‘The Work of Growing in Holiness’

September 1, 2026

Saint John Paul II National Shrine opens a new retreat house inspired by the legacy of the Polish pope

By Cecilia Engbert

September 1, 2026

Dignitaries cut the ribbon during the grand opening of the Saint John Paul II Retreat House in Washington, D.C. — From left: Stephen White, executive director of the Saint John Paul II National Shrine; Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore; Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly; Supreme Advocate Anthony Picarello Jr.; and Bogdan Klich, Polish chargé d’affaires ad interim to the United States, cut the ribbon during the grand opening of the Saint John Paul II Retreat House on Aug. 26 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Avi Gerver)

The Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., formally opened the doors of a new retreat house inspired by the life and spirituality of St. John Paul II on Aug. 26. The event began with a Mass for the feast of Our Lady of Częstochowa, Queen of Poland, celebrated by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore.

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, Supreme Advocate Anthony Picarello, Saint John Paul II National Shrine Executive Director Stephen White and Bogdan Klich, Polish chargé d’affaires ad interim to the United States, joined Archbishop Lori for a ribbon-cutting ceremony following the supreme chaplain’s blessing of the retreat house. Other Knights of Columbus representatives and scores of guests were also present.

The new retreat house expands the mission of the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, a major pastoral initiative of the Knights of Columbus. The Supreme Council purchased the adjacent 40-room facility in 2025 and began renovations in January. Catholic groups can reserve the facility for retreats, meetings or conferences.

In his homily, Archbishop Lori reflected on John Paul II’s devotion to Our Lady of Częstochowa, whose feast, he said, was a fitting occasion to open the retreat house.

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore leads the Eucharistic Prayer during a Mass for the feast of Our Lady of Częstochowa, Queen of Poland, at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 26. (Photo by Avi Gerver)

“Today we are not only journeying back in time, but making a spiritual pilgrimage to Częstochowa, drawing near to the heart of St. John Paul II,” the supreme chaplain said. “This national shrine and its retreat house are a summit, a place made bright by the luminous life, teaching, and example of St. John Paul II, a place where his total devotion to Mary, his totus tuus, lives on.”

In remarks before the ribbon cutting, Supreme Knight Kelly emphasized that the new facility is meant to awaken in retreatants the courage to embrace St. John Paul II’s call to “Be not afraid” and take up the work of the new evangelization. Kelly served as the shrine’s founding executive director beginning in 2011 and was later instrumental in the development of the retreat house.

“Our hope is that [the retreat house] will be filled with men and women seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ by encountering him through the teachings and intercession of St. John Paul II,” he said. “This is also a great day for the Knights of Columbus. As stewards of the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, we are committed to bringing John Paul’s extraordinary legacy of evangelization and leadership to new generations of American Catholics.”

The retreat house is modeled after John Paul II’s own example. As a young priest, he would lead retreats focused on encountering God through silence and nature. Throughout the facility, images and artifacts from his life grace the walls and bookshelves, introducing retreatants to some of the interests that shaped his early life — hiking, picnics, kayaking and skiing, as well as prayer and contemplation.

Other tokens of his Polish heritage — such as Polish fudge and blue and white soap in the colors of the city of Kraków’s flag — are left in bedrooms for guests to enjoy. In addition to a chapel, dining hall and conference room, the facility includes a library named after Pope John Paul II’s mother, Emilia.

“John Paul II, we know as a great saint, a world historical figure, someone who changed the world and the Church for the better during his lifetime,” said White, a member of Arlington (Virginia) Council 2473. “But he did not begin life as that man. He began life in a small town in the south of Poland, and it was through the spiritual life, through growing closer to our Lord in prayer, that he became the man that God called him to be.”

Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly delivers remarks during the grand opening of the Saint John Paul II Retreat House in Washington, D.C. — Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly delivers remarks during the grand opening of the Saint John Paul II Retreat House on Aug. 26 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Avi Gerver)

He continued, “People come to the shrine to learn about John Paul II; they come to seek his intercession. This retreat house enables us to expand that work, so that all of us can join John Paul II in the work that he undertook during his lifetime, the work to which we are all called, the work of growing in holiness, the work of becoming saints.”

Formerly known as the Washington Retreat House, the facility was operated by the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement from 1932 until its closing in 2024. Amid the tributes to St. John Paul II, a statue of St. Francis remains in an exterior courtyard, a nod to the sisters who ran the retreat center for nearly a century.

The retreat house is also near several other prominent Catholic sites and institutions, including the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Catholic University of America, the headquarters of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America.

“It is in the heart of our nation’s capital and is readily accessible,” said the supreme knight. “But importantly, it is also ... far enough away from the hustle and bustle to provide a sense of serenity to pilgrims.”

Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore leads a prayer of blessing during the grand opening of the Saint John Paul II Retreat House . — Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore leads a prayer of blessing during the grand opening of the Saint John Paul II Retreat House on Aug. 26 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Avi Gerver)

Throughout his pontificate, Pope John Paul II maintained a strong relationship with the Order, addressing more than two dozen messages expressing his appreciation for and admiration of the Knights of Columbus. The Knights, in turn, expressed their love for the pope through innumerable gestures of support during his lifetime and beyond. In 2011, the Order established a shrine to then-Blessed Pope John Paul II in Washington, D.C. Following an extensive renovation and its patron’s canonization in 2014, the facility was dedicated as the Saint John Paul II National Shrine. It now attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims annually.

“St. John Paul II had a profound impact on the Knights of Columbus, reinforcing for us the mission of our founder, Blessed Michael McGivney,” Supreme Knight Kelly said. “Father McGivney instinctively understood, as St. John Paul II would later famously proclaim, that the future of humanity passes by way of the family. … Men and women and families will come here to step away from their daily cares, to turn to Christ, to help them restore their bonds of familial love and friendship. In this way, the retreat house will honor the legacy of both St. John Paul II and Blessed Michael McGivney.”

To learn more about the Saint John Paul II Retreat House, visit retreat.jp2shrine.org.

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CECILIA ENGBERT is a content producer for the Knights of Columbus communications department.

Clergy and staff representing the Knights of Columbus, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Near East Welfare Association gather for Mass at the Church of Our Saviour in New York on May 4.

‘The Work of Growing in Holiness’

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