JUBILEE YEAR OF HOPE

What is a Jubilee Year?

The practice of a jubilee year has ancient roots. In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first Christian Jubilee, a year set aside to encourage the faithful to embark on pilgrimages, to repent of their sins and forgive the sins of others, and to renew a focus on the spiritual life. Since then the Church has designated each new Jubilee as a special year of grace and forgiveness, offering the faithful an opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence.  Originally occuring every 5o years, today this practice is observed every 25 years, and serves as a reminder of God’s love, mercy, and continual call to conversion.

The 2025 Jubilee will be centered on the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.”

Celebrating The Jubilee

The pope will inaugurate the Jubilee Year at the Vatican on Dec. 24, 2024, with the opening of the Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint Peter. The Jubilee will conclude with the closing of the Holy Door at the Basilica of Saint Peter on January 6, 2026, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.

2025 Jubilee Commencement in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg

Bishop Gregory Parkes invites all to celebrate the solemn Opening Mass of the Jubilee Year on Sunday, January 5^th, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle, in St. Petersburg. The procession will begin at the front doors of the Cathedral at 11:25 a.m. Pilgrims who are able, will process to the main entrance of the church and enter the sacred space for Mass. The procession symbolizes the journey of hope that, guided by the word of God, unites all the faithful.

FINDING HOPE THROUGH MERCY

Corporal Works of Mercy Challenge

From January 2025 through September 2025, all people across the Diocese of Saint Peterburg are invited to serve others by together completing 1,000,000 Corporal Works of Mercy. Parishes, schools and diocesan services will be able to offer formation about the seven Corporal Works of Mercy through homilies, promotional materials, small groups, ministries and faith formation. Events like Days of Mercy and Mornings of Mercy in which people can actively participate will be offered throughout the year.

24 HOURS FOR THE LORD

Reconciliation and Adoration

During the month of March in the Lenten Season, parishes and schools will participate in a diocesan-wide campaign to grow in our understanding of the beauty of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Then, all parishes will offer “24 Hours for the Lord,” an opportunity to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on the weekend of March 28-30, 2025.

EUCHARISTIC ENCOUNTER

Speakers•Concert•Adoration•Fellowship

A Eucharistic Encounter will be held at Amalie Arena on Saturday, September 20, 2025. This event will bring together thousands of people to experience hope, truth, beauty, goodness, community, peace, and joy through an encounter with the risen Lord. Plus, a lineup of world class speakers and musicians will inspire and ignite the hearts of the faithful in new and exciting ways.

Pilgrims of Hope

Pilgrimages are a powerful way to inspire faith whether by walking in the footsteps of Jesus in the Holy Land, visiting tombs of Saints, or visiting ancient churches.

In the western counties of Florida, Catholicism has been prevalent for close to 500 years and has been home to missionaries, martyrs, and those seeking religious freedom.

For those who cannot travel abroad, Bishop Gregory Parkes has designated six holy sites in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg as official Pilgrimage Sites for the Jubilee Year proclaimed for 2025.

During a Jubilee Year, Catholics can receive an indulgence for making a pilgrimage, as well as doing some sort of penance, going to confession, receiving Communion, making a profession of faith and praying for the intentions of the pope. The Code of Canon Law says, “An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment for sin, the guilt of which is already forgiven.” There is one religious site for each of the five counties of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, plus the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle, the mother church of all Catholics in union with our bishop.

Cathedral of St. Jude Pilgrimage

St. Jude Parish officially became the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle with the appointment and installation of Bishop Charles B. McLaughlin of North Carolina as the first Bishop of St. Petersburg on May 8, 1968.

One striking feature of the Cathedral’s architecture is the 24-foot-high stained-glass window behind the altar. A circular glass motif serves as a backdrop for the cathedral’s gold-plated tabernacle. A beautiful dome is supported by massive steel beams. Some of the notable works of art include a stunning mosaic depicting the landing of Father Juan Xuarez in St. Petersburg in 1528. The Spanish missionary priest was the first Catholic bishop who was appointed to serve in the United States.

