24 December 2024 – 6 January 2026
8 December 2015 – 20 November 2016
24 December 1999 – 6 January, 2001
In the Roman Catholic tradition, a Holy Year, or Jubilee is a great religious event. It is a year of forgiveness of sins and also the punishment due to sin, it is a year of reconciliation between adversaries, of conversion and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and consequently of solidarity, hope, justice, commitment to serve God with joy and in peace with our brothers and sisters. A Jubilee year is above all the year of Christ, who brings life and grace to humanity.
In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII called the first Jubilee, also known as a “Holy Year,” since it is a time in which God's holiness transforms us. The frequency of Holy Years has changed over time: at first, they were celebrated every 100 years; later, in 1343 Pope Clement VI reduced the gap between Jubilees to every 50 years, and in 1470 Pope Paul II made it every 25 years. There have also been “extraordinary” Holy Years: for example, in 1933 Pope Pius XI chose to commemorate the 1900th anniversary of the Redemption, and in 2015 Pope Francis proclaimed the Year of Mercy as an extraordinary jubilee. The way in which Jubilee Years are marked has also changed through the centuries: originally the Holy Year consisted of a pilgrimage to the Roman Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul, later other signs were added, such as the Holy Door. By participating in the Holy Year, one is granted a plenary indulgence.
The Apostolic Penitentiary has outlined specific conditions for obtaining a plenary indulgence during a Jubilee Year:
Pilgrimage: Visit a sacred Jubilee site during a Jubilee Year.
Those traveling to the Vatican can receive a plenary indulgence by visiting and passing though the Holy Doors any of the four major papal basilicas in Rome:
St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican
St. John Lateran Basilica
Basilica of Saint Mary Major
Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
At these sites, pilgrims are invited to participate in a moment of prayer, Eucharistic adoration or a liturgical celebration.
In the Diocese of St. Augustine, the designated pilgrimage locations are:
Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Jacksonville
National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios
Santa Fe Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche in High Springs