Sanctuaire Jean-Paul II de Cracovie, Religious sanctuary in Łagiewniki, Kraków, Poland
The John Paul II Sanctuary in Łagiewniki is a modern religious complex with a main chapel, museum galleries, conference facilities and guest accommodations for pilgrims. The building contains a lower Relics Church where daily masses take place and an upper church designed for larger gatherings.
The sanctuary was built on land that once held the Solvay chemical plant where Karol Wojtyła worked as a laborer during World War II. This connection to the future pope's past shaped the meaning of the place.
The sanctuary displays personal belongings from John Paul II's years in office, including the blood-stained cassock from the 1981 attack. Visitors encounter these items in exhibition spaces and learn about his life through objects he actually used.
The site is laid out on two levels with different functions for visitors and worshippers. It helps to know that you can explore the various areas on foot and that guided tours are regularly offered.
The sanctuary holds the original marble slab from John Paul II's first tomb in Vatican City. Also displayed is the cross from his final Way of the Cross in 2005, a personal object from his last months.
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