Pope Francis has declared 2025 as a year of Jubilee with the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, giving voice to his desire for the year to foster a greater sense of global sisterhood and brotherhood, solidarity with the poor, and caring for the environment.
Jubilees are designed to be a time of conversion and increased emphasis on God’s mercy and forgiveness of sins. They are marked by the opening of the Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. The Holy Doors, present in each of the four papal basilicas in Rome, are destination points for pilgrims who travel to Rome during a Jubilee and who pass through seeking special graces and outpourings of God’s mercy. The last Ordinary Jubilee was the Great Jubilee of 2000, celebrated by Pope John Paul II.
Upcoming events
24 Hours for the Lord
A Lenten initiative of prayer and reconciliation celebrated around the world on the eve of the 4th Sunday of Lent.
’24 Hours for the Lord’ will begin with an Opening Liturgy at 5:30pm on Friday 28th March, continue through the night and end with the Vigil Mass at 5:30pm on Saturday 29th March.
Parishes and communities are invited to take the lead for an hour or two during these 24 hours. Everyone is welcome to visit the Cathedral and spend some time in prayer for peace, healing and hope in our broken world.
A year of pilgrimage
Pilgrimage is an integral part of the Jubilee Year. Pope Francis calls pilgrimage “one of the People of God’s most eloquent expressions of faith.”
Not all of us can travel to Rome in the Jubilee Year, but parishes are encouraged to organise pilgrimages to local sites in our own archdiocese and beyond. A Pilgrimage Resource for the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 is available for use by individuals as well as groups and parishes.
Archdiocesan Event Calendar
Jubilee Events are taking place right through the year, some at central venues and others in individual parishes. Contact us or talk to your parish office to find out more.
Pilgrimage to Rome – Te Ara o te Tūmanako – The Way of Hope
Every 25 years the Church proclaims a Holy Year, a special gift of grace and mercy for all God’s people. The theme for Jubilee 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope”.
Bishop Steve Lowe will be leading a jubilee pilgrimage this year, departing 29th September for 17 nights with Harvest Journeys. The pilgrimage “Our Way of Hope” will begin in Lyon, the mother Church for the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and journey to Rome. On the way pilgrims will meet pilgrims of the past who have influenced our local and the universal Church, and who will inspire hope as the group prepares to pass through the Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome and receive the Jubilee blessing.
Resources
What is the Jubilee 2025?
Watch an introductory video.
HYMN for the Jubilee Year
During the Jubilee Year, parishes are encouraged to sing the hymn written especially for this occasion and sung all over the world.
To download the musical score of the hymn Pilgrims of Hope, click here.
For the English words of the hymn Pilgrims of Hope, click here.
For an MP3 version of the hymn Pilgrims of Hope, click here.
Watch the official video of the Hymn Pilgrims of Hope below:
Towards the Jubilee
As we move closer to the Jubilee of 2025, Pope Francis wants 2024 to be dedicated to prayer. Thus, he is inviting the whole Church to a time of intense commitment in preparation for the Opening of the Holy Door. A Teach us to Pray booklet has been published to help with this. Download a PDF copy here.
The Dicastery for Evangelisation has produced a handy 24-page booklet On the path towards the 2025 Jubilee: Useful Information. Click here to download a copy.
Pope Francis Papal Bull 9 May 2024
On 9 May 2024, Pope Francis published his Papal Bull for Jubilee 2025, Spes non confundit; Hope does not disappoint, setting out the details of the Year.
The Papal Bull followed his letter of 11 February 2022 announcing the Jubilee Year: “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 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,” he added. “That is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope.
- A copy of the Holy Father’s Papal Bull in PDF format is here.
- A copy of the Holy Father’s letter in PDF format is here.
Jubilee Year Prayer
E te Matua i te rangi,
whakaarahia anōtia i roto i a mātou te tūmanako tapu mō te taenga mai o tō Kīngitanga, mā roto mai i te whakapono ki tāu Tamaiti a Hēhu Karaiti, tō mātou kiritahi, tērā whakapono nāu anō i homai, anō me te kāpura o te aroha e whitangia nei i ō mātou ngākau e te Wairua Tapu.
Ko tō keratia hei mea hangahou i a mātou hei kaiwhakatō i ngā kākano o te Rongopai. Ko ērā kākano anō ka tupu ki roto tahi i te hunga tangata me te taiao hei hangahou i te rangi me te whenua i runga i te tūmanako kia kauparehia te Īweri, ko tō korōria tērā ka tiaho mai mō āke tonu atu.
Kia oho anō te keratia o te Tiuparī ki roto i a mātou, arā ngā Manene o te Tūmanako e manako nei ki ngā homaitanga o te rangi.
Ko tērā keratia anō kia hora anō i te koa me te mārie o tō mātou Kaiwhakaea ki runga i te mata o te whenua. Māu e te Atua, te korōria me ngā kupu whakapai katoa mō āke tonu atu.
Āmene.
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.
- Download and read the English and Māori Jubilee Year Prayer in Word format here.
- Download and read the Samoan language Jubilee Year Prayer in Word format.
- Download and read the Tongan language Jubilee Year Prayer in Word format
- Download the Jubilee Prayer in PowerPoint for use in parishes here
Download a copy of the Vatican Events Calendar in PDF format here.