The Jubilee Year 2025, themed Pilgrims of Hope, is a spiritual pause in the Church’s synodal journey, inspired by the biblical practices in Leviticus 25.
It emphasises three key elements: rest, reflection, and restoration.
This sacred time allows the faithful to address physical, emotional, and spiritual fatigue; reassess relationships with God, others, and creation; and heal broken bonds through justice and forgiveness.
Rooted in the Jubilee traditions of ancient Israel, it highlights God’s ultimate ownership of creation and the call to equity and renewal. Pope Francis underscores this moment as an opportunity to counter despair and cynicism, reigniting hope as a guiding force for Christians toward their encounter with Christ.
For the Caribbean Church, faced with challenges such as violence, environmental crises, and societal fatigue, the Jubilee offers a powerful invitation to cooperate with God in becoming true “pilgrims of hope”.
A Holy Door
A Holy Door is a significant sacramental in the Catholic tradition, symbolising Christ as the “True Door” of salvation. During the Jubilee Year, doors in cathedrals and basilicas worldwide are ceremonially opened to invite the faithful into a profound encounter with God’s love and a renewal of hope.
These doors represent the Church’s role in welcoming the weary and overburdened, providing spiritual rest and nourishment.
By passing through them, pilgrims are reminded of their mission to embody hope and compassion, becoming “doors of hope” for others, especially the vulnerable and marginalised.
The opening of these doors marks the beginning of the Jubilee, a sacred journey of grace and renewal. Holy Doors will be opened in Rome by the Pope.
An Indulgence
An indulgence is the Church’s expression of God’s limitless mercy, offering full or partial remission of the temporal effects of sin.
During the Jubilee Year, indulgences are significant as they symbolise reconciliation and renewal of relationships with God, others, and creation. Pilgrims can receive indulgences by walking through Holy Doors, participating in the sacraments, especially Reconciliation, and performing works of mercy. Rooted in the parable of the Prodigal Father (Luke 15), indulgences reflect God’s lavish forgiveness and invite pilgrims to embrace and extend mercy, fostering hope and spiritual renewal.
A Pilgrims of Hope
The theme Pilgrims of Hope represents a profound spiritual journey of maintaining optimism and faith amidst significant challenges. Rooted in biblical tradition and inspired by the Church’s preparation for the 2025 Jubilee, this concept calls believers to navigate life’s difficulties with resilience and compassion.
It is a hope not merely of passive endurance, but of active transformation—grounded in God’s love and manifested through concrete actions of mercy. Whether supporting refugees, offering peace in conflict zones, caring for the vulnerable, or showing hospitality to the displaced, “Pilgrims of Hope” embodies the belief that even in the midst of pandemic, political turmoil, and social upheaval, hope can be created, shared, and lived.
It is a testament to the Christian understanding that hope is not about knowing the future, but about trusting in a loving God who continually offers renewal and redemption.
A Pilgrim Passport
The Pilgrim Passport is a physical card that pilgrims will receive for use at sacred sites in this Archdiocese. It is a very important document which each pilgrim will receive. Details on receiving a card at your parish or sacred site will be shared later.
There are squares on the inside. These squares will be stamped at each new sacred site a pilgrim visits. If they visit all the sites, the pilgrim will have a souvenir of the 2025 Jubilee.
Eight sacred sites will be represented on the stamps: the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate of Conception, Port of Spain; Church of the Assumption, Maraval; Our Lady of Fatima, Curepe; Our Lady of Monserrat, Tortuga; La Divina Pastora, Siparia; St Francis of Assisi, Sangre Grande; St Joseph RC Church, Scarborough; and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, San Fernando. The passports will be distributed via the vicariates.