Jubilee 2025 - Year of Hope
What is a Jubilee Year?
In the Catholic Church, a Jubilee or Holy Year is a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation, in which people are invited to come back into right relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation.
When does the Jubilee Year start and finish?
The 2025 Jubilee Year begins on Christmas Eve 2024 and concludes on 6 January 2026.
What is the theme?
The theme is Pilgrims of Hope. Pope Francis has invited Catholics to renew our hope and discover a vision that can "restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone". We are also invited to rediscover a spirituality of God's creation in which we understand ourselves as "pilgrims on the earth" rather than masters of the world.
How often is a Jubilee Year?
A Jubilee Year is celebrated by the Church every 25 years. This has been the case since 1470, when Pope Paul II changed it from every 50 years. A Pope can also proclaim an Extraordinary Jubilee, like the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy which Pope Francis inaugurated in 2015.
What is a Holy Door?
The beginning of the Jubilee Year is marked by the opening of the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It is only during a Jubilee Year that these doors are opened.
How are St Catherine's going to mark the Jubilee Year?
- Launch Day - Children will be taking part in a pilgrimage around the school to explore the meaning of the Jubilee Logo.
- Pledge - Children will be making a pledge to take concrete actions to make their community, country and world a better place.
- Big Lent Walk - Children will be taking part in CAFOD's Big Lent Walk as a whole school pilgrimage to raise money for CAFOD.
- Holy Door - St Catherine's will be designing their very own Holy Door.
