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Jubilee Year 2025 - Pilgrims of Hope
- St Antony's Parish
- Apr 3
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 20
The Holy Father has decided that 2025 will be a year of Jubilee, something which happens every 25 years. In the Catholic Church, the concept of Jubilee or ‘Holy Year’ was used to declare special years for forgiveness and reconciliation.
St Antony’s Church has been chosen by Bishop Alan as one of the three designated places of pilgrimage in the diocese of Brentwood. You are very welcome to visit for your jubilee pilgrimage.
Here is a guide to help you in this spiritual journey:
What Is a Jubilee?
For the People of Israel, as described in the Bible, a Jubilee was a special year of liberation and restoration that occurred every 50th year. It is described in Leviticus 25:8-55 and includes several key aspects:
Freedom for Slaves: Any Israelites who had sold themselves to repay a debt and had become enslaved were set free.
Debt Forgiveness: Debts were cancelled, allowing people to start fresh.
Land Restoration: Property that had been sold was returned to its original owners.
Rest for the Land: No planting or harvesting was allowed, giving the land a chance to recover.
The Jubilee was meant to remind the Israelites that everything ultimately belongs to God and to promote justice and equality within their society.
For the Catholic Church, a Jubilee Year is a time to foster works of solidarity and fraternal communion within the Church and Society, and to recall and encourage believers to a more coherent profession of faith in Christ the only Saviour.
It is a time of liberation from sin and from its consequences. Notably through the celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation (confession), and through the possibility to receive a plenary indulgence, which is a full expression of the mercy of God.
The first jubilee year was initiated in 1300 by pope Boniface VIII. It is now celebrated every 25 years, to allow each person to experience it at least once and possibly several times in one’s lifetime.
For the Jubilee year 2025, Pope Francis has chosen the motto:
“Pilgrims of Hope”, encouraging people to look toward the future with trust, openness, and vision. He reminded us that we are all pilgrims on a journey toward a deeper relationship with God. He invited everyone to spread hope through their witness, helping those who seek it.
To embody this spiritual truth, Pope Francis invited all Catholics who can, to make a pilgrimage to a designated place of Pilgrimage during the holy year.
What Is a Plenary Indulgence?
An indulgence is a manifestation of God’s mercy, transcending human justice and reordering our history according to His love. A plenary indulgence is a grace offered by God during the Jubilee Year. It represents reparation, the erasure of disorder caused by sin. It involves the remission of all temporal punishment due to sin.
It is not earned but given freely by Divine Mercy.
While every sin, even if forgiven, carries a responsibility to repair its consequences, indulgence is the Father’s love repairing all effects of sin. This restorative love influences the entire Church. The communion of saints enables believers to contribute to this reparation, even aiding those who have already passed away.
It may be received for oneself or for a deceased person and only once per day.
How to Receive a Jubilee Indulgence?
Meet these general conditions:
Have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin.
Receive the sacrament of reconciliation (confession). This may be a few days before or after your pilgrimage.
Receive Holy Communion with reverence, ideally on the same day as your pilgrimage (this can be in another church). If not possible, this may be a few days before or after your pilgrimage.
Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father (these prayers may include one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and a Glory Be, but any prayer for the Pope’s intentions suffices).
These general conditions must be fulfilled within a few days (up to 20 days before or after completing the pilgrimage.)
Perform an indulgenced act :
Make a pilgrimage to a Designated Place of Pilgrimage (For example to St Antony’s Church in Forest Gate). This is an indulgenced act.
If for some reason you are unable to meet these conditions to receive a plenary indulgence, we encourage you to live the pilgrimage anyway to the best of your ability. God is merciful indeed and wants our good. We trust that he will respond generously in his own way to our sincere faith, love, and efforts of conversion.
How to Complete Your Jubilee Pilgrimage at St Antony's?
Reflect on why you have come here, what mercies you need from the Lord today, and what grace you are asking for.
In the Baptistery, recall your baptism through which Jesus saved you, made you his brother or his sister and gave you his life. Say the Creed.
You may pray at St. Antony’s altar. Ask St Antony to bless your pilgrimage. Leave a petition if you wish.
Pray at the Sacred Heart altar, asking Jesus to bless you and to heal your spiritual heart. Say three times : ‘Jesus, I trust in you’. Light a Candle if you wish.
In front of the Main altar, pray for the Holy Father’s intentions by saying an Our Father.
Go in front of Our Lady’s Chapel, to entrust yourself to the Virgin Mary by praying three Hail Marys. Light a candle to accompany your prayer, if you wish.
Pray in front of the tabernacle in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. You can start with an Act of Hope. Spend at least 15 minutes in Adoration at the tabernacle. [This is the essence of the pilgrimage]. You may give God permission to work within you during this time, to transform you and heal you from within. Pray the Jubilee prayer.
Before leaving, you may choose, or receive a work of Mercy to perform. (See poster in the church.)
