Embracing Hope: A Jubilee Year of Renewal

There is a tradition within the Catholic Church that goes back to the year 1300 for Popes to occasionally declare a jubilee year. A jubilee or Holy Year is often marked with an emphasis on forgiveness of sins and a spirit of reconciliation between adversaries. Such years are meant to lead us toward greater solidarity, hope, justice, and a commitment to serve God with joy and peace.

Our Holy Father Pope Francis has declared 2025 to be a Jubilee Year. The year began this past Christmas Eve with the opening of the Holy Door at Saint Peter’s Basilica. Prior to the opening of the Holy Day, Pope Francis issued what is called a “Papal Bull” or letter titled “Hope Does Not Disappoint.” In the Bull he calls on us to be “pilgrims of hope”, to renew our hope in Christ, and in particular use Saint Paul as a guide. In the Bull he writes, “Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt. Often we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope. God’s word helps us find reasons for that hope.”

The Pope also decreed that on December 29, in every Cathedral the Bishop is to offer a Mass to celebrate the opening of the Jubilee Year. Father Dan and I will be traveling to Superior the afternoon of December 29 to join with our Bishop and others from our Diocese to celebrate this Mass. All are invited to attend the Mass in Superior which begins at 3PM. 

This weekend we also celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The Knights of Columbus are leading us to consecrate our families to the Holy Family through a special prayer we will offer as our final petition. Whether our families are large or small, whether it be our immediate family, extended family, or our parish family, every family can use the blessings of prayer made through the intercession of the Holy Family. The Knights of Columbus were founded to support families, especially at the time when a family member died. They continue to do much to support families, particularly families in need. It is appropriate that they have also chosen this weekend to do a membership drive. Knights will be by the doors of the church inviting men to consider joining their ranks. 

Finally, as we celebrate in honor of the Holy Family this weekend, it is good for us to give God thanks for the blessing of our parish family. This past year we focused on celebrating 150 years of being known as the family of Saint Patrick Parish. As we learned and reflected upon, we have a wonderful history of being a part of the St. Croix valley. Now it is time for us to move from reflecting back to charging forward. It is exciting to contemplate how our parish will develop in the next 150 years. One area where we are already seeing a change is in the growth of our Hispanic population at Saint Patrick’s. 

To meet the needs of this growing population, you will notice that we are adding one Spanish Mass per month. It will take place on the first weekend of the month. We will also be starting a program in Spanish to help adults prepare for the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation – in January. We already offer Baptism classes in Spanish and have also offered Marriage preparation in Spanish. With the Mass we will also be printing for the first Sunday of the month a one-page Spanish bulletin. All of this is new for our Saint Patrick Parish family. It will be exciting to see how this helps us develop as a parish and what the Holy Spirit may have in store for us in the coming years. 

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