When he opened the “Holy Door” to the Basilica of St. Peter on Christmas Eve, Pope Francis initiated the Holy Year 2025 — a jubilee year for the universal church with an exhortation for all Catholics to grow spiritually as “pilgrims of hope.”
Parishioners throughout the diocese responded by filling the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington to capacity for a Mass celebrating the Holy Year and the Epiphany of the Lord Jan. 5.
“Today, we join with the Holy Father in officially opening the Jubilee Year in the Diocese of Arlington,” said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge in his homily. “Pope Francis emphasizes that the theological virtue of hope never fades. That is true because our hope is not rooted in the empty promises of the world, but in Jesus Christ, the son of God, the son of Mary, the one proclaimed on the solemnity of the Epiphany as the king of kings, the light of the world.”
The introduction to the Mass began in Burke Hall, the lower level of the cathedral, where Bishop Burbidge officially opened the jubilee year. “This rite is for us the prelude to a rich experience of grace and mercy,” he said. “We are ready always to respond to whoever asks the reason for hope that is in us, especially in this time of war and disorder.”
St. Thomas More parishioner May Respicio read aloud the “bull of indiction,” concluding with the words: “May the jubilee be a moment of genuine personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the door of our salvation, whom the church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as our hope.”
Massgoers then joined in a procession into the cathedral with the jubilee cross, which will remain on the altar throughout the year.
Pilgrims expressed gratitude for the jubilee year, and its promise of hope in a world that has been shattered by violence. Gina Allen and her family watched on TV as Pope Francis opened the Holy Door. “I think this is going to send a message throughout the world that Catholics need unity,” she said. “We need to remember that hope, faith and charity is the way for us to unite, and hopefully this will invite more people to become Catholic this year.”
Alberto Calimano was eager to bring his family to the Mass to begin the process of receiving a plenary indulgence during the Holy Year. “We have sins still in our souls that need to be cleansed,” he said. “This is something that is special for us.”
The theme “Pilgrims of Hope” was timely and powerful for those who braved the sub-freezing temperatures on the eve of a significant winter storm. “There’s a lot of strife in these times and people need to turn to hope,” said Anne Ziolkowski. “It’s a beautiful thing to come together as people of hope and to strive to love each other.”
“This jubilee means hope for everybody,” said Ana Salgado. “We need to keep praying because we are not doing so good in this world right now. I’m so happy the bishop is doing this so we can all be united.”
Bishop Burbidge reflected on the Gospel reading (Mt 2:1-12) referring to the magi being guided by a star to the Christ child. “The magi were guided by a light and so are we,” he said. “We can all think of the darkness in our world and nation, including the recent and horrific attack in New Orleans. Even in our own lives, there is darkness due to our sins and failure to be faithful to God’s holy will. Amid darkness, that sometimes seems to have an unbearable grip on us, we do not despair, but live in joyful hope because of what we celebrate today.”
