Jubilee Year to open Christmas Eve in Rome, Dec. 28 in Diocese
October 21, 2024 at 11:43 a.m.
Following Pope Francis’ May 2024 proclamation of the Jubilee Year 2025, Catholic churches throughout the world are planning gatherings and initiatives to engage the faithful in a celebration that usually occurs every 25 years.
Pope Francis proclaimed the Jubilee Year in a papal bull titled Spes Non Confundit (Hope does not disappoint) as a time to rediscover, proclaim and build hope. The official opening of the Jubilee Year will take place on Christmas Eve when Pope Francis enters the normally bricked-up Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
“We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision,” Pope Francis said in his letter to Msgr. Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s section for new evangelization and chief organizer of the Holy Year 2025. “The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope.”
The Pope will open the Holy Door of the cathedral of Rome, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Dec. 29. Bishops around the world will open the Jubilee locally with a Mass at the diocesan cathedral or co-cathedral.
The Holy Door for Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major will be opened Jan. 1, the Feast of Mary the Mother of God; finally, on Jan. 5, Vigil of the Epiphany, the Holy Door for the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls will be opened.
Jubilee in the Trenton Diocese
In a letter to clergy, consecrated lay religious and lay faithful, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., talked about how the Jubilee Year will be marked in the Diocese of Trenton.
“Throughout the past several months, I have designated a committee to meet under the chairmanship of Rev. Msgr. Sam Sirianni, rector of the Co-Cathedral, to create spiritual opportunities, events and celebrations throughout the four counties of the Diocese for the Jubilee Year,” he wrote. “While individual parishes and organizations are free to celebrate the Jubilee Year in their own unique ways, they are also especially encouraged to participate in diocesan-wide celebrations … announced throughout the year in diocesan publications, websites and social media.”
These events will span the calendar year, offering multiple opportunities to participate in this joyous and merciful occasion. Chief among these opportunities is the designation of pilgrimage sites throughout the Diocese’s four counties.
Beginning with Solemn Opening of the Holy Year Masses, Bishop O’Connell will designate the diocesan Cathedral and Co-Cathedral as pilgrimage churches. The opening Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral will be Dec. 28, celebrated at 5:30 p.m. in both English and Spanish. An opening Mass in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, will be Dec. 29 at 10 a.m.
In addition to the Cathedral and Co-Cathedral, Bishop O’Connell has designated the following churches as a Holy Year site where people can visit to obtain the plenary indulgence of the Jubilee. The pastor will establish the day and times the church will be open for pilgrims:
Burlington County: St. Joan of Arc Church, Marlton
Mercer County: St. Anthony Church, Hamilton
Monmouth County: Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Long Branch
Ocean County: St. Mary Church, Barnegat
Bishop O’Connell and the Jubilee Year Committee Members have recommended other nearby pilgrimage destinations in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Two sites in the Diocese of Trenton have been designated diocesan shrines: Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Shrine at St. Mary Parish, Middletown; and the Shrine of Blessed Carlo Acutis at St. Dominic Parish, Brick.
Events for All Ages
According to the Holy See website, Jubilee celebrations are planned for various ministries and groups. In the Diocese of Trenton, the Jubilee theme will be incorporated into the following events:
January: Jubilee of Life and Catholic Schools – Annual Respect Life Mass, Jan. 24, 11 a.m., St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral; Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 26 – Feb. 1
February: Jubilee of Youth – Diocesan Youth Conference, Feb. 1, Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville
March: Jubilee of Catechists – Bilingual Faith Formation and Parish Ministry Conference, March 29, St. John Vianney High School, Holmdel
April: Jubilee of Law Enforcement – 23rd Annual Blue Mass and Luncheon, April 1, 10:30 a.m., St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral
September: Jubilee of Bishop and Priests – Annual Convocation
October: Jubilee of Judicial Officials and Building Strong Marriages – Annual Red Mass, St. Michael Church, Long Branch; Bishop’s Annual Anniversary Blessing Masses in Cathedral and Co-Cathedral
December: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe – Lighting of the Torches, Oct. 25, 7 p.m., St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral; closing ceremony / pilgrimage, Dec. 6, 7 a.m., St. Mary of the Lake, Lakewood, to 12 p.m. Mass in Holy Family Chapel, Lakewood
Teachers and catechists will be provided with an additional calendar of themes for each month and suggestions for how young people can perform spiritual and corporal works of mercy related to those subjects. Themes and their respective months are: January: peace; February: sick and homebound; March: reconciliation; April: youth; May: vocations; June: migrants and refugees; July: elderly; August: prisoners; September: families; October: human life; November: the faithful departed; December: the poor.
