As the Universal Church progresses through the Jubilee Year 2025, as established by Pope Francis, the Diocese of Venice will be hosting five pilgrimage sites, as well as several events which bring to life the Jubilee’s theme: “Pilgrims of Hope.”
The Diocese of Venice website, Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope – Diocese of Venice, will be a clearinghouse of information regarding Jubilee Year 2025 activities in the Diocese as well as general information about the Jubilee Year.
The Jubilee Year includes the option to go through Holy Doors by making a pilgrimage to the major Papal Basilicas in Rome. In addition, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have also designated specific shrines within the country to serve as special pilgrimage sites.
Meanwhile, the five Jubilee Pilgrimage Sites designated Bishop Frank J. Dewane within the Diocese of Venice present local opportunities to participate and celebrate the Jubilee Year. Each of these sites (Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, St. John XXIII Parish in Fort Myers, St. John the Evangelist Parish in Naples, St. Paul Parish in Arcadia, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice), will include expanded times for Mass, Adoration, and Confession, as well as Lenten programming. Each of the sites will also be open to individual or large group pilgrimages. Recall that the Holy Doors established by Pope Francis are limited to five pilgrimage sites in Rome.
Bishop Dewane said it is his prayer that the faithful of the Diocese take advantage of the grace of the Jubilee Year and visit at least one of the Jubilee Pilgrimage Sites.
“This is an opportunity to join the faithful from around the world in participating in special Jubilee Year activities,” Bishop Dewane said. “We must be people of hope in the way we live our lives, in our faith, and within our community. We also have an obligation to take the hope the Lord gives us and be a beacon of hope for others.”
A Jubilee Year is a special holy year of grace and pilgrimage that happens at least once every 25 years. The Pope can call for extraordinary jubilee years, such as the 2016 Year of Mercy. During the Jubilee, Catholics are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to Rome. For pilgrims who can’t travel to Rome, the Bishops of the world were encouraged to designate local pilgrimage sites for the Jubilee.
.Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica before Mass on Christmas Eve, officially launching the Jubilee Year 2025. Passing through a Holy Door during the Jubilee symbolizes entry into a new life in Christ and the beginning of a journey of conversion.
One grace that “Pilgrims of Hope” on the Jubilee may obtain is the “Jubilee indulgence.” This grace is granted by the Holy Father to anyone who travels to any sacred jubilee site, whether in Rome, the Holy Land, or a locally designated sacred site.
The Jubilee Indulgence is a concrete manifestation of God’s mercy and is a gift of grace specific to the Holy Year. To gain an indulgence during Jubilee Year 2025, the faithful can undertake a pious pilgrimage to a Jubilee Site, including those designated by the Bishop. The person seeking the plenary indulgence must participate in Holy Mass or any of the following: celebration of the Word of God, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Via Crucis, the Marian Rosary, or a penitential celebration, which ends with individual confession. Additional information about receiving a Jubilee Indulgence can be found at https://dioceseofvenice.org/jubilee-2025-pilgrims-of-hope/.
Jubilee Year 2025, a year filled with special spiritual, artistic, and cultural events in Rome, will conclude during the Christmas Season 2025. Two of the biggest events of the Jubilee of Hope will be the canonizations of Blessed Carlo Acutis, during the Jubilee of Teenagers on April 27, and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, during the Jubilee of Young People on Aug. 3. In addition, there will be a celebration of the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly on the weekend of May 30 – June 1.
Youth Jubilee Adoration Nights
The second Youth Jubilee Adoration Night in the Diocese took place Jan. 31, at St. Andrew Parish in Cape Coral. Youth from St. Andrew, as well as St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Cape Coral and Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, took part in group Eucharistic Adoration as part of the Jubilee Year 2025. The first Youth Jubilee Adoration Night took place Jan. 16, at St. Agnes Parish in Naples.
At St. Andrew, guest speaker Kyle Van Duser encouraged the youth to become true “Pilgrims of Hope” by using the gifts given to them by God to carry the message of the Lord to others. To do this, they must deepen their relationship with the Lord by regularly attending Mass, going to Confession and doing Works of Mercy. By doing these things, they will serve as a beacon of hope for others to follow, living out their mission as “Pilgrims of Hope.”
The evenings include an inspirational talk, prayer, music, and the opportunity to take part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, all before concluding with Benediction. While the Youth Jubilee Adoration Nights are geared toward younger Catholics, with youth-centric music and talks, but all are welcome. Each Adoration Night is 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Upcoming opportunities to participate are: Saturday, March 22, St. Patrick Parish, 7900 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota; and Friday, May 2, St. Paul Parish, 1330 E. Oak. St., Arcadia. There is no cost to attend, but registration is requested at https://dioceseofvenice.regfox.com/jubilee-2025-adoration-nights-. For more information contact Andres Prias at prias@dioceseofvenice.org or 941-441-1122.
