Pope John XXIII Card - Artist John Nava

Pope John XXIII

Born November 25, 1881 at Sotto il Mare, Italy
Died June 3, 1963

Angelo Roncalli was born in a small town near Bergamo, Italy, where he entered the diocesan seminary at the age of twelve. He subsequently studied in Rome and was ordained in 1904. He served in the Italian army medical corps in the World War I. In 1921 he was appointed director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith by the pope. He became an archbishop in 1925 and worked in Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. He was made cardinal and Patriarch of Venice at the age of seventy-two and five years later, in 1958, was elected pope taking the name John XXIII. In 1962 he convened the Second Vatican Council with the goal of renewing the life of the church. He strived to unite all Christians. John was a much loved figure worldwide and he was beatified on September 3, 2000.

This image is made from original designs for
The Communion of Saints,
A cycle of tapestries woven for the Nava of the
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Los Angeles, California.