ABOUT

DISCOVER. LEARN. WORSHIP.

The Saint John Paul II National Shrine is a place of worship, religious formation, and cultural renewal to feed the minds and souls of its visitors. It is a place of pilgrimage with a first-class relic of St. John Paul II’s blood available for veneration.

Through liturgy and prayer, art, cultural events, and religious celebrations, pilgrims can enter into our patron’s deep love for God and for man. A major permanent exhibit highlights significant events in the life of Pope John Paul II and his momentous influence as the spiritual father of one billion Catholics and as a world leader.

From its conception, the Shrine was intended as a response to St. John Paul II’s call for a “new evangelization,” which was repeated by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. It is meant to be a place of genuine encounter with God that leads to a renewal of individuals, families, societies, and cultures — a place where God, who “entered history” (John Paul II, Homily, Dec. 24, 1999), heals and renews every dimension of human life.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops designated the Shrine a national shrine on March 14, 2014.

Pope John Paul II waves after arriving in Miami for his 1987 visit to United States

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 clergy, 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.

SUPPORT THE SHRINE

Visitors view an interactive WYD display at JPII Shrine