By Kate Bone
On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica and officially inaugurated the 2025 Jubilee of Hope. During his Christmas Eve Mass, he reassured the faithful that the Christ Child of Bethlehem offers the world infinite hope and joy. Pope Francis has declared that the year 2025 will be a Holy Year of Jubilee for the Catholic Church – an event that takes place once every 25 years. The theme for the 2025 Jubilee is “Pilgrims of Hope,” inviting us to showcase the hope of our Christian faith to people worldwide. It comes at a time when the impact of war, poverty, climate change, and the lasting effects of the COVID pandemic cause much suffering. Our Catholic Parish church in Dorchester, Dorset was announced by Plymouth Diocese as one of four Sacred Pilgrimage sites across Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. This recognition brings a special opportunity for spiritual enrichment and reflection for pilgrims visiting these sacred sites.
Many of our parishioners know that our family go on a pilgrimage every year and this year for me seems even more pertinent in a world that can feel scary and uneasy, a week spent walking out in God’s creation tries to put some of the truly awful things going on in our world into the forefront of our prayers. On Essex Leg we stop at different churches for morning cake and tea, for lunch and for an afternoon tea stop before stopping each night for a meal and to sleep on a church hall floor. We share liturgy together. Every single place we stop welcomes us with open arms and much food but without exception they ask us to pray for their intentions on our arrival in Walsingham. Our very special pilgrimage started in those post second world war years as a pilgrimage for peace. I think it is now time to remember that, and pray for hope and reconciliation for each of us, those who we meet along the way, the community and shrines in Walsingham who so generously care for us at Easter and most importantly the leaders of our World. This Jubilee Year is a time to restore relationships with God, each other, and all creation. Amid global challenges, it offers hope and reconciliation.