church - what JOY fills my heart with each day of this journey in the True Church!
Saint John Paul II - a man of deep prayer life, and it was said that he went to confession each day! So much work could be done on our sinfulness with this kind of examination and work on death to selfishness!
He showed us how to embrace The Cross in his final illness!
Pat and I went to Rome while Maria was studying there in Feb 2003 - lent. We got there and walked down to St Peter and saw this beautiful bride in her wedding dress by the fountain in the square of St Peter's. We discovered later that she was there with her husband to have her marriage blessed by JPII at the general audience! I felt that it was so appropriate that my champion for LIFE and marriage did this each week, and then to have him bless Ruth and Paul's marriage - so amazing!
Young JPII with a small child - a photo we have in our home!
Wedding day - just a few months before our 28 years in The Church with our wonderful Pope/Saint John Paul II. Then we had Luke for our boys name, but after 11 years and about that many pregnancies and all girls - we changed our boys name to John, and it was because of our wonderful champion for LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT - now St John Paul II!
The oldest 3 in 1984 at the food stand at the county fair in August.
Jesus, with your Saints around you - celebrating our wonderful St John Paul II on this windy day in October! It has been so wonderful to have him on our journey giving us the direction into the path of LIGHT in the midst of all the darkness and lies of Satan. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
"Three Cheers for St John Paul II!!!!" say Romeo and his loving big brother, Patrick!
Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me


























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