It is typically with great fanfare and aspirations that the Church introduces yearlong celebrations such as our current Jubilee of Hope. Honesty demands our admission that it can be difficult to sustain the momentum that ushers in major initiatives as the demands of life begin to encroach on our spiritual intentions. But the point of a Jubilee year isn’t only to focus on the exceptional; it is also to recognize the relevance of our everyday lives and how we seek Christ in all our occupations, ministries and outreach.
Many major events on the Diocese of Trenton’s calendar have been enhanced by this Jubilee year, such as the annual Blue Mass (Jubilee of Law Enforcement) and Bilingual Faith Formation and Parish Ministry Conference (Jubilee of Catechists). They continue to offer a reminder of the many ways that we are richly blessed as a Catholic community, and that our role as pilgrims of hope enriches our faith, our loved ones and society.
This month, The Monitor recounts the recently-concluded Jubilee of Youth as some one million young people gathered in Rome to celebrate with Pope Leo XIV. We also take this opportunity to acknowledge the blessing of youth ministry in our Diocese and the multitude of ways our young Church is leading the way in devotion and works of mercy.
The Jubilee of Parish Personnel is another way that the Diocese is celebrating the year; honoring in a special way those who work tirelessly to keep our parishes running, and acknowledging the 15th episcopal anniversary of our own Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.
Even though we are more than halfway through the year, there are still numerous opportunities to take part and bring a sense of the Jubilee into many aspects of our lives in which the hope of Christ is sorely needed. More information on the Jubilee of Hope celebrations in the Diocese can be found at dioceseoftrenton.org/jubilee-2025, including a Jubilee booklet with details on upcoming events and pilgrimage sites.
You might consider visiting one of the Diocese’s designated pilgrimage churches – St. Anthony’s in Hamilton, St. Joan of Arc in Marlton, Our Lady Star of the Sea in Long Branch, or St. Mary Church, Barnegat – and use the opportunity to celebrate the many blessings God has given you.
Finally, we encourage you to set aside Sept. 13 for a spiritual journey with Bishop O’Connell to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Doylestown, Pa. “The Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope” pilgrimage will include Mass celebrated by the Bishop at 10:30 a.m., and many opportunities for prayer, Reconciliation, diocesan speakers, multilingual Rosary and more.