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Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee

Pope Francis has declared that the year 2025 will be a Holy Year of Jubilee for the Catholic Church – an event that takes place once every 25 years.

The theme for the 2025 Jubilee is “Pilgrims of Hope”, an invitation to showcase the hope of our Christian faith to people right across the world at a time when there is so much suffering from the impact of war, poverty, climate change, and the lasting effects of the COVID pandemic.

The Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee presents each one of us with an opportunity to reignite the flame of our faith in our own hearts and to share the light of that faith with those in darkness.

Further Reading

What is a Jubilee?

The concept of Jubilee is one rooted in the earliest days of Judeo-Christian tradition.

In the Book of Leviticus, we read that the people of Israel celebrated this tradition every 50 years.

Its purpose was to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. It involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates this tradition once every 25 years as a year of grace, offering the faithful the opportunity to renew faith through prayer, pilgrimage, acts of charity, and by asking for a plenary indulgence – a special grace that strengthens our wounded souls in the fight against sin.

How are we celebrating in our Diocese?

Over the coming months, there will be plenty of opportunities and resources to help you observe this special year of grace in our diocese.

For a handy one-stop-shop of all the information you need on the history and themes of Jubilee – as well as how to take part  in our diocese – please download our Jubilee Booklet by clicking the link below or explore the Further Reading tabs to find out more:

Download our Jubilee Booklet

A Message from Bishop John

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with great joy that we come together to celebrate the Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee; an invitation for Catholics around the world to renew our relationship with God, each other, and all of creation, in celebration of that most central aspects of Christian faith: hope.

As we look around our world today, it can be rather difficult to find that sense of hope. From war, climate change, and the plight of refugees, to poverty around the world and here in our own Diocese, there is so much pain and suffering in our world today that often, things can all seem rather hopeless. But however overwhelming that all might feel, we need to remind ourselves that we are Pilgrims of Hope with our own role to play.

The Year of Jubilee invites us to reflect on that responsibility and embrace the hope we find in the resurrected Christ; to use it to renew and rebuild our sense of faith, our Christian call to mission, and our mandate to love and serve one another and all of creation.

The Year of Jubilee coincides with a time of real renewal in our Diocese with the conclusion of our Diocesan Synod. I ask you to please keep our Synod in your prayers over the coming months; that the Holy Spirit will guide and inspire us as we seek to become all that God is calling us to be.

May God bless you in this Holy Year of Jubilee.

Stay with us, Lord, on our journey,

+ John Arnold, Bishop of Salford

Camera captures the back and profile of Bishop John Arnold as he enters Salford Cathedral. He is wearing white vestments and his amaranth zucchetto

Further Resources

For more resources, please click the buttons below:

Want to find out more about the upcoming Jubilee and how to celebrate in our diocese? Our Jubilee booklet explores more about the history of this ancient tradition, highlights some of its central themes, and shares key information on how to observe this special year of grace in our diocese.

Click here to download now.

Read Pope Francis’ letter announcing the 2025 Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee.

Click here.

Discover more about the Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee and this preparatory Year of Prayer by exploring a range of resources from the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

Click here.

For a copy of the 2025 Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee Prayer, please click here. 

The Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelisation has created a short video explaining a little more about the Year of Jubilee.

Click here to watch now.