Saint John Paul II National Shrine

Specialties

The Saint John Paul II National Shrine, formerly the John Paul II Cultural Center, is a place of pilgrimage in Washington, D.C. where visitors can encounter God through Saint John Paul II. We have finished constructing a brand new exhibit on the life and legacy of Saint John Paul II and have a daily liturgical schedule available to the public. We look forward to seeing you.

History

Established in 2011.

The former Pope John Paul II Cultural Center was purchased by the Knights of Columbus in 2011. At that time, the Archdiocese of Washington under the leadership of Cardinal Donald Wuerl made the space an Archdiocesan Shrine. As the Blessed John Paul II Shrine, the Knights of Columbus undertook a significant construction project building a brand new, 16,000 square foot exhibit to the life and legacy of Pope John Paul II. The exhibit, entitled,“A Gift of Love: The Life of Saint John Paul II” opened in October of 2014. On April 27, 2014 Karol Wojtyla was named a Saint and the United Stated Conference of Catholic Bishops named us a National Shrine. We are currently constructing a new, 500-​seat chapel.