The Jubilee Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

2025 is a special year for the worldwide Church, because it is a Year of Jubilee, something which happens every 25 years. In this Jubilee Year 2025, Pope Francis is calling us to be “Pilgrims of Hope”. The year began with Pope Francis opening a “Holy Door” at St Peter’s in Rome on Christmas Eve 2024 and is now being celebrated in many different ways around the world.

2025 is also special to our Archdiocese because of two noteworthy anniversaries:

  • the 175th anniversary of the establishment of the Southwark Diocese by Pope Pius IX in September 1850, as part of the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales.

  • the 60th anniversary of Southwark becoming a Metropolitan Archdiocese, and the appointment of Archbishop Cowderoy as our first Archbishop in May 1965.

Archbishop John is encouraging us all to participate in this Jubilee Year and there are many different ways in which we can do that.

The centre-piece for our Archdiocese is the Archdiocesan Jubilee Celebration Day, which will take place on Saturday 7 June 2025, the Vigil of Pentecost. We are all invited to gather from across the Archdiocese with Archbishop John at The Friars, Aylesford, for all sorts of different activities as we celebrate together being “pilgrims of hope”.

The Jubilee theme is particularly reflected in three types of pilgrimage which you are invited to participate during the year:

  • An exploring pilgrimage: at any time during the Jubilee Year you can visit some or all of the Archdiocese’s designated Jubilee Churches and Shrines.

  • A spiritual pilgrimage: between Easter and Pentecost you are invited to join the Pilgrimage to Pentecost course in a parish or other group, on Zoom or on your own at home. Follow in the footsteps of Our Lady and the first disciples, by preparing for Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit in prayer and Scripture-based reflection. With talks filmed at chosen locations around the Archdiocese and a specially written course booklet.

  • A walking pilgrimage: in the week before Pentecost, from Monday 2 June to Friday 6 June, you can take part in Southwark Jubilee Walking Pilgrimage (complete with the risk of blisters) from St George’s Cathedral and arriving at The Friars, Aylesford, on Friday evening - in good time for the Archdiocesan Jubilee Celebration Day on the Saturday.

There are a number of other resources for your use during the year, including We Dare to Hope which can be used in small groups in the parish as well as further information on the Constitutions of the Second Vatican Council which we are invited to explore during the Jubilee.

Learn more about everything that’s going on to mark the Jubilee Year 2025 and the diocesan anniversaries below!