SAN DIEGO — The Catholic Church worldwide will observe a holy year, or jubilee, beginning this Dec. 24 and concluding on Dec. 28 of next year.
Jubilees are special periods the Church dedicates to repentance, conversion, reconciliation, and striving for greater holiness. “Ordinary” jubilees, like the upcoming one, are held at regular intervals. There are also “extraordinary” jubilees, so called because they are held outside of the typical 25-year cycle.
As part of the 2025 Jubilee Year observance, Pope Francis will open the “holy door” at St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24.Over the following days, he also will open holy doors at the papal basilicas of St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls.
Locally, on Sunday, Dec. 29, there will be a brief procession beginning at 9:15 a.m. from Piazza della Famiglia, west of Our Lady of the Rosary Church, to St. Joseph Cathedral, where the opening Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. The crucifix that will be used to lead the procession will remain at the cathedral, which will be a local pilgrimage site throughout the year.
There will be an effort to show how the virtue of hope animates annual events, like the San Diego Walk for Life and the World Day of the Sick Mass. These events will be seen through the lens of the holy year.
