The Shrine’s chapel provides a space of intimate encounter with St. John Paul II and his deep faith in Jesus Christ. The beautiful and profoundly theological mosaics that fill the chapel walls brilliantly depict the Luminous Mysteries, which were added to the Rosary by Pope John Paul II in 2002. These scenes portray the victory of God’s light by illustrating how Christ the Bridegroom has liberated humanity from darkness and so transformed it into the Church, His Bride. Each mystery corresponds to a scene from scripture to further draw out its theme.

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The mosaics were designed and installed by Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik with the help of his community of religious and lay artists in Rome, Centro Aletti. Father Rupnik is known for his beautiful restoration of the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Apostolic Palace.

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The altar in the Luminous Mysteries Chapel is identical in design to the Redemptor Hominis Church altar – even carved from the same block of marble – but for one significant change: the position of St. Peter is now taken up by his successor, St. John Paul II, in the form of his relic. The altar also contains relics of four saints beatified or canonized by Pope John Paul II: St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Albert Chmielowski, St. Faustina Kowalska, and St. Gianna Beretta Molla.

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