OPENING OF THE JUBILEE YEAR
The Jubilee 2025 year started in Rome on Christmas Eve when Pope Francis opened and passed through the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica. Many watched this profoundly symbolic occasion as the massive doors opened and the Pope solemnly crossed the threshold passing through the door signifying the passage from sin to grace. It is a visual symbol of internal renewal, which begins with the desire to make peace with God, reconcile with your neighbours, restore in yourself everything that has been damaged in the past, and reshape your heart through conversion.
OPENING IN CAPE TOWN
On 31 December 2024, in the Archdiocese of Cape Town there was a solemn mass at the Cathedral of St Mary of the Flight into Egypt, to open the jubilee year in Cape Town. This was celebrated by Cardinal Stephen Brislin as Archbishop of Cape Town and concelebrated by our Auxiliary Bishop Sylvester David OMI, together with His Excellency Archbishop Henryk Jagodinski – Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome, Father Robert Bissell – Administrator of St Mary’s Cathedral, and all the priests and attended by all religious of the Archdiocese as well as representatives from all the parishes. The Jubilee candle was lit, and all parishes and religious were presented with a Jubilee candle to carry the flame of the jubilee into the parishes and religious communities.
A YEAR OF EVENTS
Throughout the Jubilee year there will be a number of events to celebrate the jubilee themes of forgiveness and reconciliation, conversion, renewal and transformation where all people of the church are called to be PILGRIMS OF HOPE bringing Christ’s light into the world.
There will be Archdiocesan events. Also, in the local Deaneries there will be events organised and at Parish level too people are encouraged to have events, services and gatherings that celebrate the jubilee. Recurring regular events will also take on the Jubilee theme this year (for example Holy Childhood Masses, Teachers’ Masses and the Choir Festival).
MAIN EVENTS
A short list of some main events are below (please see the events calendar for details and more events as they are scheduled):
- Pilgrimages to the Cape Town Cathedral of St Mary of the Flight into Egypt (15 Feb – 30 Aug)
- Eucharist Jubilee Prayer Series: Four “Ecclesia style” sessions on the Eucharist for parishes to run in Lent (March/April).
- “Teach us to Pray”: A further two programmes will be available to parishes each consisting of three sessions. The first in Eastertide and the second in the latter part of the year.
- Caritas: Tree Planting (10 April)
- Youth Day – Battle of the Bands (16 June)
- Caritas: Jubilee Food and Stationery Collection for Migrants and Refugees (July/August)
- Archdiocese Jubilee Mass (14 September)
- Caritas: Justice & Peace Programme of awareness and advocacy concerning Gender Based Violence (Advent programme starting 23 November)
- Closing of the Jubilee Year with a Eucharistic Procession (28 December)