Jubilee Year concludes at Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Photos)
On the Feast of the Holy Family, the Closing Mass of the Jubilee Year of Hope was celebrated at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ. Auxiliary Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau celebrated the sacred liturgy; Auxiliary Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B., and Bishop Emeritus Gregory J. Studerus concelebrated with Father Matthew Gonzalez, rector of the cathedral, and Father John Barno, parochial vicar.
In his homily, Bishop Chau recalled the moment when Pope Francis inaugurated the Jubilee Year of Hope on Christmas Eve of 2024. “Pope Francis emphasized that God opens his heart to us, bringing hope, joy, and change,” Bishop Chau said. “That’s the idea of the Jubilee Year — that we may find God’s mercy and be converted and transformed. He urged Christians to be Pilgrims of Hope by actively bringing hope to suffering and injustice rather than passively waiting.”
He continued:
“The Pope in his homily said, ‘This is a night when the door of hope has opened wide on the world. This is a night when God says to each one: There is hope for you, too!’ Those words, my brothers and sisters, need to resound and be spoken to all people.”
“Although the holy doors of the Jubilee Year are closing one by one, we must never close the doors of our hearts,” Bishop Chau said.
Closing Masses were also celebrated at other designated pilgrimage churches in the Archdiocese of Newark and around the world. In Rome, the Holy Doors of the papal basilicas have been closed one by one, beginning with the Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major on Christmas Day.
On January 6, on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, Pope Leo XIV will officially conclude the Jubilee Year by closing the Holy Door at Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
To view more photos of the Closing Mass of the Jubilee Year of Hope at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, click HERE.
You can watch a video of the Mass below:
Featured image: Auxiliary Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau celebrates the Closing Mass of the Jubilee Year of Hope at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark on Dec. 28. (Photo by Julio Eduardo Herrara / Archdiocese of Newark)
