The Upcoming Jubilees of Families and Christian Unity
Pope Leo XIV confirmed today that a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is currently being organized, during his first formal encounter with the press. “The meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will take place, we are preparing it,” the newly elected pontiff stated, referring to a long-anticipated gathering initially planned between Patriarch Bartholomew and the late Pope Francis.
Pope Leo XIV confirms meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
The “Jubilee of Teenagers” in Rome had been scheduled for April 25-27, culminating with the Canonization of “the first Millennial Saint,” Carlos Acutis, who died at 15 years of age in 2006. The Canonization ceremony was postponed after the death of Pope Francis on April 21. The “Jubilee of Teenagers” for our diocese and the state of New Jersey took place this past Sunday, May 18, at Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park in Jackson, N.J. The five dioceses of our State have had an annual “Youth Rally” at Six Flags for many years, missing a few years due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Last Sunday was the third opportunity I had to participate. I was happy to be able to return this year, as part of our Jubilee celebrations.
To see more than 1,000 young people, with their youth ministers and chaperones, priests and religious gathered for Mass in the “Batman Stunt Arena” that was transformed into a Chapel for the afternoon, was a wonderful reminder that we are “Pilgrims of Hope.” The enthusiastic and reverent faith of those young people filled me with Hope. I want to especially thank John Cammarata, our Diocesan Director of Youth Ministry, our priests, pastors, consecrated religious, and youth ministers, who worked together to give us a very joyful Jubilee of Youth.
I would like, especially, to invite all readers to please consider attending The Jubilee of Families on Saturday, May 31 and The Jubilee for Christian Unity on Sunday, June 22. Why do I offer these two special invitations?
We need to promote and encourage those who are called to live the Vocation of Marriage and Family Life. In this Jubilee Year of Hope, I am especially looking forward to our Diocesan Jubilee of Families on Saturday, May 31, the Feast of the Visitation, at the Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling. This will be an opportunity for us as a diocese to highlight and give thanks for the Gift of Life and the Gift of Family. When we were making plans for the Jubilee Year and I realized that, this year, May 31 would fall on a Saturday, it seemed like it was “meant to be,” that we would be able to celebrate and pray for all families and gather as many families as possible on the Feast of the Visitation, when we celebrate with the Universal Church that moment, “when the sound of Mary’s greeting” reached the ears (and heart) of Elizabeth and the child in her womb (John the Baptist) “leapt” for joy, greeting and recognizing the presence of the Messiah in the womb of Mary (Lk. 1:39-45). What a graced moment it will be to gather with and give thanks for Faith-filled Families.
We will begin the Jubilee of Families with a “local pilgrimage,” as we will gather at St. Vincent de Paul Parish and then make the (1.1-mile) journey, walking together as pilgrims of Hope, to the Shrine of St. Joseph. Brief in distance, this local pilgrimage is a reminder of just how far strong families walking together in faith, hope, and love can witness to a united and joyful Church, even as we encounter the “uphill” challenges of life. As we celebrate and pray for families on the Feast of the Visitation, how appropriate that we will do so at the Shrine of St. Joseph and be able to invoke the intercession of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, who accompany all families day by day. Click here for more information and to register for the Jubilee of Families.
I am also looking forward to and hope many will attend the Jubilee of Christian Unity on Sunday, June 22, at our Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. See our Diocesan website for details. Two months ago, at the end of March, I wrote a column about the efforts of Msgr. George Hundt and Msgr. Ray Kupke, in preparing for the Jubilee of Christian Unity by organizing three “Christian Unity Roundtable” gatherings, one in each county. As a reminder, you can see my column from March 27.
We can be sure that Pope Leo XIV will follow the example of Pope Francis and their predecessors, especially since the Second Vatican Council, by reaching out to other Christian Churches and their pastors and leaders, so that we can work towards that goal of Christian Unity. We can see Pope Leo XIV is already taking the first steps along that path in his announcement that he is making plans to meet with Patriarch Bartholomew (cited above). He has also announced that he will be traveling to Turkey to mark the historic 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which gave us the Creed that we recite at Mass on Sundays and Solemnities.
On Monday, March 19, Pope Leo XIV met with faith leaders and spoke of his commitment to continue the work of ecumenism: “Synodality and ecumenism are closely linked,” he said. “I wish to assure you of my intention to continue Pope Francis’ commitment to promoting the synodal character of the Catholic Church and to developing new and concrete forms for an ever more intense synodality in the ecumenical field.” Pope Leo XIV meets with faith leaders.
One definition of a “pilgrim” (from Dictionary.com) is: a person who journeys, especially a long distance, to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion. In this Jubilee Year, the Church, speaking through the voice of the Holy Father Pope Francis and, now, Pope Leo XIV, calls us ALL to be “pilgrims of Hope.” As we move (quickly) towards the completion of the first half of this Jubilee Year, we may ask ourselves, “How am I doing on the journey?” The end of May and the month of June offer us some wonderful opportunities, together as a Diocesan Church, to experience some “Highlights” or “high points” on our journey, especially as families and united in prayer with our sisters and brothers in Christ.
