This content is sponsored by the Saint John Paul II National Shrine.
by Ken Balbuena, Director of Pilgrimage and Visitor Services at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine
“Rush hour.” These two words stir a wide range of emotions that often leave DC commuters desiring a sense of inner peace. The same can be said with the demands of trying to find work-life balance in a digital age where 5 p.m. does not mean the end of a work day. In Washington, DC particularly, furloughs and threats of a government shutdown can also provide financial stress for the large number of public sector employees. In these stressful times, spirituality provides a personal relief that alleviates, if even temporarily, many of the worries that burden those who live in or near the Nation’s Capital.
An increasing number of Catholics (as well as non-Catholics) are turning to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine as a source for finding this spirituality. Located in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington, DC, the Saint John Paul II National Shrine is first and foremost a place of prayer. Nearly 70,000 visitors and pilgrims enter the doors of this religious refuge dedicated to preserving the legacy of arguably the most influential pope in Catholic Church history. How these pilgrims find the spirituality they seek varies from person to person and group to group, but generally it is found in one of four ways: attending Mass, exploring the permanent exhibit, joining a sacred art tour of the Shrine’s floor-to-ceiling mosaics, and participating in regularly offered catechetical events that help visitors learn how to apply Pope Saint John Paul II’s teachings into their daily lives.
Liturgy and Interior Life
The Saint John Paul II National Shrine offers daily Mass at noon from Monday-Saturday and at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. on Sundays. The Sunday 11 a.m. Mass is one of the area’s few Masses celebrated in Spanish that is offered in the morning, as most Spanish Masses are typically offered in the afternoon. The Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy lead the faithful in praying the Divine Mercy chaplet daily at 3 p.m. and the Rosary on Saturdays. Other weekend liturgical services include Sunday evening prayer known as Vespers that is preceded by both an informative and inspirational talk focused on interior prayer and silent medication; Adoration, a unique-to-Catholics devotion to the real presence of Christ in the consecrated Host. Visitors are able to see and venerate a first-class relic, a vial of the saint’s blood, while asking for his heavenly intercession of their prayers.
A Gift of Love
The Shrine’s 16,000 square-foot permanent exhibit, entitled A Gift of Love: The Life of Saint John Paul II, helps visitors have a personal encounter with this saint who was pope. It contains moving videos, dynamic interactive displays, and hundreds of personal artifacts of Pope Saint John Paul II. The exhibit is a testament to the great legacy of an influential religious and historical figure who led the Church for more than 26 years. It gives visitors an insight into his early life which was filled with personal loss and political turmoil, his contributions to the Second Vatican Council, his election to the papacy, the assassination attempt on his life, key teachings of his reign, the 129 countries he visited as pope, his example of strength during his final days on earth, and his canonization to sainthood. The exhibit was designed by Gallagher & Associates whose museum design portfolio includes several of the Smithsonian museums, the International Spy Museum, the National Archives, and George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Additionally, the orientation video includes several clips of Pope Saint John Paul II and was produced by the same production company whose work includes the introductory videos of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, the White House Visitor Center, and the Hall of Presidents in Walt Disney World. “Beautiful,” “inspirational,” and “moving” are just some of the one-word descriptions many of the Shrine’s visitors have used to characterize the permanent exhibit.
Sacred Art Tours
In his April 4, 1999 Letter to Artists, Pope Saint John Paul II wrote, “art remains a kind of bridge to religious experience.” In that spirit, the Saint John Paul II National Shrine offers sacred art tours to groups who schedule pilgrimages to the Shrine in advance as well a public tour daily at 1 p.m. The tours explore extensive mosaic artwork that visually represent the key points of Pope Saint John Paul II’s first encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, as well as his introduction of the Luminous Mysteries into the Rosary in 2002. The tours are led by professionally-trained docents who help visitors interpret the art and draw parallels to the teachings on which the mosaics are based. For school groups, it is an excellent cross-curricular reinforcement of lessons learned in religion and art classes, while the tours help adults to have a deeper understanding of the scriptural and pedagogical themes of Pope Saint John Paul II’s teachings.
Events for All
What also makes the Shrine appealing to families, men, and women of all ages is the active pastoral programs that foster the spirituality of Catholics within the region. These programs include regular events that help attendees learn how to apply Pope Saint John Paul II’s teachings to their daily lives. The events aid their respective audiences with developing a sense of inner peace that motivates them to be better Catholics, husbands, wives, parents, and global citizens. Programs include Stronger: A Retreat for Men, Domestic Church Days (half-day retreats for families), Visit of the Saints series for children, Evenings with the Merciful Jesus (for young adults), The Art of Prayer (for all people), and seasonal events during Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and (of course) Saint John Paul II’s feast day on October 22.
Additional Information about the Shrine
The Saint John Paul II National Shrine was designated a national shrine by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2014, which means that it has specific obligations to “nourish the spiritual lives of pilgrims” from all walks of life. It is located across the street from The Catholic University of America and half a mile down the road from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Visitors can receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation prior to every Mass and may have the possibility of obtaining a Vatican-approved plenary indulgence by fulfilling certain requirements. The Shrine is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 365 days a year. A gift shop onsite provides branded items found only at the Shrine and materials to help deepen the prayer lives of Shrine visitors. For more information, visit jp2shrine.org or call (202) 635-5400. Follow the Saint John Paul II National Shrine on social media at @jp2shrine on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
