The building that houses the John Paul II Institute is named in honor of Father Michael J. McGivney (1852-1890), a parish priest from New Haven, CT, who founded the Knights of Columbus. Father McGivney was beatified in October 2020.
McGivney Hall is located at the heart of the Catholic University of America campus. All the Institute’s courses are held in McGivney Hall’s classrooms on the ground level, which also houses our student lounge and the reading room. Faculty and administrative offices can be found on the second and third floors of the building.
The John Paul II Institute’s location on CUA’s campus enables our students to benefit from many services provided by the University such as technology services (Leahy Hall), dining services (Dining Commons and the Pryzbyla Center), and athletic and fitness activities (Kane Fitness Center and DuFour Center). CUA’s Mullen Library, located next to the Institute, houses more than 1,400,000 journals, books, dissertations, and other research materials, as well as academic services such as the Writing Center, which offers one-on-one consultations for research and writing projects. Details about these resources can be found on our Academic Services and Student Services pages.
The John Paul II Institute is located one block from the CUA-Brookland Metro station, which allows students to have the city of Washington, D.C., right at their fingertips, including access to Washington Reagan National Airport by Metro. The campus is also accessible by bus thanks to the multiple bus stops next to the metro station. The main train and bus station of the city are located three metro stops away at Union Station.
Because of this unique location, Institute students can take advantage of the culture and resources of a metropolitan city. Moreover, major institutions of theological study and conversation, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, CUA’s School of Theology and Religious Studies, and the Dominican House of Studies, are neighbors. This privileged place fosters opportunities for theological scholarship and conversation unique in our country.
At a stone’s throw away:
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Being the largest Roman Catholic Church in North America and one of the ten largest churches in the world, the Basilica is a national sanctuary of prayer and pilgrimage. It is dedicated to the patroness of the United States, Mary, the Immaculate Conception.
Saint John Paul II National Shrine
The Saint John Paul II National Shrine is a place of worship, religious formation, and cultural renewal. It houses a permanent exhibit called A Gift of Love: the Life of Saint John Paul II and is home to the Redemptor Hominis Church and Luminous Mysteries Chapel, the latter of which houses a first-class relic of John Paul II.
The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America
Located a 15-minute walk from the Institute, the Franciscan Monastery offers a peaceful place of pilgrimage in the heart of the city, with its extensive gardens, Monastery church, and replicas of Holy Land shrines.
