The 2025 Jubilee Year 'Pilgrims of Hope' has come to an end.
The Jubilee Year began with the opening of the Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, on Tuesday 24 December 2024 and concluded on the Feast of the Epiphany 2026.
Archbishop Bernard celebrated Mass for the Solemn Opening of the Year, at St Chad’s Cathedral, on Sunday 29 December 2024.
A Diocesan Mass of Thanksgiving for the Jubilee Year was held on Monday 8 December 2025.
The Diocesan Closing Mass for the Jubilee Year was held on Sunday 28 December 2025.
The official Jubilee Icon was 'on tour' in our Archdiocese in early 2025. You can view photographs here
Paul Northam, from the Office for Mission, was the Diocesan Co-ordinator for the Jubilee Year 2025.
Jubilee Year FAQs (including our Jubilee churches/sites)
Jubilee Prayer
Jubilee Hymn
Ideas to celebrate the Jubilee
Jubilee information and links
Jubilee News, Events, Updates
Jubilee Calendar
Jubilee Resources
Guidance: How can I obtain the Indulgence?
Organising a Jubilee Pilgrimage to Rome
When is the Jubilee?The Jubilee Year runs from the opening of the Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, on Tuesday 24 December 2024 to the Feast of Epiphany 2026.
Archbishop Bernard celebrated Mass for the Solemn Opening of the Year, at St Chad’s Cathedral on Sunday 29 December 2024.
What is a Jubilee?The Jubilee Years, also known as Holy Years, started in 1300AD and recall the great jubilee of Israel: a time for land to be rested and debts to be cancelled, when God called people to be reconciled with one another and with Him. They now occur every 25 years, although the next will be 2033 – the anniversary of Christ’s death and resurrection and the decent of the Holy Spirit.
These Years, the Church explains, are years “of reconciliation between adversaries, of conversion and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, ‘…and consequently of solidarity, hope, justice, commitment to serve God with joy and in peace with our brothers and sisters’”
Indulgence During the Jubilee YearTo help us to respond to this high calling during the Year, a plenary indulgence can be gained not only by making a pilgrimage to a Jubilee church, but by devotedly performing one of the acts prescribed by the Church
Jubilee Churches in our ArchdioceseThe following Jubilee churches and sites have been chosen by His Grace as particular places of pilgrimage, and for the granting of the indulgence:
St Chad’s Cathedral – Shrine of St ChadSt Anne’s Church, Caversham – Shrine of Our Lady of CavershamOur Lady of Lourdes Church, Hednesford – Shrine of Our Lady of LourdesSt Michael’s Church, Penn, Wolverhampton – Shrine of Blessed Carlo AcutisThe Immaculate Conception & St Egwin Church – Shrine of Our Lady of EveshamHarvington Hall, near KidderminsterBl. Dominic Barberi Church & St John Henry Newman College, Littlemore, Oxford
The Archdiocese has developed a simple leaflet guide to the Jubilee, plus a poster - now available to download and print.
Diocesan Guide to the Jubilee
Jubilee Year poster A3
Download logo/flyers/newsletter inserts
The Jubilee Prayer
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
To start you thinking…Can you make your parish, home or school a focal point for celebration, prayer and catechesis; sharing the Joy of the Jubilee? Can you pray the Jubilee Prayer regularly during this Year? Ideas will be added to this page, but you could try the following:
More information and links:
Official Jubilee website
Letter of Pope Francis announcing the Jubilee Year