After concluding his fourth visit to Mexico Pope John Paul II traveled for the first time to the Archdiocese of St. Louis, in the United States. The historical perspective in relation to the evangelization of American lands, which was so present at the daily works of faith at the Mexican capital, has also been the setting for this visit to the "Gateway to the West".

"Three hundred years have passed since December 8, 1698, when the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered for the first time in what is now the City of St. Louis . It was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother, and Father Montigny, Father Davion and Father St. Cosme set up a stone altar on the banks of the Mississippi River and offered Mass" , said the Pope. These territories belonged to the jurisdiction of the distant diocese of Quebec in Canada . Before that, in 1674, they were part of the Canadian Apostolic Vicariate. "These three centuries have been a history of God's love poured out in this part of the United States, and a history of generous response to that love", declared the Pope. "Our faith is not simply the result of our searching for God. In Jesus Christ, it is God who comes in person to speak to us and to show us the way to himself." Precisely, it was working through toughened missionaries, that the Lord touched the hearts of the inhabitants of those wild lands. The Mississippi river and its valley were explored by Hernando de Soto around 1542. Over one hundred years later Marquette and Juliet arrived at this region and claimed the territories for France . It is only in 1764 that the foundation of what was to become the city of St. Louis occurred. As the head of an expedition originated from New Orleans, Pierre Laclede Liguest chose the site convinced that it might " become one of the finest cities in America ", and named it after Saint Louis, King of France.

The territory of St. Louis and Louisiana was passed on to Spain in 1763, therefore becoming dependent of the diocese of Santiago of Cuba. Later on it became dependent of La Habana. In 1793 the diocese of Louisiana and Florida was established, and its first Bishop was Monsignor Luis Peñavelar y Cárdenas. He was succeeded by Louis William Du Bourg, whom, given the vastness of the territory, solicited the creation of the diocese of St. Louis . In 1826 St. Louis became a diocese, with a congregation of a little more than eight thousand faithful, among them twenty priests, while its first bishop was Monsignor José Rosati . At that time they belonged to the United States since Napoleon sold these territories 22 years earlier.

"In fidelity to Christ's command to evangelize, the first pastor of this local Church, Bishop Joseph Rosati - who came from the town of Sora , very near Rome - promoted outstanding missionary activity from the beginning. In fact, today we can count forty-six different Dioceses in the area which Bishop Rosati served", emphasized the Pope in his historical account of the See of St. Louis.

In St. Louis the Holy Father has insisted on the encounter with the Lord, conversion and evangelization and charitable activities, solidarity, which have a long history in the archdiocese he has visited. He covered several issues, such as the defense of life, the meaning of love, the reconciliation of those who are separated from the Church, launching an intense calling for their return: "In the name of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, I wish to make an appeal - an appeal to Catholics throughout the United States and wherever my voice or words may reach - especially to those who for one reason or another are separated from the practice of their faith. On the eve of the Great Jubilee of the two thousandth anniversary of the Incarnation, Christ is seeking you out and inviting you back to the community of faith. Is this not the moment for you to experience the joy of returning to the Father's house? In some cases there may still be obstacles to Eucharistic participation; in some cases there may be memories to be healed; in all cases there is the assurance of God's love and mercy."

One of the most suggestive aspects of the Pope's visit to St. Louis was the calling of Pauline echoes directed to the youth, in the Kiel center, where athletes and sportsmen perform their training: "And so you need to ask yourselves: what training am I doing in order to live a truly Christian life? 'Train yourself for devotion!'( 1 Tim 4,7), was the starting point to urge them to "the training that makes it possible for you to give yourselves without reservation to the Lord and to the work that he calls you to do!" "This is the time of your "training", of your physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual development. But this does not mean that you can put off until later your meeting with Christ and your sharing in the Church's mission". Confronting the laxity of those who advise the youth to take their time before making a commitment to a life of faith, he says: "Even though you are young, the time for action is now!" And to the youth as well as to everyone the Pope proposes "the goal of following Christ , the goal of bringing his message to the world."