24 December 2024 Opening of the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica
29 December 2024 Opening of the Jubilee Year in every diocese in the world
The Jubilee Prayer – Pope Francis
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
Diocese of Kerry Calendar of Events
December 2024
Opening Celebration for Jubilee Year in parishes – December 28/29
Saturday 28th at 5 PM ringing of church bells.
January 2025
Prayer Resource of the Pope’s Intentions for the Jubilee Year
Diocesan Mission January 19–22
February 2025
Celebrating Religious Life Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Sunday, February 2
Lent (March 5–April 13, 2025)
Formation Programme
Lenten Talks
Trócaire Campaign
Chrism Mass Tuesday, April 15
May–August 2025
Local Pilgrimages Pilgrimage to 12 local sites (one per pastoral area).
Celebration of the Feast of St. Brendan May 16
Pilgrimage to Rome May 2025
Youth Pilgrimage to Rome July 28–August 3
Celebrating Mary, Mother of God Feast of the Assumption, August 15
Knock Pilgrimage August 23
September 2025
Pilgrimage to Our Lady’s Well in Ballyheigue Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sept 8
Care of Creation Talk
October 2025
Mission Month Talk
Jubilee of Consecrated Life October 8–9
November 2025
Jubilee of Choirs November 22–23
January 2026
Closing of the Holy Year January 6 2026 (Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord)
What is a Jubilee Year?
In the Catholic Church, a Jubilee or Holy Year is a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation, in which people are invited to come back into right relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation.
How often do we have a Jubilee Year?
A Jubilee Year is celebrated by the Church every 25 years. This has been the case since 1470, when Pope Paul II changed it from every 50 years. A Pope can also proclaim an Extraordinary Jubilee, like the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy which Pope Francis inaugurated in 2015.
What is the theme of the Jubilee Year in 2025?
The theme is Pilgrims of Hope. Pope Francis has invited Catholics to renew our hope and discover a vision that can “restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone”. We are also invited to rediscover a spirituality of God’s creation in which we understand ourselves as “pilgrims on the earth” rather than masters of the world. “Pilgrimage is of course a fundamental element of every Jubilee event. Setting out on a journey is traditionally associated with our human quest for meaning in life.” Pope Francis
When does the Jubilee Year start and finish?
The 2025 Jubilee Year begins on Christmas Eve 2024 and concludes on 6 January 2026.
What is the Biblical background for the Jubilee Year?
“Jubilee” is the name given to a particular year; the name coming from the instrument used to mark its launch. In this case, the instrument in question is the yobel, the ram’s horn. In the Bible the Jubilee Year occurred every 50 years and involved the cancelling of debts, a period of rest for people and the earth, and land being restored to the landless.
In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 4:14ff, Jesus makes clear his own mission is to bring Jubilee. In the synagogue at Nazareth, he reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour: The Spirit of the Lord has been given to me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.” (Luke 4:18-19)
After reading, Jesus announces: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus shows us what God’s Kingdom of justice, compassion and freedom looks like. He invites us to join him in making it a reality.
What does the Papal Bull for the 2025 Jubilee Year tell us?
The Bull is titled “Spes non confundit” (Hope does not disappoint) and urges us to look for signs of hope in the world around us and work for peace and justice. In the document Pope Francis writes: “If we really wish to prepare a path to peace in our world, let us commit ourselves to remedying the remote causes of injustice, settling unjust and unpayable debts, and feeding the hungry.” (#16)
The term ‘bull’ originates from the lead seal, known as bulla in Latin. It refers to a Papal decree which outlines the purpose and spirit of the Holy Year.
What is a Holy Door?
A Holy Door is one of the usually sealed entrances that lead into the major basilicas of Rome. The beginning of the Jubilee Year is marked by the opening of the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. It is only during a Jubilee Year that these doors are opened.
What do Catholics do during a Jubilee Year?
The Jubilee Year is an opportunity to respond to God’s call to turn to him and to pursue justice. In the Jubilee Year of 2000 many Christians joined together to call for cancellation of debt owed by the world’s poorest countries.
24 December 2024 Opening of the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica
29 December 2024 Opening of the Jubilee Year in every diocese in the world
The Jubilee Prayer – Pope Francis
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