Special Event on Sunday, January 5^th to Inaugurate Local Celebrations

All are invited to join Bishop Gregory Parkes for the local opening of the Jubilee Year called for by Pope Francis with the theme, “Pilgrims of Hope.”  A Jubilee Year is held every 25 years in the Catholic Church to promote reconciliation and forgiveness.   During 2025, Pope Francis is asking each of us to strengthen our sense of hope and to “be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind.”

What: Local Opening Event of the Jubilee Year of Hope

Where: Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle, known as the mother of all churches of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, 5815 5th Avenue North, St. Petersburg

When: Sunday, January 5, 2025, 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Key Moments of this Event:

• Families and individuals will gather outside (on the corner of 5th Avenue and Tyrone Boulevard) for a procession into the church to emphasize their role as Pilgrims of Hope. Some children will dress up as the kings and wise men who visited Jesus after his birth.
• The bishop will read an excerpt from the pope’s official document about the Jubilee Year.
• At the entrance to the Cathedral, the bishop will hold up the Jubilee Year cross for all to see and the faithful will show respect and honor to the cross.
• The bishop will lead the Pilgrims of Hope into the Cathedral, and the bishop will celebrate the opening Mass for the Jubilee Year.

Additional Information:

During this event, Bishop Parkes will announce six pilgrimage sites in the area where the community can visit to pray, reflect, and learn about local history. The six sites are:

• Pinellas County: Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle, 5815 5th Ave N, St. Petersburg
• Pinellas County: Espiritu Santo Catholic Church, 2405 Philippe Parkway, Safety Harbor
• Hernando County: St. Stanislaus Chapel, 14249 Citrus Way, Brooksville
• Hillsborough County: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 509 N. Florida Avenue, Tampa
• Pasco County: Saint Leo Abbey Church, 33601 County Road 52, St. Leo
• Citrus County: St. Benedict Catholic Church, 455 S Suncoast Blvd, Crystal River

Bishop Parkes stated: “Our Diocese will unite with Pope Francis and Catholics worldwide in celebrating this special year of grace and favor.”

Additional Jubilee events for our area will be announced in the coming weeks.

The practice of a jubilee year has ancient roots. In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first Christian Jubilee, a year set aside to encourage the faithful to embark on pilgrimages, to repent of their sins and forgive the sins of others, and to renew a focus on the spiritual life. Since then, popes have designated Jubilee years as a special time of grace and forgiveness.  Originally occurring every 50 years, today this practice is observed every 25 years, and serves as a reminder of God’s love, mercy, and continual call to conversion.

Caption: Pope Francis pushes open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican December 24, 2024, inaugurating the Holy Year 2025. (CNS photo/Cristian Gennari, pool)