(Continued from page 23)

Paul II is to be declared a saint, many of his countrymen are greeting the landmark with little more than a shrug.
• One reason is that John Paul has already long been a saint in Polish hearts -- so making it official with Vatican pageantry is just a bit of icing on the cake. But it's also clear that less than a decade since his death, the enthusiasm that Poles accord their great countryman seems to be dissipating, just as memories of him fade and a new generation comes of age in this young EU country that is moving toward a more secular outlook.
• Only a few hundred people turned out in Warsaw's main square for prayers before the pope's relics on April 2, the ninth anniversary of his death. And there is little talk in Polish media of the April 27 saint-making ceremony at the Vatican. It all contrasts sharply with the pontiff's 2011 beatification, which was preceded by months of media frenzy and church preparations across Poland.
• "Who needs this canonization?" said Andrzej Grendys, stressing that he is Catholic but does not go to church. "We all know that he was a very good and decent man with a great heart and mind. That is most important and needs no official confirmation."
• And many say the country has already completed its emotional reckoning with John Paul's life and death.
• ___

• BOSTON (AP) -- Unfinished business. Defiance. Hope, strength and resilience. They used different words but the meaning was the same for thousands of people who were stopped by twin bombings at last year's Boston Marathon and came back this year to finish what they started.
• The 118th running of the storied race from Hopkinton to Boston was run under the long and still-sharp shadow of the 117th, which turned tragic when two bombs exploded near the finish line, killing three people, injuring more than 260 and searing the day into a city with a long memory. On this marathon Monday, there was no choice but to remember, reflect and even confront the past, but the athletes found it easier -- and more fun -- to celebrate.
• Jeff Glasbrenner said he returned to Boston for some "unfinished business." after being forced to stop at mile 25.9 last year after the bombing.
• "I felt like those two bad guys stopped a lot of people from going after their dreams. I needed to come back," said Glasbrenner, 41, who runs with a prosthetic

(Continued on page 25)