Site of Narváez Landing, 1528

The Jungle Prada Site (also known as Jungle Mound or Anderson-Narváez Site) is the location where Spanish explorer Pánfilo de Narváez arrived in 1528 with five ships and 600 men, including eight diocesan and five Franciscan priests. One of them was Father Juan Xuarez, O.F.M. who had been named Bishop of Florida. Father Xuarez celebrated Florida’s first Mass on Easter morning, April 16, 1528. There is a site marker at this location commemorating it. Today, the park offers scenic views of Boca Ciega Bay and boat ramps for residents to enjoy.

St. Stanislaus Chapel, 1915

In 1913, a group of Polish farmers moved to northern Hernando County and by 1917, they had built a chapel. A fire destroyed the first church in 1929 and it was replaced with the present church– an authentic Old Florida clapboard church. Many adversities caused the settlement to disband, but many of the early Catholics are buried in the cemetery. Mass is still celebrated here on All Souls Day annually. The building is used about 6 to 8 times per year for special Masses and other services for the Polish-speaking community that gathers regularly at St. Anthony the Abbot, in Brooksville.

Sacred Heart Church, 1860

The “ecclesiastic jewel of Downtown Tampa,” Sacred Heart Catholic Church has roots reaching back to Tampa’s pioneer days. The current church began construction in 1898 under the guidance of Jesuits. The Romanesque church, with Gothic and Byzantine influences, is largely unchanged since its 1905 dedication, including 18 stained glass windows designed by the Mayer Company of Munich, Germany, a 135-foot dome, solid oak pews and doors, and an altar made of Italian Carrara marble. Following the centennial anniversary in 2005, stewardship of the parish was transferred to the Franciscans.

Saint Leo Abbey, 1889

Saint Leo Abbey is a monastic community which follows the Rule of Saint Benedict (a book of precepts, or religious law). The Abbey was founded in 1889, but the church wasn’t built and consecrated until January 29, 1948. Construction began in 1936 and was often delayed because of the war and the need to raise funds. The Abbey’s Church of the Holy Cross has a majestic marble crucifix modeled after the Shroud of Turin. Early on, the monks established an all-boys prep school which became a Catholic college in the 1960s and is now known as Saint Leo University.

St. Benedict Church, 1953

Benedictines from Saint Leo have cared for Citrus County since the late 19^th Century. The first recorded Mass offered at Crystal River was in 1903. A small concrete block chapel honoring St. Benedict was built in 1953 off of the newly constructed U.S. 19. By the mid-1970s, the parish had outgrown it and relocated three miles south to its present location. A new church, built in the shape of a Greek cross with a fresco of St. Benedict in the dome was dedicated in 1981. The parish hall, which was the church for six years, houses a series of paintings depicting the parish’s vast history.

What is a Plenary Indulgence?

An indulgence is a special grace given by God, through the Catholic Church, for the removal of temporal punishment for sins already forgiven in the Sacrament of Confession. While Confession absolves guilt, temporal punishment due to sin still remains. The Jubilee Indulgence is a special plenary indulgence available to the faithful during the Jubilee Year. It can be obtained – given the completion of the ordinary conditions – through pilgrimages, pious visits to holy sites, or works of mercy and penance.

The Vatican has issued a decree (Decree on the Granting of the Indulgence) that outlines how Catholics can obtain indulgences during the 2025 Jubilee Year. During the Jubilee Year, Catholics can earn up to two indulgences per day, including receiving communion twice a day.

Get the Jubilee App

The digital app for mobile devices, which makes registration for Jubilee 2025 events easier, can be downloaded from the App Store for iOS and from the Play Store for Android.

By using the mobile app, which is available in six languages, a person can access all the latest news on the Jubilee, register as a pilgrim for the Holy Year, and obtain the Pilgrim Card for free. Once registered on the portal, individuals will also be able to register for Jubilee events and pilgrimages to the Holy Door.