Frequently Asked Questions about the Jubilee

• What is a Jubilee?
  § A jubilee year is a time for forgiveness and renewal in our relationship with God.
  § In the Bible, the year was marked by the remittance of debt and property as well as the healing of
  relationships between people, nations, and even the relationship between humans and creation
  (cf. Leviticus 25:8-55). The first Christian Jubilee was declared in 1300 by Pope Boniface VIII.
• What is this Jubilee about?
  § This jubilee is called Pilgrims of Hope. We are called to rediscover the hope of Christianity and
  then be signs of hope to others in our daily life. It goes from December 29, 2024 to December
  28, 2025.
  § May this “Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’
  (cf. Jn 10:7.9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere
  and to all as ‘our hope’ (1 Tim 1:1)” (Spes Non Confundit, 1).
• What is the connection with pilgrimages and doors?
  § During Jubilee years, the pope opens doors for people to pass through to gain indulgences.
  Sometimes, he permits holy doors to be located in different parts of the world. This year, the
  only holy doors are in Rome.
  § Passing through a “holy door” has traditionally been a sign of conversion, passing away from
  one’s old life and into a life of renewed zeal and faith. People make pilgrimages to pass through
  holy doors and recommit to following Jesus.
• What is an indulgence?
  An indulgence remits the temporal punishment of sin already forgiven. Sorrow for sin can lead to
  repentance and forgiveness, but the disruption of God’s order and the effect of the sin on others
  remains. For the sake of justice, there must be a mitigation of the evil effects of the sin; an attempt to
  “make up” for the evil caused. Temporal punishment is a consequence of the sin which helps to purify
  our souls and restore, as possible, God’s order.
  An indulgence, indulges us. It provides for our spiritual purification without pain or difficulty because
  the merits of Christ’s death and those of the saints are applied on our behalf.
• How can we gain indulgences by participating in the Jubilee Year if all the doors are in
  Rome?
  To receive an indulgence, we must do the action required, confess our sins and be detached from all
  sin, receive the Eucharist in Mass, and pray for the pope’s intentions (within twenty days).
  Acts you can do to gain a jubilee indulgence are:
  1. Visit a jubilee site:
  § Travel to a site on a pilgrimage must include participation in Mass or a major hour from
  the Liturgy of the Hours or in devotional prayers or in a penance service with sacramental confession.
  2. A pious visit to a pilgrimage site, the cathedral, or basilica and adore the Eucharist for a suitable
  time, recite an Our Father and a profession of faith, and ask Mary’s intercession.
  § Or, if unable to travel for serious reasons (cloistered, infirm, or imprisoned) one must piously
  unite oneself to those who make pious visits and pilgrimages, recite an Our Father, make a
  profession of faith, and offer up their sufferings and hardships.
  3. Participate in a mission, some spiritual exercises, or a study in the documents of Vatican II or the
  Catechism of the Catholic Church
  4. Perform spiritual or corporeal works of mercy. Works of mercy that involve visiting the burdened
  are “in a sense making a pilgrimage to Christ present in them” (Bollettino).
  5. Penitential practices in keeping with the spirit of the Jubilee
  § Some examples include abstinence or fasting on Fridays, donations to the poor, giving one’s free
  time to the service of others, and avoiding futile distractions or consumption of goods.
  6. Attend the closing of the Jubilee Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and receive the Papal
  Blessing bestowed at that time.
• What are the pilgrimage sites in the Archdiocese of Boston?
  § Most Holy Redeemer, Boston
  § St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine, Boston
  § Holy Rosary Shrine, Lawrence
  § St. Joseph the Worker Shrine, Lowell
  § Divine Mercy Shrine, Salem
  § Blessed Andrew Phu Yen, Medford
  § Missionary Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Holliston
  § Immaculate Conception Parish, Marlborough
  § St. Paul’s Parish, Hingham
  § St. Patrick’s Parish, Brockton
• What events are taking place locally?
  § 24 Hours for the Lord on March 28-29 at our pilgrimage sites
  § Events for high school youth during April 20-27th.
  § Corpus Christi Procession by Sea on June 21 and 22 North Shore to South Boston
• What can I do to participate in the Jubilee Year?
  § Visit and pray at pilgrimage sites
  § Join in the events around the archdiocese
  § Revisit the fundamentals of our faith (Who is Jesus?, What did he do?, and Why does it
  matter?) to bolster your hope in Jesus
  § Practice works of mercy and be signs of hope to those you encounter
  § Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation more frequently throughout the year
  § Share signs of hope on social media. Tag @BostonCatholic and use the hashtag #JubileeYear
  § Talk to an acquaintance and get to know him/her better. If a friendship develops, share the
  reason for your hope in Jesus with that him/her

Learn more about the Jubilee Year and events at bit.ly/JubileeOf Hope.