By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – Bishop Joseph Kopacz will be leading a Jubilee of Hope pilgrimage to Rome and environs from Oct. 25 through Nov. 3. The pilgrimage will visit the holy sites of Rome then venture off to the Abbey at Montecasino, down to Padre Pio’s home, then up to Assisi. See the ad with QR code to find more information on the trip. It will be an amazing time.

The year 2025 was proclaimed the Jubilee of Hope by Pope Francis maintaining the tradition of having a Jubilee Year in the church every 25 years. Pilgrims can travel to Rome and visit the Holy Doors of the four major basilicas of our church – St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. Peter.
Pilgrimages have been going on for millennia. They are designed to allow the traveler a chance to deepen her/his faith by walking in the footsteps of the Lord and his apostles. A jubilee is based on Leviticus 25 when a sabbatical year for farming was taken every seven years to let the soil regenerate then after the seventh sabbatical (50 years) a jubilee of forgiving all debts, freeing all captives and proclaiming sight to the blind would occur. The church eventually proclaimed jubilee years every 25 years so that more pilgrims could go on spiritual journeys.

Back in 2000, the last Jubilee year which crossed from one millennium to the next, Bishop William Houck led a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi. In between jubilees various holy years have been held such as the 500th anniversary of the Vatican Museum in 2006 and the Year of Mercy in 2016. Bishop Joseph Latino led a pilgrimage for the 2006 holy year.

Since not everyone is able to make a pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee, Bishop Kopacz has designated several Jubilee Churches in our diocese that were recommended to him by the deaneries. Those churches are the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson, the Basilica of St. Mary in Natchez, St. Patrick in Meridian, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Greenwood, St. Joseph in Greenville, St. Elizabeth in Clarksdale, St. Joseph in Holly Springs, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Houston, St. Francis of Assisi in New Albany, and St. Mary in Iuka.

Visiting Rome or one of these churches offers the opportunity to gain a jubilee plenary indulgence. To obtain the indulgence one must visit one of the churches and participate in Mass or adoration while there, pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, and go to confession within eight days of the visit.

Throughout this year look for moments to be a beacon of hope for others. Hope is the theme for the year and our world needs us as Christians to reflect and embody a spirit of hope to counter all the anxiety and fear all around us. It is my hope that you will have a blessed jubilee filled with faith, hope, and love, and that you will journey deeper into the heart of God – source of all hope.

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)