Saint John Paul II National Shrine, Washington DC

Came here on a Pilgrimage with my Knights of Columbus Council. Very well put together. Simple yet very informative and powerful. Have recommended that my Council visits on a yearly basis.

Beautiful shrine with one of a kind mosaics in the main church and side chapel, really like no other church I've seen. The exhibit on St Thomas More was very interesting, and the permanent exhibit on JP II moved me to tears. Well worth a visit.

+JMJ Frequent visits, starting from the opening of this facility constructed to give witness to the life of Pope Saint John Paul II, who was first a devout Christian, then a conscientious, interactive, non-politically correct priest, bishop, cardinal and then a charismatic, Holy Spirit filled and guided Pope of the universal Roman Catholic Church and all people of goodwill, were always inspiring. The initial intention, I believe, was to give the faithful (and even the unChurched) an opportunity to look into the mind and heart of the Church founded by Jesus Christ to give guidance and witness to the expectation of love for and service to God and man. There were at one time interactive programs, videos on the life of Pope John Paul II, and the history of the struggles with persecution of the Church (the people) in Poland, and a little museum which displayed artifacts belonging to the Pope. There were even seasonal exhibits which displayed art from around the world. However, as with other faith-related matters, the novelty wore off and the facility became a deserted building struggling to maintain its existence. Regrettably, not even with the canonization of this beloved Pope, did the Catholic populace rally to support the efforts of education and evangelization. Yet, the dream did not die. The Knights of Columbus organization stepped into the breach trying to breathe Catholic life back into a memorial for an incredible Christian leader. My last visit, before I moved to AZ, was to a building closed to activity, but that didn't diminish my great admiration for what had been intended to be a great memorial to a humble, yet great Servant of the Servants of God, Pope Saint John Paul II. PS...just read some of the posted reviews. Sure wish that I had been able to visit the Shrine after the Knights of Columbus organization stepped in to rejuvenate the Shrine's mission. Well, I do cherish my spiritually rich past visits to the Shrine's little Chapel, and other areas of the Shrine which has just been enriched even more by my reading of the reviews of others.

Gets better every time I visit! The main exhibit is a must-see.

Really spectacular place. Bought by the Knights of Columbus. My friend that is a Knight wanted to go to noon mass so I joined him. 1st time to mass. Very nice and if Saint John Paul II or the Knights has meaning to you it is well worth the time. Also nice little gift shop, 1st level relic and large exhibit area.