Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII will be elevated to sainthood on Sunday.
More than a million people are expected at the Vatican for the unprecedented twin canonization.
Parishioners at the Diocese of Rockville Centre fondly remember the two pontiffs who led the Catholic Church in the 20th Century.
"These two popes particularly really embody what it is to be a pope," says Scott Salvato, director of campus ministries at Molloy College.