Saint John Paul II National Shrine: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|National shrine in Washington, D.C.}}

[[Image:JP2CC.jpg|250px|left]]

{{Infobox museum

The '''Pope John Paul II Cultural Center''' is a museum in [[Washington, D.C.]] The Center displays art from the [[Vatican Museums]] and interactive museum exhibits about religious faith. It also hosts a research center.

| name = Saint John Paul II National Shrine

| logo = Saint John Paul II National Shrine Logo.jpg

| image = Exterior_of_the_Saint_John_Paul_II_National_Shrine_in_Washington,_DC.jpg

| imagesize = 400

| caption = East front of the Saint John Paul II National Shrine (2017)

| established = 2014 (as Saint John Paul II National Shrine), 2011 (as Blessed John Paul II Shrine), 2001 (as Pope John Paul II Cultural Center)

| ___location = 3900 Harewood Road NE<br />Washington,<br /> D.C. 20017 - 4471

| type = Religious shrine

| publictransit = [[File:WMATA Metro Logo.svg|20px]] {{rcb|system=WMATA|line=Red|inline=box}} [[Brookland–CUA (Washington Metro)|Brookland–CUA]]

| website = [http://www.jp2shrine.org/ www.JP2Shrine.org]

}}

The '''Saint John Paul II National Shrine''' is a [[national shrine]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], sponsored by the [[Knights of Columbus]]. It is a place of prayer for Catholics and welcomes people of all faiths. The Shrine houses a permanent exhibit called ''A Gift of Love: the Life of Saint John Paul II'' and is home to the [[Redemptor Hominis]] Church and [[Rosary|Luminous Mysteries]] Chapel, both of which are decorated with mosaic art designed by Rev. [[Marko Rupnik]]. Mass is celebrated daily in the Redemptor Hominis Church, and the Luminous Mysteries Chapel houses a [[Relic#Classifications_and_prohibitions_in_the_Catholic_Church|first-class relic]] of John Paul II.

The concept for the center began at a meeting between [[Pope John Paul II]] and then-Bishop [[Adam Cardinal Maida{{convert|Adam130000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} Maida]]building inis [[1988]]. It opened in [[March 2001]]built on 12 acres (4.9 ha) adjacent to [[theThe Catholic University of America]] and the [[Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception]] in the [[Brookland (Washington, D.C.)|Brookland]] neighborhood of [[Northeast, Washington, D.C.|Northeast Washington]].

==External linkHistory==

{{More citations needed|section|date=July 2021}}

*[http://www.jp2cc.org/ Pope John Paul II Cultural Center]

Although they are two separate projects, the building which is now the Saint John Paul II National Shrine historically housed the '''Pope John Paul II Cultural Center'''. The idea for the center originated at a meeting in 1989 between [[Pope John Paul II]] and the then Bishop [[Adam Maida]], the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay|Bishop of Green Bay]]. Maida had proposed an institution similar to a [[Presidential library system|U.S. presidential library]] be built in honor of the pope; the pope instead suggested a center for exploring interfaith issues.<ref name="wp">{{citation|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/11/AR2006021100843_pf.html|title=D.C. Papal Museum Struggles For Financial Foothold, Focus|first=Michelle|last=Boorstein|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 12, 2006|page=C03}}</ref> The cultural center was envisioned as a museum and Catholic [[think tank]] which would explore the intersection of faith and culture through interactive displays, academic discussion and research, and museum exhibits.

In 1990 Maida was appointed [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit|Archbishop of Detroit]], and he set to work raising funds. About $50 million was raised from several thousand donors. The Archdiocese lent $17 million directly to the center and also guaranteed its $23 million mortgage.<ref name="cns">{{citation|title=Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington still looking for buyer|first=Carol|last=Zimmermann|date=April 12, 2011|publisher=Catholic News Service}}</ref> Construction of the complex cost $75 million.<ref name="wp"/> The center was opened to the public in a ceremony in March 2001, attended by President [[George W. Bush]], several cardinals, members of Congress and other dignitaries.

