Washington D.C. Is Home To The St. John Paul II National Shrine, And You Will Want To Visit
St. Gianna Molla. St. Katherine Drexel. St. Theresa of Calcutta. Aren't we blessed to have lived during the same century as many of these great saints?
Another 20th-century saint everyone knows and loves also happens to have a Feast Day coming up on October 22: Pope St. John Paul II.
Born Karol Wojtyła in 1920 in Poland, Pope St. John Paul II lived through the hardships of Nazi occupation and communist rule. Ordained a priest in 1946, he quickly rose within the Church, becoming a bishop and later the Archbishop of Krakow.
In 1978 he was elected the first non-Italian pope in over 400 years. His papacy was marked by extensive travel, playing a pivotal role in the fall of communism, especially in Eastern Europe. He strongly advocated for human dignity, the family, and the sanctity of life.
Pope St. John Paul II passed away in 2005 and was canonized in 2014.
Today, we are taking a pilgrimage in his honor to the St. John Paul II National Shrine:
Located in Washington D.C., the John Paul II National Shrine is "dedicated to the worship of God and to furthering devotion to St. John Paul II," which they do in several different ways.
Like all great pilgrimages, the John Paul II National Shrine offers daily mass, confession, and multiple prayer opportunities, with mass taking place Monday to Saturday at noon and Sunday at 11 a.m. (Spanish) and 2 p.m. (English).
More unique to the John Paul II National Shrine are the permanent and traveling exhibits that pilgrims are invited to tour, including "A Gift of Love" (The Life of St. John Paul II) and, as of this writing, a special "Transformed by the Eucharist" display.
As if you needed another reason to visit, pilgrims to the National Shrine are also granted a plenary indulgence if certain conditions are met before your trip.
Details can be found here.
Before you go, you will want to venerate the first-class blood relic of St. John Paul II and the other on-site altar relics.
While pilgrims are welcome to visit during regular business hours, they should plan their trip in advance with their in-depth planning guide.
The John Paul II National Shrine is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
.jpg){kind=link}
To learn more about the John Paul II National Shrine, please visit their website.