2025 Year of Jubilee

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Parish Resources

Communications Toolkit

Local Opportunities

Works of Mercy are Works of Hope.
Through the “Campaign of Mercy” already ongoing in the Diocese of Covington you have the opportunity to commit yourself more deeply to service in this Jubilee Year 2025.

Browse Mercy Ministries

Local Pilgrimages

Make a Pilgrimage to the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption

Public Guided Tours will take place after 10 a.m. Mass on the following Sundays in 2025: March 23, (no tour in April), May 18, June 15, July 13, August 24, September 14, October 12, November 9, and December 14.

Cathedral Tours - Learn More
Local Pilgrimage of Covington Churches

Join the Annual Lenten Pilgrimage of five historic Churches in Covington, April 12, 2025.

Lenten Pilgrimage - Learn More

Regional Pilgrimages

Discover the spiritual beauty of our region! Join fellow Catholics on inspiring day trips by bus led by Bishop John Iffert.

Sat, May 31st, 2025, Abbey of Gethsemani
Learn More Sign Up!
Sat, August 16th, 2025, Saint Meinrad Archabbey
Learn More Sign Up!
Sat, Nov. 22nd, 2025, Maria Stein Holy Relics Shrine
Learn More Sign Up!

International Pilgrimage

Oct 22 — Oct 30, 2025 – Bishop John Iffert will be leading the faithful of the Diocese of Covington in a pilgrimage to Rome & Assisi.
****Trip is FULL****
To be added to the WAITLIST contact
Jim Hess at (859) 760-2600 or jhess@covdio.org

Download Brochure

The Year of Jubilee 2025:

Pilgrims of Hope

The Holy Father has announced that 2025 will be a Jubilee Year, something which happens every 25 years. The theme for Jubilee 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope,” and it will be a year of hope for a world suffering.

Year of Jubilee in the News

Jubilee Pilgrimage Sites

Here in the Diocese of Covington, three locations have been designated as Jubilee Pilgrimage Sites: the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, St. John the Evangelist in Carrollton, and St. Patrick in Maysville. A pilgrimage visit to any of these sites can apply to the reception of the Jubilee Indulgence. Click on the pictures below to learn more.
To read Bishop John’s decree designating the pilgrimage sites, CLICK HERE

Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption

St. John the Evangelist, Carrollton

St. Patrick, Maysville

Mass for the Holy Year

The theme of the Jubilee Year 2025, “Pilgrims of Hope,” is uniquely captured in the prayers, readings, and options of the Mass for the Holy Year. They stress the themes of pilgrimage and hope. Incorporated into Christ, the faithful are a Body of believers, filled with hope. They look forward to the Lord’s coming in the present and at the end of the ages, an expectation which gives them an eternal vision and moves them to make pilgrimage to God and neighbor.

Approved by the Holy See on May 13, 2024 in eight languages, the Mass for the Holy Year may be used in the liturgy for the duration of the Jubilee, celebrated in the dioceses of the United States from December 29, 2024 to December 28, 2025. It contains three formularies, a set of Lectionary readings, five sets of tropes for the Penitential Act, and four sets of introductions, responses, and conclusions for the Universal Prayer (Prayer of the Faithful).

Masses

The Indulgence

A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishment due to sin.  The indulgence applies to sins already forgiven. A plenary indulgence cleanses the soul as if the person had just been baptized. Plenary indulgences obtained during the Jubilee Year can also be applied to souls in purgatory with the possibility of obtaining two plenary indulgences for the deceased in one day, according to the Apostolic Penitentiary.

For Catholics to obtain any of the plenary indulgences the following conditions must be fulfilled:

  1. A pilgrimage or pious visit to the Sacred Jubilee Site. This may be fulfilled by devoutly participating in Holy Mass, any public liturgy of the Church (even some part of the Liturgy of the Hours offered privately), confessing and receiving mercy in the Sacrament of Penance, the Way of the Cross, the Rosary; or by a meaningful period of Eucharistic
    adoration and meditation (exposition is not required), or at least the praying of the Our Father, the Apostles’ or Nicene Creed, and a Marian prayer or antiphon.
  2. Sacramental confession.
  3. Eucharistic Communion
  4. Prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father.

The conditions of confession, Communion and prayer for the Pope’s intentions may be fulfilled several days before or after the pilgrimage or pious visit. Learn more about how to obtain a Jubilee Indulgence by clicking HERE

What is a Jubilee?

“Jubilee” is the name given to a particular year. A time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of Creation. To learn more click here.

Jubilees throughout History

In the Catholic Church, the concept of Jubilee or ‘Holy Year’ was used to declare special years for forgiveness and reconciliation. The first Jubilee was declared by Pope Boniface VIII on 22nd February 1300 (Feast of the Chair of St. Peter), to mark the beginning of that century. He later recommended it occurring every 100 years.  Learn more here.

The Jubilee Prayer

To pray and download the Prayer for the 2025 Jubilee, click here.

The Jubilee Logo

To learn about the meaning of the logo for the 2025 Jubilee, click here.

Official Hymn for Jubilee

To pray and download the Prayer for the 2025 Jubilee, click here.

Official Hymn for the 2025 Jubilee – “Pilgrims of Hope”

To learn about the events during the 2025 Jubilee Year download the General Calendar

Jubilee 2025 General Calendar in English
Jubilee 2025 General Calendar in Spanish