Jubilee Year 2025
In a letter from February 2022 announcing the Jubilee, Pope Francis stated: "We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire..."
"The coming Jubilee will 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 fulfillment of the Lord's promises."
-Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025, Pope Francis
To read the entire Bull of Indiction, click HERE
Father in heaven, may the faith you have gifted us in your son Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity kindled 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 diligent cultivators of the evangelical seeds that make humanity and the cosmos rise unto the confident expectation of the new heavens and the new earth, when with the powers of Evil overcome, your glory shall be manifested eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, the yearning for heavenly treasures and pour over all the earth the joy and peace of our Redeemer. To you God blessed in eternity, be praise and glory for ever and ever. Amen
(Clarion Herald article "Archdiocese announces 12 pilgrimage sites")
The Archdiocese of New Orleans has announced plans to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee Year by designating 12 churches as official pilgrimage sites. Pilgrims are encouraged to visit these holy spaces and engage in acts of prayer, penance and charity. Details about these sites and the Jubilee celebrations will be shared throughout the year.
The Catholic Church has a tradition of observing a period of spiritual renewal and grace every 25 years. Rooted in centuries-old customs, the Jubilee provides a sacred opportunity for Catholics to seek forgiveness, deepen their faith and encounter Christ through pilgrimage, prayer and service.
Since its beginning in 1300 by Pope Boniface VIII, the Jubilee has been celebrated as a season of spiritual rebirth and mercy. Originally observed every 100 years, the Church later adopted a more frequent rhythm of celebration – every 25 years – to reflect its biblical origins.
Pope Francis has invited the faithful worldwide to embrace the theme, “Pilgrims of Hope.” He prays this Jubilee year will contribute to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to renewal and rebirth in the Catholic Church.
“This will indeed be the case if we are capable of recovering a sense of universal fraternity and refuse to turn a blind eye to the tragedy of rampant poverty that prevents millions of men, women, young people and children from living in a manner worthy of our human dignity,” he said in a letter. “May the voices of the poor be heard throughout this time of preparation for the Jubilee, which is meant to restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone.”
Below is a list of the 12 pilgrimage sites in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Contact each church for more information.
The Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France
615 Pere Antoine Alley, New Orleans
(504) 525-9585
Basilica of St. Stephen
1025 Napoleon Ave., New Orleans
(504) 899-1378
National Votive Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor
2701 State Street, New Orleans
(504) 473-6750
Shrine of the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs
Mary, Queen of Vietnam Church
5069 Willowbrook Dr., New Orleans
(504) 254-5660
National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos
St. Alphonsus Parish
919 Josephine St., New Orleans
(504) 525-2495
St. Jude Shrine
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish
411 N. Rampart St., New Orleans
(504) 525-1551
St. Joseph Church & Shrine on the Westbank
610 6th Street, Gretna
(504) 368-1313
St. Ann Church & Shrine
3601 Transcontinental Dr., Metairie
(504) 455-7071
St. Joseph Abbey
75376 River Road, St. Benedict
(985)-892-1800
St. Augustine Church
1210 Governor Nicholls St., New Orleans
(504) 525-5934
St. Charles Borromeo
13396 River Road., Destrehan
(985) 764-6383
St. John the Baptist, Edgard
2361 Highway 18, Edgard
(985) 497-3412