The Saint John Paul II National Shrine is dedicated to the worship of God and to furthering devotion to Saint John Paul II
The Saint John Paul II National Shrine is dedicated to the worship of God and to furthering devotion to Saint John Paul II. Visitors can attend daily Mass and receive the sacraments in the Redemptor Hominis Church and pray in the Luminous Mysteries Chapel, which contains a first-class relic of Saint John Paul II. Both sacred spaces contain intricately beautiful mosaics that inspire worship, prayer, and reflection.
The mosaics adorning the walls of the 500-seat church illustrate themes of the Old and New Testaments, and the pillars feature images of saints. In the chapel, mosaics depict the Luminous Mysteries that Pope John Paul II introduced into the Rosary. The mosaics were designed by renowned artist Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik whose work appears in more than 130 shrines and churches throughout the world, including the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Vatican.
A Gift of Love: The Life of Saint John Paul II is an expansive exhibit in which visitors explore the life of a saint who held fast to faith, hope, and love through the darkest moments of the 20th century and transformed the world. Through an engaging combination of videos, artifacts, images, and interactive displays, pilgrims go on a journey into the remarkable life and papacy of Karol Wojtyla. Visitors walk with him through his youth into young adulthood in Nazi-occupied Poland, experience his ministry as a bishop during the communist period, and explore the major themes and events of his 26-year pontificate.
