The Catholic Church stands on the threshold of the Jubilee Year 2025. Pope Francis recently announced the upcoming Jubilee, and the motto he chose for it, “Pilgrims of Hope,” in his Bull of Indiction, Spes Non Confundit (“Hope does not disappoint”) (Romans 5:5). The Holy Father will inaugurate this Ordinary Jubilee by opening the Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint Peter on December 24, 2024. The following Sunday, December 29, 2024, the Feast of the Holy Family, diocesan bishops will celebrate Holy Mass, and solemnly open the Jubilee Year in every diocese around the world. The Holy Year will conclude on Sunday, January 6, 2026, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, with the closing of the Holy Door at the Basilica of Saint Peter.
In anticipation of the Jubilee Year, the Holy Father has described simple and beautiful ways in which the renewal of hope enlivens and unites the Church. He aspires that during the Holy Year, the light of Christian hope will “illumine every man and woman, as a message of God’s love addressed to all!” (SNC 6) Highly visible signs like opening the Holy Doors in Rome… signals that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God’s love (SNC 3, Rom 8:39).
"Now the time has come for a new Jubilee, when once more the Holy Door will be flung open to invite everyone to an intense experience of the love of God that awakens in hearts the sure hope of salvation in Christ."- Pope Francis, Spes Non Confundit 6
The upcoming Jubilee Year provides a unique opportunity for Catholic schools to highlight the promise of Christian hope with everyday practices that enliven Catholic identity.
Pilgrimage is central to the celebration of Jubilee. Catholic schools can educate about the spiritual practice of pilgrimage and embark on journeys to the nearest cathedral, basilica or shrine. Such field trips afford the opportunity for students and faculty to tour such sacred spaces and deepen their connection to the universal church.
Reconciliation is another hallmark of Jubilee. Pope Francis invites every nation, community and member of the Church to seek and grant forgiveness. As part of observing the Holy Year, Catholic schools can offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation to the entire school community. In extending the invitation to Reconciliation, be sure to affirm the Holy Father’s hope that every Catholic will seek God’s forgiveness and consolation as part of their observance of the Jubilee.
Showing mercy is yet another feature of Jubilee. In his Papal Bull of Indiction, Spes Non Confundit, Pope Francis specifically calls attention to prisoners, the sick at home and in hospital, those who live with persistent illness and disability, the young, migrants, the elderly, grandparents and the poor. Catholic schools can draw meaningful connections between the Jubilee Year of Hope and the Corporal Works of Mercy they so frequently engage. This can be done in age-appropriate ways the next time a Catholic school undertakes service learning:
Include a brief reminder about the Jubilee of Hope and what it means for the Church.
Review age-appropriate examples of what it means to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, heal the sick, visit the imprisoned and bury the dead.
Foster active engagement in works of mercy out in the community as circumstances allow.
Lead a discussion about how charitable and generous acts of service are tangible ways we bring hope and bear witness of our faith to our world in need.
In his invitation to the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis implores the worldwide Church to “abound in hope” so that we can each extend hope:
"Surely we need to “abound in hope” (cf. Rom 15:13), so that we may bear credible and attractive witness to the faith and love that dwell in our hearts; that our faith may be joyful and our charity enthusiastic; and that each of us may be able to offer a smile, a small gesture of friendship, a kind look, a ready ear, a good deed, in the knowledge that, in the Spirit of Jesus, these can become, for those who receive them, rich seeds of hope."
- Pope Francis, Spes Non Confundit 18
Preparing for the Jubilee Year will yield meaningful engagement. Intentional ways Catholic school communities can participate include:
Reflect upon the meaning of hope in Christian spirituality and adopt it as a theme for the school year.
Learn and sing the official hymn of the Jubilee during school liturgies.
Reflect upon the rich symbolism of the Jubilee logo and display it prominently.
Weave The Jubilee Prayer into classroom and school prayer routines.
Pope Francis is proposing nothing less than opening the door of every heart through tender acts of kindness that heal and inspire hope. By integrating the richness of pilgrimage, the opportunity for Reconciliation, engagement in the works of mercy and making visible the signs of the Jubilee, the upcoming Holy Year will truly be an opportunity for our schools and communities to be renewed in hope.
Lisa M. Orchen, M.Div.is the Archdiocesan Director of Catechetical Initiatives for the Office of Education, Evangelization and Catechesis in the Diocese of Hartford.lisaorchen@aol.com
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
