Pope Francis has declared 2025 as a Holy Year of Jubilee for the Catholic Church. Established in 1470 by Pope Paul II to occur every 25 years, the Jubilee is a sacred time for transformation through God’s holiness. It invites Catholics worldwide to renew their relationship with God, one another, and creation, celebrating the central Christian theme of hope.
Jubilee Year 2025 "Pilgrims of Hope" The Jubilee Year begins on Dec 24, 2024, with the opening of the Holy Door in Rome. In our Diocese, we will mark this sacred time with an Opening Mass at the Cathedral on Sun, Dec 29, 2024 (Feast of the Holy Family) and conclude on Jan 6, 2026 (Solemnity of Epiphany).
Pope Francis has dedicated this Jubilee to “Pilgrims of Hope.” Rooted in baptism, we are nourished by Christ, guided by the Spirit, and called to journey in hope—trusting in God’s grace and longing for eternal life.
May the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the “door” of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as “our hope." ~Pope Francis
Click here to visit the Diocese of London's Jubilee page
On January 21, 2024, Pope Francis announced a Year of Prayer ahead of the 2025 Jubilee, calling on the faithful “to pray more fervently to prepare ourselves to live properly this grace-filled event and to experience the power of hope in God.”
The Year of Prayer, the Holy Father explained, is dedicated “to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer, prayer in personal life, in the life of the Church, prayer in the world.”
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.