Jubilee Year 2025

On May 9, when the Vatican celebrated the Solemn Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, our Holy Father, Pope Frances, issued his Bull of Indiction to announce the 2025 Holy Jubilee Year. Entitled Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint, Romans 5:5),” the document considers and celebrates the foundational spiritual dimensions of “hope” in all human experience. The theme of this Holy Year is “Pilgrims of Hope.”

This is the logo chosen by the Vatican for the Holy Year 2025.


Holy Years, traditionally celebrated in the Church every 25 years since 1300, are opportunities for Catholics throughout the world to make pilgrimages to Rome and other holy places, accompanied by special prayers, indulgences, reconciliation and remission of sins. The Diocese of Trenton will celebrate the Holy Year with spiritual events and activities in the Diocese throughout the coming year. More will be announced about those activities in the coming months.

CNS photo/Vatican Media

St. Anthony Church, a Pilgrimage Church

Our own parish church of Saint Anthony has been designated as a Jubilee Pilgrimage Church for Mercer County. The faithful are welcome to make a pilgrimage to Saint Anthony’s to celebrate the Holy Year and to obtain the grace of the plenary indulgence.

Obtaining a Plenary Indulgence

The indulgence, a gift of divine mercy, is one of the special ‘signs’ of the Jubilee Year. It allows us to discover the limitless mercy of God. The truly repentant, moved by a spirit of charity, purified through the sacrament of Penance, and refreshed by Holy Communion, are able to receive the indulgence.  

What is a Plenary (Full) Indulgence?

When we sin, we take on a liability of guilt and a liability of punishment. The Sacrament of Penance removes the liability of guilt but the temporal punishment remains. This is why we are encouraged to do penance in order to make up for the sins forgiven. “God’s fatherly love.” says St. John Paul II, “does not exclude chastisement, even though this should always be understood in the context of a merciful justice which reestablishes the order violated.” A plenary indulgence is a grace aimed at wiping away this temporal punishment that remains after forgiveness. It offers us the chance of complete healing in this life or in purgatory. An indulgence is the expression of the Church’s confidence of being heard by the Father when, in view of Christ’s merits and those of Our Lady and the Saints, she asks God to mitigate or cancel the painful aspect of punishment by fostering its medicinal aspect through channels of grace. This gift cannot be received automatically nor can it be approached with a superficial attitude. Reception of an indulgence depends on our turning away from sin and being converted to God. We can claim the indulgence for ourselves or apply it to someone who has died.

The requirements to receive a plenary indulgence

1. Make a pilgrimage to any designated Jubilee site or one of the four Major Basilicas of Rome, or the Holy Land. Each county of our diocese has a designated pilgrimage church.  
2. Take part in one or more of the following:
   • a liturgical celebration,
   • Eucharistic adoration,
   • carrying out works of mercy,
   • visiting the sick, lonely elderly, disabled, or prisoners)
   • abstaining from futile distractions,
   • contributing to the needs of the poor,
   • supporting the work to defend life in all its phases. 
3. Make a sacramental Confession and receive Holy Communion
4. Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Creed. 

What if I cannot make a pilgrimage?

Those unable to participate in the celebrations, pilgrimages or visits can obtain the Jubilee indulgence under the same conditions if they recite in their own home (or from wherever they are impeded from traveling) the Our Father, the Creed, and prayers of the Jubilee, offering up their sufferings or the hardships of their lives.

A Jubilee Sign of Hope—Peace

The first sign of hope should be the desire for peace in our world, which once more finds itself immersed in the tragedy of war…Is it too much to dream that arms can fall silent and cease to rain down destruction and death? May diplomacy be tireless in its commitment to seek…lasting peace.