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Jubilee 2025 - Pilgrims of Hope
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a letter to the faithful from bishop lohse
The coming Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God. May it help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation. May the witness of believers be for our world a leaven of authentic hope, a harbinger of new heavens and a new earth (cf. 2 Pet 3:13), where men and women will dwell in justice and harmony, in joyful expectation of the fulfilment of the Lord’s promises.
— Pope Francis, Spes Non Confundit/
Hope Does Not Disappoint, Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We join with the whole Church throughout the world this year in celebrating the Jubilee of Hope. As the name indicates, the Holy Father has asked that this Jubilee (also referred to as a Holy Year) focus on hope. He reminds us that hope is born of the love that flows forth from the pierced heart of Jesus. Hope does not disappoint because it is rooted in Christ. I echo the Holy Father’s invitation and invite all of the faithful in the Diocese of Kalamazoo to participate in this Holy Year and answer the call to be pilgrims of hope.
Jubilee years are marked by the forgiveness of sins, the restoration of justice and the cancelling of debts, the most important of which is the debt of sin. We read in the Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament how the celebration of a Jubilee was ordered every 50 years; however, the Christian Church celebrates this year of favor from the Lord even more frequently, every 25 years; hence, this Jubilee in 2025.
And while we join with the universal Church in our observance, we can also celebrate the Jubilee here in our diocese. One way to do that is to make a pilgrimage. Recognizing that traveling to Rome is not an option for many, I have designated five churches as pilgrimage sites in the Diocese of Kalamazoo, one in each deanery: St. Augustine Cathedral in Kalamazoo, St. Mary in Marshall, St. Therese of Lisieux in Wayland, Sacred Heart of Mary in Dowagiac and — once it reopens after Easter following renovations — St. Joseph in Saint Joseph. These churches will welcome pilgrims throughout the year, and special Masses will occasionally be celebrated in them.
Another characteristic of a Holy Year is the possibility of obtaining indulgences. The Latin word itself, indulgentia, means leniency, tenderness, forgiveness, pardon. In short, indulgences are the gift of divine mercy bestowed by God upon the faithful who piously seek that mercy, aided through the intercession of the Church and the merits of the saints. By pilgrimage to any of these locations during this Holy Year and through the usual means: confession of sins, reception of Holy Communion, and prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father, you can obtain a plenary indulgence for yourself or for someone who is deceased. More information is available on the website and at each of the pilgrimage sites.
This Holy Year calls us to renew our hope rooted in Christ. May our witnesses as pilgrims of hope inspire others to know the Lord’s love and may you yourself experience tremendous blessings in this Jubilee of Hope!
The Most Reverend Edward M. Lohse
Bishop of Kalamazoo
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Pilgrimage sites
St Augustine Cathedral, Kalamazoo
St. Mary Parish, Marshall
St. Therese of Lisieux, Wayland
Sacred Heart of Mary, Dowagiac (Silver Creek)
*Starting in May 2025: St. Joseph Parish, St. Joseph (due to renovations)
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