Holy Year - Jubilee 2025
2025 Holy Year:
A Time for Renewal, Mercy, and Hope at Saint Clement
2025 is a year to revive your faith, to experience God’s mercy, and to be transformed into a beacon of hope for the world.
Join us at Saint Clement Church as we walk together as Pilgrims of Hope, embracing the grace of this Holy Year.
What is the Holy Year?
What is the Holy Year?
The Holy Year (or Jubilee Year) is a special time in the Catholic Church when we are invited to experience God’s mercy, forgiveness, and healing in a deep, personal way. It’s a period that calls us to renew our faith and live out the Gospel more fully.
What is the history and significance of the Jubilee Year in Christian life?
The idea comes from the Bible, specifically Leviticus 25:10, where the Jubilee is a time of liberation—a year when debts are forgiven, slaves are freed, and lands are returned. It's a fresh start, a spiritual reset. In the New Testament, Jesus embodies the spirit of the Jubilee. In Luke 4:18-19, He proclaims, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." This proclamation highlights the transformative power of God's grace, which is central to the Jubilee experience.
While this tradition dates back thousands of years, it was officially brought into Christian life by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300, and has been celebrated ever since, every 25 years. Pope John Paul II revitalized the concept of the Jubilee in the late 20th century, particularly with the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. He emphasized the importance of the Holy Door as a symbol of Christ, the true door to salvation. In his Bull Incarnationis Mysterium the Pope said; “It is the Spirit of Christ who is at work in the Church and in history: we must listen to him in order to recognize the signs of the new times and to make the expectation of the glorified Lord’s return ever more vibrant in the hearts of the faithful. The Holy Year must therefore be one unceasing hymn of praise to the Trinity, the Most High God.”
What did Pope Francis announce for the 2025 Holy Year?
This year, Pope Francis has proclaimed 2025 as a special Holy Year, with the theme "Pilgrims of Hope." It’s a year meant to ignite our hearts and show us that hope doesn’t disappoint. It’s an invitation to move forward, embracing God’s love and sharing it with others. In his Bull announcing the Holy Year Pope Francis wrote; “May the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the 'door' (cf. Jn 10:7,9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere, and to all as 'our hope.'” (1 Tim 1:1).
The Holy Door: A Gateway to Grace
One of the most powerful symbols of the Holy Year is the Holy Door—an ancient tradition that represents a passage into God's mercy. When we walk through the Holy Door, we symbolically step into a new life, leaving behind sin and embracing the love and grace of Christ. Pope Francis, during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, articulated the significance of the Holy Door, stating, “To pass through the Holy Door means to rediscover the infinite mercy of the Father who welcomes everyone and goes out personally to encounter each of them.”
Not everyone can travel to Rome to walk through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica. So, to make this grace accessible to everyone, the Jubilee Churches, even as they don’t have Holy Doors, are serving as spiritual places of renewal and grace where the same graces are accessible to those who visit them as pilgrims.
Saint Clement Church has been designated as one of the official Jubilee Churches and pilgrimage site for the Archdiocese of Chicago! This is a first in our 120-year history.
On Sunday, January 5, 2025, we will officially initiate the Jubilee at Saint Clement at our 11:15 a.m. Mass with a special blessing of pilgrims at the start of Mass. Following the liturgy, there will be a procession with the Eucharist to the Chapel, where Adoration and Confession will be available.
The 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Masses on January 5th will also include the blessing of pilgrims.
As we begin this Holy Year, we ask God’s blessing on all who will join us this year for time of prayer, worship, service to the poor and reconciliation.
Spiritual Opportunities at Saint Clement
This Holy Year, dive deeper into your faith, receive God’s healing, and connect with our community
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Jubilee Kick-off Liturgies
Sunday, January 5
11:15 a.m. MassJoin us on Sunday, January 5th at 11:15 a.m. for the Solemnity of the Epiphany Mass as we officially begin the Holy Year at Saint Clement. We will begin with a special blessing of pilgrims at the start of Mass. Following the liturgy, there will be a procession with the Eucharist to the Chapel, where Adoration and Confession will be available.
The 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Masses will also include the blessing of pilgrims.
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Reconciliation (Confession)
This is a powerful way to experience God’s mercy. We’ll be offering three opportunities each week for you to come and receive forgiveness and peace:
- Tuesday at 9:00 a.m.
- Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
We encourage you to take advantage of this to start fresh and make space for healing. -
Magnify Service
Every third Thursday of the month | 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
We’ll hold a special Magnify Service for prayer, adoration and healing. This is a chance to come together as a community to pray, reflect, and ask God for spiritual renewal. It’s a moment to be healed and magnify the love of God in our lives. -
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Thursdays following 6:00 p.m. Mass
Join us weekly on Thursday evening for 6 pm Mass followed by an hour of Eucharistic Adoration.
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Faith Courses
Faith Courses are designed to accompany you in your own grow spiritual growth and understand of our Catholic faith on a deeper level. These are for anyone looking to strengthen their relationship with God, understand the Church’s teachings, or live out the Gospel in today’s world.
Further details to come!
Acts of Mercy: Living Out the Call
The Holy Year isn’t just about personal transformation—it’s also about how we can serve others. Pope Francis calls us to be "tangible signs of hope" by reaching out to those in need. Whether it’s volunteering, donating, or just being there for someone, we are all invited to be part of a movement of mercy that brings healing to the world.
We will be offering opportunities to participate in acts of service throughout the year, helping the poor, the marginalized, and those who are suffering.
In addition to our Spring Service Day, Saint Clement will add a special Fall Service Day to continue to put into practice the call of Pope Francis to serve those in need.
The Plenary Indulgence:
A Chance for Healing
The Holy Year is also a time to receive plenary indulgences, which offer forgiveness for the temporal consequences of sin (things we do to make things right with God). By participating in acts of mercy, receiving the Sacraments, and engaging in the events of the Holy Year, you can receive this grace and experience deeper reconciliation with God. It’s a beautiful opportunity to begin anew and experience God’s complete forgiveness.
The Jubilee Prayer
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.