ST. JOHN PAUL II
Moved by his faith in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of Man, St. John Paul II lived an extraordinary life as a gift to God and to everyone he met. During his 26-year papacy, Pope John Paul II came to embody the trials and triumphs of the twentieth century and became a voice of moral and spiritual clarity on the sanctity of human life, the nature of human freedom, and the need to bridge the profound differences that divide the human family.
As the pope of a generation, he touched millions, believers and non-believers alike. Just nine years after his death, Pope John Paul II was canonized by Pope Francis. The power of his life and witness lives on.
THE SAINT JOHN PAUL II NATIONAL SHRINE AND THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
The Saint John Paul II National Shrine is a major pastoral initiative of the Knights of Columbus, a lay Catholic fraternal organization with nearly two million members around the world. Faithful to continuing the mission and legacy of Pope John Paul II, the Knights in 2011 established a shrine to him in the nation’s capital.
After five years of construction and the canonization of its patron, the Saint John Paul II National Shrine attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims annually. It is the Knights’ hope that this initiative will serve the life of the Church in the Americas and will thus bear abundant fruit for the universal Church and for the world.
THE STAFF
Led by Executive Director Anthony R. Picarello Jr., the staff of the Saint John Paul II National Shrine comprises both religious and lay people and is well-versed in the life and legacy of St. John Paul II.
SUPPORT THE SHRINE
Help the Shrine continue the legacy of St. John Paul II by making a tax-deductible donation.
