The St. John Paul II National Shrine in Northeast Washington, D.C. will mark the 25th anniversary of its inauguration with a series of events on March 20 and 21.
The events – including a lecture, a day of recollection and an opportunity for prayer and meditation – mark the March 22, 2001 formal inauguration of the center. The blending of prayer with exhibits, talks and other events, according to one shrine official, is specifically designed to “foster a dialogue between faith and culture.”
“Here, one can encounter Christ through the life and legacy of John Paul II. We appeal to both the head and the heart,” said Grattan Brown, director of mission and ministry at the St. John Paul II National Shrine. “John Paul II changed the Church and the world, and you can encounter that here.”
This weekend’s events are:
• A public lecture on Friday, March 20 at 6 p.m. entitled, “Christian Identity as Radically Human,” by Father George Elsbett, director of the St. John Paul II Center in Vienna, Austria.
• A Day of Recollection on evangelizing and thriving in a pluralistic society led by Father Elsbett on Saturday, March 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shrine officials said the lecture and reflection day are designed to “bring the vision of St. John Paul II to living discipleship today.”
• “Evenings with the Merciful Jesus” program, also on March 21, at 7 p.m. and led by the Sisters of Divine Mercy featuring meditation, adoration and prayer teams.
The 118,000-square-foot shrine is situated on Harewood Road, N.E. on the 12-acre site of the former Augustinian College. It is located in the Brookland section of Washington, affectionately called “Little Rome” for the many Catholic institutions located there. Neighbors of the St. John Paul II National Shrine include the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s St. John Paul II Seminary, the Little Sisters of the Poor’s Jeanne Jugan Residence, Capuchin College, the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, The Catholic University of America, and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
When approached with the idea of creating a cultural center in his name, Pope John Paul II told organizers he wanted a place where “people come to a greater understanding of the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition and its relevance for the critical issues facing American society.”
Originally established as the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, it was dedicated in 2000, during the Great Jubilee Year, and inaugurated on March 22, 2001. Then-President George W. Bush attended the dedication. Originally, it offered exhibits, talks, and other special events. Later for a time, it operated as a kind of academic think tank and was open by appointment only.
In 2011, the Knights of Columbus purchased the center and renovated the structure to its present form where it offers a permanent exhibit called A Gift of Love: the Life of St. John Paul II. It includes videos, photographs, artifacts and other displays honoring the life and legacy of the saintly pope.
Over the years, visitors to the shrine have included Pope Benedict XVI, presidents, many American cardinals and bishops and the faithful from across the country and throughout the world.
While offering exhibits and special events, the St. John Paul II National Shrine is also a place of prayer and pilgrimage, that includes the Redemptor Hominis Church where Mass is offered daily, and a chapel dedicated to the Luminous Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary in which is displayed a first-class relic of John Paul II.
“Our mission has expanded and we are also a place of pilgrimage,” Brown said. “A pilgrimage expresses first devotion to the Lord, and this is a place honoring God’s special activity in the world.”
On March 14, 2014, the U.S. bishops formally designated the center a national shrine. On April 17, 2014 – the day Pope Francis canonized John Paul II – the shrine hosted a live broadcast of the canonization Mass, and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center officially changed its name to the St. John Paul II National Shrine.
"The Shrine is a place dedicated to the cultural and intellectual legacies of Pope John Paul II. But it has also grown over the years into a place of pilgrimage, devotion, and veneration,” said Stephen P. White, the incoming executive director of the shrine. “St. John Paul II, like all the communion of saints, is much more than a cherished memory or a role model; he is alive in Christ, part of the living Church."
Recently the shrine purchased the next-door Washington Retreat House that was formerly run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement. Brown said that facility will be renovated the St. John Paul II National Shrine will be offering spiritual retreats there beginning around Advent.
Right now, the shrine is hosting an exhibit titled “Lord, You Could Not Love Me More! St. John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin.” Continuing throughout Lent, the exhibit includes a full-scale replica of the Shroud of Turin and more than 30 gallery panels featuring historical significance, scientific study, and spiritual impact of the holy object.
The St. John Paul II National Shrine is located at 3900 Harewood Road in Northeast Washington, D.C. For more information, call 202-635-5400 or visit jp2shrine.org.
