Jubilee Year 2025

Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024 - Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026

Location: Worldwide

The Catholic Church worldwide will celebrate the Jubilee Year 2025 from Dec. 24, 2024 to Jan. 6, 2026. The theme will be "Pilgrims of Hope." Pope Francis begins the jubilee with a special rite to open the holy door of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. More than 35 million pilgrims are expected to visit the holy sites during the holy year. Visit the jubilee calendar to learn more or see events to celebrate here in the Diocese of Little Rock. For more information, contact Father Juan Guido, diocesan director of divine worship, at frjuan@ctklr.org.

"A holy year, or jubilee, is a time of pilgrimage, prayer, repentance and acts of mercy, based on the ancient Jewish tradition of a jubilee year of rest, forgiveness and renewal. Holy years also are a time when Catholics visit designated churches and shrines, recite special prayers, go to confession and receive Communion to receive an indulgence, which is a remission of the temporal punishment due for one’s sins," explained Our Sunday Visitor.

For pilgrims unable to travel to Rome, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., has been designated the official pilgrimage site in the United States for the Holy Year 2025. In Arkansas, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor designated five places for pilgrims to visit. A pilgrimage to any one of these official jubilee churches would allow pilgrims to obtain the jubilee indulgence.

Jubilee years have been held every 25 years since 1470. Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first jubilee in 1,300. In his letter announcing the jubilee, Pope Francis focused on the need for jubilee after the global suffering endured during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"... not a single country has been unaffected by the sudden outbreak of an epidemic that made us experience first-hand not only the tragedy of dying alone, but also the uncertainty and fleetingness of existence, and in doing so, has changed our very way of life. Together with all our brothers and sisters, we Christians endured those hardships and limitations. Our churches remained closed, as did our schools, factories, offices, shops, and venues for recreation. All of us saw certain freedoms curtailed, while the pandemic generated feelings not only of grief, but also, at times, of doubt, fear and disorientation," he wrote.

"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. 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,'" he explained.

In preparation for the jubilee, the Holy Father asked that 2024 be marked as a Year of Prayer. It began Jan. 21, 2024. To help Catholics grow in prayer, the Vatican is offering resources throughout the year beginning with an eight-volume series of booklets titled, "Notes on Prayer." The first volume, titled “Praying Today. A Challenge to Be Overcome,” was released Jan. 23. Learn more by reading Our Sunday Visitor.