The Pope John Paul II Award enables participants to take an active part in the life of their Church – in the life of their community and society. It enables young people to become more aware of the teaching and role of the Catholic Church in the world and to engage at a deep level with Christ. The Award was created to commemorate the late Pope Saint John Paul II who was so committed to young people and who had such belief and confidence in them.
Making young people visible in their Church, community & society.
The Award is committed to helping young people enhance their spiritual, physical, emotional and social development through participation in school, Parish, and community activities. As well as the feeling of personal achievement that a participant will gain from taking part in the Award, participation will help demonstrate the young person’s commitment to a task and goal.
The Award is for:
- The Pope John Paul II Award is for anyone from the age of 16 – 18 inclusive: in 4th, 5th or 6th year, or not in post-primary education.
- The Award is non-competitive, flexible and voluntary and requires an ongoing commitment.
- There are 4 Awards – Gold, Silver, Bronze and Papal Cross. Only those that have completed the Gold Award have the option of completing the Papal Cross Award.
- Awards are earned by taking part in Parish and social activities – 1 hour per week over 8, 14, 20 or 26 weeks, plus the completion of a personal reflection.
Award Top-Ups are given in recognition of the extra activities that young people are already involved in. Top-Ups will go towards the total number of hours an individual has to complete.
How can I get involved?
- To enrol, complete and sign the application and consent form. You should then return the completed form along with the enrolment fee to your Award leader in your school/parish.
- They will talk you through the steps involved, which can also be found on https://thepopejohnpauliiaward.com
What can I do for my hours?
There are so many ways to get involved in parish and social awareness activities in your area! Agree your chosen activities with your Award Leader first to make sure they qualify for the Award.
- Click here to download an Information Brochure with ideas for parish and social involvement hours.
Ideas for Parish and Social Involvement Hours
Click here for Parish and Social Hours Ideas
Remember, a minimum of 50% of parish hours must be completed outside of school hours.
Ideas for Top-Ups
- Top-Ups are faith-based activities that are more than 5 hours in duration. They can go towards the total number of hours you have to complete for parish or social hours. They recognise acitivity over the course of full day, a weekend or a full week.
- A top-up is for a faith-based activity but can be used to top-up hours lacking on either parish or social side.
- They must be approved by the Diocesan Award Committee.
- Please note: You can only top-up to a MAXIMUM of 6 hours (gold), 4.5 hours (silver) and 3 hours (bronze). A 2, 3 or 4 hour activity on one day does not count as 2, 3 or 4 hours on your record card. Record only as 1 hour. Only when an activity goes over 5 hours can it be recorded as a top-up.
Click here for an explanation of the Top Ups in this diocese and list of recognised top-up activities..
Where can I get the forms and record cards?
- Our Diocesan JP2 Award forms have been updated this year – please contact [email protected] for copies of the new forms.
- Award Leaders should contact the Diocesan Coordinator for a Starter Pack / Checklist and to arrange a presentation by a member of the JP2 Committee as well as a follow up induction meeting with participants. Email: [email protected]
- Record Cards will be given to participants at the Induction Meeting (which will be worth one parish hour)
- Code of Ethics and Data Protection Information can be viewed here.
Resources on St John Paul II
