The Jubilee Year of Hope: What It Is and How Your Family Can Participate

How to Participate in the Jubilee Year of Hope with Your Family

The Catholic Church periodically celebrates a Jubilee Year, a special time of grace, mercy, and renewal. In 2025, the Church is celebrating the Jubilee Year of Hope, a time for Catholics worldwide to deepen their faith, seek God’s mercy, and become beacons of hope in their communities. This year offers countless opportunities for families to come together in prayer, acts of kindness, and spiritual growth. Here are some meaningful ways your family can participate, with engaging activities to help your children understand and embrace the Jubilee spirit.

What is a Jubilee Year?

A Jubilee Year is rooted in biblical tradition, where every 50 years, debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, and people were given a fresh start. In the Catholic Church, Jubilee Years are moments of extraordinary grace and mercy. The Jubilee Year of Hope invites Catholics to reflect on God’s endless mercy and to share hope with the world.

Printables we Offer to Help with Your Jubilee Year of Hope

• Backpack Patches: To help children engage with the Jubilee Year of Hope, we’ve created a fun way for them to earn patches by completing specific activities. Each patch represents a unique aspect of the Jubilee Year and offers a chance to experience faith in action.
• Jubilee Pilgrim’s Journal: This journal is designed to accompany children (and families!) on their Jubilee Year journey as they work toward earning all the Backpack Jubilee patches. Inside you’ll find explanations of what each Holy Door represents, along with thoughtful prompts and space to reflect on each pilgrimage milestone.
• Basilica Holy Door Coloring Pages:  Detailed coloring pages of the four major basilicas in Rome where the Holy Doors are traditionally opened. It also includes a special bonus page of the Holy Door at Rebibbia Prison for the Jubilee Year of Hope. 

How Your Family Can Participate 

1. Watch the Opening of Holy Doors

During a Jubilee Year, special doors in churches called “Holy Doors” are opened to symbolize the outpouring of God’s mercy. While the primary Holy Doors are located in the major basilicas in Rome, in past Jubilee Years, many dioceses around the world also opened their own Holy Doors. However, for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, Pope Francis has announced that Holy Doors will only be opened in Rome, not in dioceses outside of it. Pilgrims who pass through these doors can gain indulgences as part of the Jubilee Year’s graces. Watch the opening of a Holy Door with your family, whether in person or online, and discuss the significance of walking through God’s mercy.

Earn the Patch: Watch the opening of the Holy Doors and reflect on God’s mercy with your family.

2. Offer a Sign of Hope

One of the most beautiful aspects of the Jubilee Year is the call to be a sign of hope to others. Encourage your family to engage in acts of kindness, charity, or solidarity. Whether it’s helping a neighbor, volunteering at a food pantry, or simply offering words of encouragement, these acts of love embody the spirit of the Jubilee.

Earn the Patch: Perform an act of kindness to spread hope in your community.

3. Explore the Jubilee Icon

The Jubilee Year often features a special icon or image that reflects its theme. This artwork can be a powerful tool for prayer and reflection. Spend time with your family exploring the Jubilee icon, discussing its symbolism, and reflecting on what hope means in your lives.

Earn the Patch: Pray or reflect on the Jubilee icon with your family.

4. Take a Pilgrimage in Your Diocese

Pilgrimage is a key tradition of Jubilee Years. While you may not be able to travel to Rome, taking a pilgrimage within your own diocese is a meaningful alternative. Visit a local shrine, cathedral, or Holy Door and make the journey a time of prayer and reflection. Here is a directory of shrines in the United States in which you can gain the Jubilee indulgence. 

Earn the Patch: Take a family pilgrimage to a holy site in your diocese.

5. Visit a Jubilee Site

Many dioceses designate specific churches or sacred places as Jubilee sites where pilgrims can receive indulgences and other spiritual benefits. Plan a family trip to one of these sites to pray, reflect, and seek God’s mercy together. Visit your diocese website to figure out where Jubilee sites are. 

Earn the Patch: Visit a Jubilee site and pray as a family.

6. Pray the Jubilee Prayer

Each Jubilee Year includes a special prayer written to invoke God’s mercy, peace, and blessings upon the world. Praying this prayer as a family can be a beautiful way to stay connected to the larger Church community throughout the Jubilee Year.

Earn the Patch: Pray the Jubilee prayer together as a family.

Bringing Hope into Your Home

The Jubilee Year of Hope is not only about visiting holy places but also about transforming your daily life. Keep fresh flowers in your home to symbolize new life, create a prayer corner, or hold family discussions about hope and mercy. Small, everyday actions can make the Jubilee Year truly special.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” — Matthew 5:7

As your family embarks on this journey through the Jubilee Year of Hope, may you grow closer to each other and to Christ, bringing His light and love to the world.

For more information on the Jubilee Year of Hope, be sure to visit the official Jubilee Year of Hope website.