Techno-Journey of Faith
John Paul II Cultural Center
by Colleen Curry Anderson

Visitors to the nation’s capital have a new landmark where they can visit and learn more about faith and culture, and though it’s a great place to explore one’s spirituality, neither “church” nor “museum” describes it fully.

The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center is a high-tech wonderland that weaves state-of-the-art exhibits and interactive displays with low-tech, sensory experiences such as placing a hand on bronze castings of others’ hands and turning the pages of a book. It is also home to rotating art exhibits from the Vatican Museums, a Gallery of Mary, an Intercultural Forum, a Children’s Gallery, and place to reflect on the life of John Paul II.

All this is found in a stunning structure that one critic calls “one of the more compelling works of architecture to go up in Washington over the last few years.”

The center opened in March to welcome people of all faiths and ages to explore their beliefs and learn about the role of faith in the modern age. Visitors personalize their tour, choosing a theme for their visit and swiping a bar-coded “smart card” through terminals in the five interactive galleries. At each computer stop, they are given questions and information on their theme, such as human dignity or the Church’s role in promoting human rights. At the end of their tour, a printout tracks each person’s journey through the center, noting the theme and which interactive activities were explored.

“Faith and religion are things that human beings can read and learn about, but to really understand those concepts, we need to experience them firsthand,” says Fr. G. Michael Bugarin, the center’s director. “Our vision in designing the center was to create a place where Catholics and non-Catholics alike could not only look at static exhibits portraying these concepts, but really explore their meanings themselves.”

Throughout the galleries, visitors experience a world of faces and voices on numerous monitors. Visitors can listen to others offering testimonies of faith, hope, and service as well as sharing their expertise about the topics presented. Pilgrims are encouraged to give their own testimonies via video, audio, text, or computer drawing, and their testimonies can be saved on one’s visitor card to be shared with others or kept private.

The strong emphasis on the Church’s multicultural richness combines with natural light and the use of stone, fabric, music, and water to make the high-tech galleries warm and inviting. Places of respite are to be found as well, such as the two fountains and a circle of benches that invites visitors to sit down and talk about what connects them to community.

Five Interactive Galleries

The Gallery of Faith surveys Christianity as well as other world religions. Natural light floods the gallery from behind glazed glass to illuminate a collage of multicultural images and texts on the life of Christ. Nearby, a soothing fountain calls visitors to place their hands to affect the flow of water and reveal the words of faith marked on the stone. Explanations of 11 major religions on the wall complement a set of maps showing where adherents live, and terminals allow one to explore these faiths in greater depth. One also can look up favorite saints on computer to find out details of their lives and legacies.

            A huge globe hangs over the Gallery of Wonder, where the natural world, its creation, and its future are the focus. In considering the relationship between the Church and science, visitors can examine the moral use of knowledge and the way technology affects the quality of human life. One interactive activity looks at Americans’ use of the automobile and its consequences for us and our planet.

            The exhibits don’t shy away from tough issues of the day. The section on integrating faith and science presents Church and papal teachings on genetics and then offers to connect visitors with websites on topics such as the Human Genome Project and cloning.

            A journey through the natural world is offered on a large, circular video screen that travels down from the vastness of outer space to Earth, to a continent and then a city, to a building, to a woman reading a Bible, to a body, and down to the cellular and atomic levels—and then back again.

            In the Gallery of Community, paintings, drawings, videos, and interactive exhibits reveal the importance of community and service in the life of the Church. The efforts of Catholics throughout the world to care for their brothers and sisters through supplying healthcare, feeding hungry people, restoring lives, and loving the forgotten are honored in a series of videos. Other displays trace the history of the rites that bring people into the Church and show how they are celebrated around the world.

            The history of the Church and the pope’s role on the world stage get modern-day treatment in the Gallery of Church and Papal History. A timeline traces the Church and its leaders from St. Peter through John Paul II. Computers offer answers to questions about Catholicism, from catechism and the liturgy to creation and prayer, and one can hear some of Pope John Paul II’s most memorable speeches.

            The right brain gets a treat in the Gallery of Imagination, where visitors can let loose their creativity by designing a stained-glass window, contributing images to a huge video, or joining with others to ring church bells. Visitors watch with a satisfied look as their electronic images, based on the day’s theme, such as grace or hope, join others on a huge screen. All of these activities are computer-driven, but crayons and scissors wait on a large table for those who like to express themselves in more traditional ways.

The center’s interactive exhibits were created by Edwin Schlossberg Inc., an award-winning firm that designs educational and entertainment experiences for museums, corporations, and retail stores.

“Working closely with ESI, we’ve developed a truly innovative and modern approach to exploring the interaction between faith and culture,” Fr. Bugarin said. “Without overlooking the important history and tradition within the Church, the cultural center takes a technological leap toward defining the role of the Church in the new millennium.”

Light, Water, Stone

Organizers hope to attract a half-million visitors a year to the sweeping limestone center, set back on a wooded lot near The Catholic University of America. A reflecting pool and a larger-than-life bronze of Pope John Paul II greet visitors, who walk into a 36-foot-high entrance rotunda of light and limestone. The wing-shaped roof is a key component of the design by architect Leo A. Daly of Omaha, Nebraska.

Detroit Cardinal Adam J. Maida serves as president of the center, which he conceived in 1988 as a monument to John Paul II. However, the Pope said he preferred that the center instead emphasize the interaction of faith and culture. The $65 million cost was generated through private donations.

The only area dedicated to John Paul II is the Papal and Polish Heritage Room, which follows the Pope’s extraordinary life in large photographs and displays memorabilia such as copies of his abundant writings, gifts he received, vestments, and his recently awarded Congressional Gold Medal. Visitors can even check out a pair of skis he used (Dynastar, limited edition).

In addition to evangelizing through the exhibits, the center features an academic component devoted to studying and understanding papal teachings and world cultures. As many as a dozen distinguished scholars will occupy endowed chairs so they can research, write, and lecture as part of the Intercultural Forum.

“The Mother of God: Art Celebrates Mary” is the current exhibit from the Vatican Museums, on the center’s upper level. The 38 works portray Mary throughout the ages and from the prism of numerous cultures. The words of John Paul II, who has a special affinity for the Virgin Mary, introduce each of six sections. The exhibit runs through June 2002.

The five interactive galleries dominate the lower level of the center, which also includes the Children’s Gallery, a theater, a bookstore, and a café. The entry level features the Gallery of Mary, a chapel, the museum shop, and the Papal and Polish Heritage Room.

An impressive media of communication, the John Paul II Cultural Center channels state-of-the-art technology into an inviting journey of faith.

            For more information on the John Paul II Cultural Center, visit www.jp2cc.org; or write to 3900 Harewood Road NE, Washington, DC 20017; or call (202) 635-5400.

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