[[Category:Museums in Washington, DC]]

[[Category:Pope John Paul II|Cultural Center]]

While academic discussions and special events were successful,<ref name="jp2cf">{{cite news|url=http://www.jp2cf.org/images/JP2CF_background.pdf|publisher=John Paul II Cultural Foundation|title=Overview of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Foundation|access-date=19 Aug 2011}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> the Center nonetheless struggled during an economic slowdown and a drop in tourism to Washington following the [[September 11 terrorist attacks]].

The center eventually closed except by appointment, and in 2009, after Cardinal Maida's retirement, the Center was put up for sale. In 2010, the [[Dominican Order|Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist]] indicated a desire to purchase the building for a house of studies, but eventually determined not to acquire the property.

{{RC-stub}}

{{museum-stub}}

=== The Knights of Columbus management ===

On August 2, 2011, [[Carl A. Anderson|Carl Anderson]], [[Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus]], announced that the Catholic lay family organization would purchase the Cultural Center with the intention of transforming it into a religious shrine dedicated to the memory of the then Blessed John Paul II. Cardinal [[Donald Wuerl]], the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington|Archbishop of Washington]], immediately declared the facility a diocesan shrine. The Knights paid $22.7 million, of which $2.7 million went to the Catholic University of America and $20 million to the Archdiocese of Detroit. <ref>{{cite web|last1=Desmond|first1=Joan Frawley|title=Knights of Columbus to Take Over JPII Center in Washington|url=http://ncregister.com/daily-news/knights-of-columbus-to-take-over-jpii-center-in-washington#.WZHOLOEPCEC|website=National Catholic Register|date=3 August 2011 |access-date=14 August 2017|ref=4}}</ref>

From the beginning of the Knights of Columbus’ sponsorship of the Shrine, Mass was celebrated on a nearly daily basis at the Shrine and a simple temporary exhibit on John Paul II was made available to the public.

Over the next five years, the Knights of Columbus undertook massive renovations to the facility including the construction of a 16,000 sq. ft. exhibit on the life and legacy of John Paul II and the development of two liturgical spaces on the main floor of the Shrine.

On April 14, 2014, the day of John Paul II’s canonization by Pope Francis, the shrine was elevated to the status of a national shrine pursuant to a vote of the Administrative Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and renamed the Saint John Paul II National Shrine.

In 2022, allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse were made against Fr. [[Marko Rupnik]]. Following these allegations, there have been calls to remove Rupnik's art from the shrine. The Knights of Columbus responded to these calls stating, "We are carefully considering the best course of action concerning the art that was installed by the Centro Aletti community here at the shrine." In July 2024 it was announced that Rupnik's mosaics would be covered in the two chapels at the shrine, but a final decision about the fate of Rupnik's art is yet to come.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brockhaus |first1=Hannah |title=Knights of Columbus to cover Rupnik art in DC and Connecticut |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/258256/breaking-knights-of-columbus-to-cover-rupnik-art-in-dc-and-connecticut |access-date=16 July 2024 |agency=<em>Catholic News Agency</em> |date=11 July 2024}}</ref>

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

*[http://www.jp2ccjp2shrine.org/ PopeSaint John Paul II CulturalNational CenterShrine]

{{John Paul II}}

{{National churches in Washington, D.C.}}

{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Museums inBrookland (Washington, DCD.C.)]]

[[Category:Buildings at the Catholic University of America]]

[[Category:History museums in Washington, D.C.]]

[[Category:Knights of Columbus]]

[[Category:Museums established in 2001]]

[[Category:Pope John Paul II|Cultural Center]]

[[Category:Religious museums in Washington, D.C.]]

[[Category:Catholic Church in Washington, D.C.]]

[[Category:Think tanks established in 2001]]

[[Category:2001 establishments in Washington, D.C.]]

[[Category:Biographical museums in Washington, D.C.]]