On September 15, 1987, Pope John Paul II hosted a Papal Mass at the Coliseum in front of a crowd of 103,854. There were celebrations all across Los Angeles, including a seven-mile parade route which attracted hundreds of thousands of Angelenos. In fact, the LA Unified School District canceled classes for the day.
The Mass released 500 white doves as a symbol of peace, love and new beginnings, and featured music by a choir consisting of over 1,200 singers from parishes throughout Southern California. Pope John Paul II was one of the most traveled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. His goal was to re-position and transform the Catholic Church at its core to create a new religious alliance that would bring together different religions across the globe.