Celebrating the Jubilee Year
What is the Jubilee?
The Jubilee Year was originally intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields. The concept of “Jubilee” has its origins in the Book of Leviticus as a special year of reconciliation, pilgrimage, and coming home.
Pope Francis designated the 2025 Holy Year as a time to renew ourselves as “Pilgrims of Hope.”
As “Pilgrims of Hope,” we are asked to carry hope in our heart, and bring hope to others. There are many ways to participate in the Jubilee Year, including right here in the Diocese of Venice!
Pilgrims of Hope in Action!
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Celebrating the Jubilee Year!
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How can I participate in the Jubilee?
 Catholics in Southwest Florida can celebrate and participate in the 2025 Jubilee by making a special pilgrimage to Rome or designated shrine in the United States, or by engaging in local Jubilee activities right here in the Diocese of Venice.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane has designated five Jubilee Pilgrimage Sites in the Diocese of Venice. By visiting one of the Pilgrimage Sites in the Diocese and participating in its offerings of Mass, Adoration, Confession, or other activities, one can celebrate the Jubilee, and gain the Jubilee’s plenary indulgence.
A variety of other special Jubilee celebration opportunities will be offered throughout the Diocese, which will be regularly listed and updated here. |
What are the Holy Doors?
The Holy Door is perhaps the most powerful sign of the Jubilee, since the ultimate aim of the pilgrim is to pass through it. The opening of the door by the Pope constitutes the official beginning of the Holy Year. Originally, there was only one door, at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. Later, to allow as many pilgrims as possible to take part in the Jubilee experience, the other Roman Basilicas also opened their own Holy Doors. These Holy Doors, all located in Rome, are the only Holy Doors of the Jubilee.
In crossing the threshold of the Holy Door, the pilgrim is reminded of the passage from chapter 10 of St John’s gospel: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” Passing through the Holy Door expresses the decision to follow and be guided by Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd. |
Traveling to Rome?
If you are headed to Rome for the Jubilee Holy Year, the Bishops’ Office for United States Visitors to the Vatican, sponsored by the Pontifical North American College and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, provides information to help you plan your Rome pilgrimage so that it may be a truly prayerful experience.
Additionally, be mindful of the new visa requirements (linked here) for U.S. citizens (and others) entering the European Union, starting in 2025. For those from other countries (outside the U.S.) who need additional visas for travel to Europe, note the special Jubilee tourism visa process (linked here).
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What is the Jubilee Indulgence?
The Jubilee Indulgence is a concrete manifestation of God’s mercy and is a gift of grace specific to the Holy Year.
An Indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishment due to sin. It is not a forgiveness of sin — Confession is a necessary part of any Indulgence — but the remission of punishment for sins already forgiven. It may apply either to oneself or to those who have gone before us.
“. . . a way of discovering the unlimited nature of God’s mercy . . . ” Pope Francis
This treasury of grace entered human history in the witness of Jesus and the saints, and by living in communion with them our hope for our own forgiveness is strengthened and becomes a certainty.
The Jubilee Indulgence allows us to free our hearts from the weight of sin because the reparation due for our sins is given freely and abundantly.
For further information, review the “Indulgences” section (nos. 1471 to 1479) of The Catechism of the Catholic Church, available online here.
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How do I gain an Indulgence?
Pilgrimage
The Apostolic Penitentiary’s Decree on the Granting of the Indulgence during the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025 indicates that the Faithful may obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if they undertake a pilgrimage or pious visit to a Jubilee Site, including those designated by their Bishop. The person seeking the Indulgence must participate in Holy Mass or any of the following: celebration of the Word of God, Liturgy of the Hours, Way of the Cross, Marian Rosary, or a penitential celebration, which ends with individual Confession.
Pious Visit to Sacred Places
Likewise, the faithful can obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if, individually or in a group, they devoutly visit any Jubilee site and there, for a suitable period of time, engage in Eucharistic Adoration and meditation, concluding with the Our Father, the Profession of Faith, and invocations to Mary, the Mother of God, so that in this Holy Year everyone “will come to know the closeness of Mary, the most affectionate of mothers, who never abandons her children” (, 24).
Additional Requirements
Further requirements to obtain an Indulgence are that the person be detached from sin and repentant, receive the Sacrament of Penance and Holy Communion, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father. These conditions may be met at a Jubilee Site or one’s own Parish but should be done on the same day or within a few days of the act of Indulgence. An Indulgence may be obtained more than once, but only once per day. |
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The Importance of Penance in a Jubilee Year
The Jubilee Indulgence may also be obtained through initiatives that put into practice the spirit of penance which is, in a sense, the soul of the Jubilee.
The spirit of penance can be expressed through receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but that is not the only way to express the spirit of penance.
Additional examples of putting into practice the spirit of penance include carrying out more frequent works of charity and mercy.
An Indulgence may be obtained, for example, by means of a visit, for an appropriate amount of time, to our brothers and sisters who are in need or in difficulty, in a sense making a pilgrimage to Christ present in them.
Additional examples include:
- Abstaining at least one day a week from futile distraction, such as social media or television
- By donating a proportionate sum of money to the poor
- By supporting works of a religious or social nature, especially in defense and protection of life in all its phases
- Supporting the quality of life of young people in difficulty, the needy or lonely elderly people
- Dedicating a reasonable portion of free time to volunteer activities that are of service to the community
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Additional Opportunities to Participate in the Jubilee in the Diocese of Venice
Stay tuned for future updates and events! |
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Additional Opportunities to Participate in the Jubilee in the United States
National Shrines and Pilgrimage Sites
Formed in 1990 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Association of Shrine and Pilgrimage Apostolate (NASPA) is an association of shrines that have been designated as national Catholic shrines or that have been designated diocesan shrines. Those not able to pilgrimage to Rome may also obtain a Jubilee Indulgence by making a pious pilgrimage to a sacred Jubilee site, including those identified in your Diocese by your Bishop, or any national minor basilica, Marian sanctuary, or national sanctuary.
View U.S. Shrine Holy Sites
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For More Information About the Jubilee Holy Year
For more information about the Jubilee Holy, visit the official Jubilee websites of the Vatican and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), accessible via the buttons below.
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