One-day Eastern Deanery Eucharistic Pilgrimage
Coming to the Eastern Deanery on Feb. 15 will be a special Eucharistic Pilgrimage which will visit the Parishes of St. James, St. Catherine, Our Lady of Grace, St. Michael, and St. Paul (this is a designated Diocesan Jubilee Year Pilgrimage Site). This is a unique opportunity to respond to the call of the ongoing National Eucharistic Revival Mission and to celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope.
The Eucharistic Pilgrimage begins at 7:30 a.m., at St. James Parish, 3380 Placid View Drive, Lake Placid, and will include Mass, a Eucharistic Procession and breakfast. Pilgrims will then travel by their own vehicle to St. Catherine Parish, 820 Hickory St., Sebring, for a 10 a.m. Eucharistic Procession. The next stop will be at Our Lady of Grace Parish, 595 E. Main St., Avon Park, for a noon Eucharistic Procession, followed by lunch.
Pilgrims will then proceed to St. Michael Parish, 408 Heard Bridge Road, Wauchula, for a 3 p.m. Eucharistic Procession, followed by snacks. The final stop will be at St. Paul Parish, 1330 E. Oak St., Arcadia, for a 6 p.m. Mass, which will be followed by food. Pilgrims can participate in as many of the stops as they wish. For more information, please contact Sister Maria Nikopoia, SSVM, at m.nikopoia@servidoras.org or call 863-232-9284.
Third Diocese of Venice Eucharistic Conference
In addition to previously mentioned activities, the third Diocese of Venice Eucharistic Conference will take place Saturday, March 29, at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center in Punta Gorda. The theme for the day-long event is inspired by the Jubilee Year 2025 while also building upon the three-year National Eucharistic Revival. The theme for the Conference is “Becoming Eucharistic Missionaries” and it offers an opportunity to celebrate the Catholic faith with others.
The Diocesan Eucharistic Conference will feature dynamic presentations by nationally renowned Catholic speakers including Dr. Scott Hahn, Kimberly Hahn, Mary Ann Wiesinger-Puig, and Andrés Arango. There will also be breakout sessions in Spanish. The event will include Mass celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane. In addition, there will be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the opportunity for Confession, as well as Catholic vendors and exhibitors. The cost to attend is $35. per person and includes lunch. To register, please visit https://dioceseofvenice.regfox.com/eucharistic-conference. For more information, contact Jim Gontis at 941-486-4754 or gontis@dioceseofvenice.org.
Twenty-Four Hours for the Lord
On March 28, during the Jubilee Year, the Holy Father called upon all Churches to observe a 24 Hours of the Lord event. Please check with your local Parish for Eucharistic Adoration hours, with designated times for the Sacrament of Confession. (Please note that this will be in addition to the designated Lenten Confession times for the Diocese of Venice, which will be held this year on Friday, April 11, and Saturday, April 12.)
As the Jubilee Year continues, please visit https://dioceseofvenice.org/jubilee-2025-pilgrims-of-hope/ frequently for updates on the latest Diocesan Jubilee Year activities.
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
The Catholic Charities Venetian Charity Ball is 6 p.m., March 22, 2025, at St. Leo the Great Parish Hall, 28290 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs. This event supports the programs in Lee, Hendry, and Glades counties, and the communities still recovering from Hurricane Ian in 2022. Tickets are $250. Register online at 
The Catholic Charities Emerald Ball is 5:30 p.m., March 26, 2025, at the Ritz-Carlton Tiburon Golf Resort, 2600 Tiburon Drive, Naples. This year’s theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” inspired by Pope Francis in honor of the Jubilee Year, reflects Catholic Charities’ commitment to providing help and hope to all individuals, regardless of race, nationality, or religion. Tickets are $400. Register online at 
The third Diocese of Venice Eucharistic Conference will take place Saturday, March 29, at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center in Punta Gorda. The theme for the day-long event is inspired by the Jubilee Year 2025 while also building upon the three-year National Eucharistic Revival. The theme for the Conference is “Becoming Eucharistic Missionaries,” and it offers an opportunity to celebrate the Catholic faith with others. The Diocesan Eucharistic Conference will feature Mass celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane. There will also be dynamic presentations by nationally renowned Catholic speakers, with the keynote given by Dr. Scott Hahn, a theologian and Catholic apologist, who has written numerous books. There will be breakout sessions in Spanish. In addition, there will be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the opportunity for Confession, as well as Catholic vendors and exhibitors. The cost to attend is $35. per person and includes lunch. To learn more and register, visit 
The 40 days for Life Spring Campaign (from Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025) aims to end abortion locally through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses. In the Diocese of Venice, 40 Days for Life campaigns are held in three locations: Sarasota – Daily from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., 736 Central Ave., or visit 
Corina Sanchez of Jesus the Worker Parish in Fort Myers said the entire day was a beautiful experience, which included the opening Mass, celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane, inspirational talks, the opportunity to be among the faithful from across the Diocese, and the concluding group Eucharistic Adoration.
