About 1,200 faithful from the Paterson Diocese pledged to be “Pilgrims of Hope” in Christ on Dec. 29, as they helped Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney ring in the Universal Church’s Jubilee of Hope 2025. He led the historic event, which began with a prayerful procession on Main Street in Paterson to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist for a Mass that filled the diocese’s mother church.
PHOTO GALLERY
CALENDAR OF 2025 JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS
DESIGNATED JUBILEE SITES AROUND THE DIOCESE
That afternoon, participants responded to Pope Francis’ invitation for the entire Church to enter a holy year in 2025 — a great jubilee. Bishop Sweeney extended the pope’s invitation to all Paterson’s 400,000 Catholics while celebrating the Mass in English and Spanish to open the jubilee year for the diocese on Dec. 29, the Feast of the Holy Family. Dioceses worldwide also commemorated the holy year’s opening.
The diocese has created a schedule of celebrations throughout 2025 to help the faithful experience God’s grace during the jubilee. These include a diocesan pilgrimage to Rome in the fall and pilgrimages to local devotional sites. [See celebration and pilgrimage schedules and a list of local pilgrimage sites on this page].
Carmine Ribaudo of St. John’s was among the new Pilgrims of Hope at the Mass. He was present with his wife, Maria, and daughter, Lisa, 15.
“With the jubilee, I hope to appreciate my family more, praise the Lord more, and spread the word [about the hope Christ offers],” said Ribaudo, who wants to go on a pilgrimage.
In his homily, Bishop Sweeney told jubilee participants they “can grow in God’s love and mercy” by gaining an indulgence, a special blessing. Pilgrims are then charged with sharing God’s love and mercy with others. People can also pray for their intentions and souls in purgatory while on pilgrimage. They also can pray for their own families and a greater respect for and sanctification of families.
Many priests concelebrated the Mass, which also was livestreamed. Churchgoers included diverse clergy, religious, and laity, including families.
The Mass happened after Pope Francis opened the Holy Door on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, to start the jubilee year for the entire Church in Rome. For Catholics, he called the holy year “a moment of genuine personal encounter with the Lord Jesus.”
Bishop Sweeney exclaimed, “What a joy to see the response — to see the cathedral full of the people of God” at the Mass for the jubilee, his first as Paterson’s bishop.
“We’re off to a wonderful start for this jubilee year. We come together as Pilgrims of Hope, and we think of Pope Francis leading us,” said Bishop Sweeney, who quoted parts of Pope Francis’ Christmas Eve homily. “Heaven breaks forth upon the earth amid the wonder of the poor and the singing of angels. God has become one of us to make us like himself. He has come down to light us up. Sisters and brothers, this is our hope.”
The outdoor prayer service started in front of the Father English Community Center, part of diocesan Catholic Charities, located blocks from the cathedral. The faithful then proceeded to St. John’s for Mass, carrying a large cross and banners of the parishes, schools, and institutions they represented.
“The procession started at Father English because it is who we are and who we are called to be as a Church. Pope Francis reminds us to think of those on the peripheries. Every day in Paterson and throughout our diocese and the whole Church, Jesus is welcomed and fed in our brothers and sisters who are in most need,” Bishop Sweeney said.
With the words “Spes No Confundit” — Latin for “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5), Pope Francis declared a Jubilee Year of Hope for 2025 with a Bull of Indiction on May 9, 2024, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious, and Brian Honsberger, St. Paul Inside the Walls’ executive director and the diocese’s mission and technology integration director, are working with seven committees to coordinate the diocese’s jubilee observances.
In anticipation of the holy year, Bishop Sweeney wrote on Dec. 9 to the diocesan faithful, “Not only all Catholics, but ALL of our neighbors, friends, sisters, and brothers of all faiths and no professed faith can participate in this Great Jubilee of Hope.”
For general and diocesan information about the jubilee, visit Paterson’s designated homepage. Visit the Vatican website for general information and its webpage about indulgences.
