The Hope And The Joy

In these two men, who looked upon the wounds of Christ and bore witness to his mercy, there dwelt a living hope and an indescribable and glorious joy (1 Pet 1:3,8). The hope and the joy which the risen Christ bestows on his disciples, the hope and the joy which nothing and no one can take from them. The hope and joy of Easter, forged in the crucible of self-denial, self-emptying, utter identification with sinners, even to the point of disgust at the bitterness of that chalice. Such were the hope and the joy which these two holy popes had received as a gift from the risen Lord and which they in turn bestowed in abundance upon the People of God, meriting our eternal gratitude. 

-Pope Francis, Canonization of Saints John XXIII and John Paul II 

After a blessed canonization celebration, we here at the St. John Paul II National Shrine continue to thank the Lord for the gifts our late Holy Father gave to the Church. We also move forward in our work towards building up a testament to his life and legacy in the permanent exhibit slated to open here this summer. Stay tuned for more as we celebrate and promote the life of our beloved St. John Paul II!