Information will be updated periodically at dioceseoftrenton.org/jubilee-2025. To learn more about different aspects of the Jubilee 2025 or to download a special mobile app, visit www.iubilaeum2025.va/en.html.
Why does the Church celebrate a Jubilee Year?
A Holy Year or Jubilee is a time of special graces, pilgrimage, prayer, repentance and acts of mercy, based on the Old Testament tradition of a jubilee of rest, forgiveness, and renewal. (Lev. 25: 10-15). It is also a time to visit designated churches and shrines, recite special prayers, go to Confession, and receive Communion to receive a plenary indulgence – a complete remission of temporal punishment for sins that have already been forgiven.
The aim of a Holy Year is holiness of life. It is convoked to strengthen faith, encourage works of charity and foster a consistent living of the faith. Pope Boniface VIII proclaimed the first Christian Jubilee in 1300. Since then, there have been 26 “ordinary” Holy Years, observed nearly every 25 or 50 years, the last being in 2000, proclaimed by St. John Paul II. Since the 16th century, several “extraordinary” Jubilees were proclaimed to commemorate the anniversaries of significant events. The Holy Year begins Dec. 24, 2024, and will conclude Jan. 6, 2026.
Jubilee Prayer
Pope Francis has invited Catholics across the globe to commemorate the Jubilee Year 2025 by praying the following prayer:
Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.
Amen.
– Pope Francis
For the Jubilee Prayer in alternate languages, visit www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/giubileo-2025/preghiera.html
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Events
Following Pope Francis’ May 2024 proclamation of the Jubilee Year 2025, Catholic churches throughout the world are planning gatherings and initiatives to engage the faithful in a celebration that usually occurs every 25 years.
Pope Francis proclaimed the Jubilee Year in a papal bull titled Spes Non Confundit (Hope does not disappoint) as a time to rediscover, proclaim and build hope. The official opening of the Jubilee Year will take place on Christmas Eve when Pope Francis enters the normally bricked-up Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
“We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision,” Pope Francis said in his letter to Msgr. Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s section for new evangelization and chief organizer of the Holy Year 2025. “The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope.”
The Pope will open the Holy Door of the cathedral of Rome, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Dec. 29. Bishops around the world will open the Jubilee locally with a Mass at the diocesan cathedral or co-cathedral.
The Holy Door for Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major will be opened Jan. 1, the Feast of Mary the Mother of God; finally, on Jan. 5, Vigil of the Epiphany, the Holy Door for the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls will be opened.
Jubilee in the Trenton Diocese
In a letter to clergy, consecrated lay religious and lay faithful, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., talked about how the Jubilee Year will be marked in the Diocese of Trenton.
“Throughout the past several months, I have designated a committee to meet under the chairmanship of Rev. Msgr. Sam Sirianni, rector of the Co-Cathedral, to create spiritual opportunities, events and celebrations throughout the four counties of the Diocese for the Jubilee Year,” he wrote. “While individual parishes and organizations are free to celebrate the Jubilee Year in their own unique ways, they are also especially encouraged to participate in diocesan-wide celebrations … announced throughout the year in diocesan publications, websites and social media.”
These events will span the calendar year, offering multiple opportunities to participate in this joyous and merciful occasion. Chief among these opportunities is the designation of pilgrimage sites throughout the Diocese’s four counties.
Beginning with Solemn Opening of the Holy Year Masses, Bishop O’Connell will designate the diocesan Cathedral and Co-Cathedral as pilgrimage churches. The opening Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral will be Dec. 28, celebrated at 5:30 p.m. in both English and Spanish. An opening Mass in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, will be Dec. 29 at 10 a.m.
In addition to the Cathedral and Co-Cathedral, Bishop O’Connell has designated the following churches as a Holy Year site where people can visit to obtain the plenary indulgence of the Jubilee. The pastor will establish the day and times the church will be open for pilgrims:
Burlington County: St. Joan of Arc Church, Marlton
Mercer County: St. Anthony Church, Hamilton
Monmouth County: Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Long Branch
Ocean County: St. Mary Church, Barnegat
Bishop O’Connell and the Jubilee Year Committee Members have recommended other nearby pilgrimage destinations in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Two sites in the Diocese of Trenton have been designated diocesan shrines: Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Shrine at St. Mary Parish, Middletown; and the Shrine of Blessed Carlo Acutis at St. Dominic Parish, Brick.
Events for All Ages
According to the Holy See website, Jubilee celebrations are planned for various ministries and groups. In the Diocese of Trenton, the Jubilee theme will be incorporated into the following events:
January: Jubilee of Life and Catholic Schools – Annual Respect Life Mass, Jan. 24, 11 a.m., St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral; Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 26 – Feb. 1
February: Jubilee of Youth – Diocesan Youth Conference, Feb. 1, Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville
March: Jubilee of Catechists – Bilingual Faith Formation and Parish Ministry Conference, March 29, St. John Vianney High School, Holmdel
April: Jubilee of Law Enforcement – 23rd Annual Blue Mass and Luncheon, April 1, 10:30 a.m., St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral
September: Jubilee of Bishop and Priests – Annual Convocation
October: Jubilee of Judicial Officials and Building Strong Marriages – Annual Red Mass, St. Michael Church, Long Branch; Bishop’s Annual Anniversary Blessing Masses in Cathedral and Co-Cathedral
December: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe – Lighting of the Torches, Oct. 25, 7 p.m., St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral; closing ceremony / pilgrimage, Dec. 6, 7 a.m., St. Mary of the Lake, Lakewood, to 12 p.m. Mass in Holy Family Chapel, Lakewood
Teachers and catechists will be provided with an additional calendar of themes for each month and suggestions for how young people can perform spiritual and corporal works of mercy related to those subjects. Themes and their respective months are: January: peace; February: sick and homebound; March: reconciliation; April: youth; May: vocations; June: migrants and refugees; July: elderly; August: prisoners; September: families; October: human life; November: the faithful departed; December: the poor.
Information will be updated periodically at dioceseoftrenton.org/jubilee-2025. To learn more about different aspects of the Jubilee 2025 or to download a special mobile app, visit www.iubilaeum2025.va/en.html.
Why does the Church celebrate a Jubilee Year?
A Holy Year or Jubilee is a time of special graces, pilgrimage, prayer, repentance and acts of mercy, based on the Old Testament tradition of a jubilee of rest, forgiveness, and renewal. (Lev. 25: 10-15). It is also a time to visit designated churches and shrines, recite special prayers, go to Confession, and receive Communion to receive a plenary indulgence – a complete remission of temporal punishment for sins that have already been forgiven.
The aim of a Holy Year is holiness of life. It is convoked to strengthen faith, encourage works of charity and foster a consistent living of the faith. Pope Boniface VIII proclaimed the first Christian Jubilee in 1300. Since then, there have been 26 “ordinary” Holy Years, observed nearly every 25 or 50 years, the last being in 2000, proclaimed by St. John Paul II. Since the 16th century, several “extraordinary” Jubilees were proclaimed to commemorate the anniversaries of significant events. The Holy Year begins Dec. 24, 2024, and will conclude Jan. 6, 2026.
Jubilee Prayer
Pope Francis has invited Catholics across the globe to commemorate the Jubilee Year 2025 by praying the following prayer:
Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.
Amen.
– Pope Francis
For the Jubilee Prayer in alternate languages, visit www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/giubileo-2025/preghiera.html