Jubilee Year of Hope

What is a Jubilee Year?

Jubilee Years have been celebrated for thousands of years by the Catholic Church. In fact, they are referred to in the Bible! In those times, Jubilee Years involved resting, cancelling debts and paying closer attention to the Earth, for example by planting trees, fertilising the soil and cleaning out rivers. Until 1470, they were celebrated every 50 years, but Pope Paul II decided they were so valuable so have occurred every 25 years ever since.

Today, the meaning of a Jubilee Year remains largely the same. It is a period of rest, renewal and growth. It is a time to examine ourselves, look after each other and show love and care for the Earth. For those who, for various reasons, have stopped going to church, a Jubilee Year also provides an open invitation to come back to God.

When & How did this Jubilee Year Begin?

This Jubilee Year began on Christmas Eve 2024 with Pope Francis opening The Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. These doors are only opened every 25 years to begin a Jubilee.

The Holy Doors are a symbol of the spiritual journey from sin to grace, and crossing them is a key part of the Jubilee pilgrimage. Millions of people this year will travel to Rome to specifically cross these doors as part of their pilgrimage.

What Is the Theme of this year's Jubilee Year?

Jubilee Years always have a theme. The Pope decides the theme based on what he sees as priorities for the world. This year’s theme is Hope where we are invited to be Pilgrims of Hope.

The Pope recognises that the world currently faces many significant challenges but he also sees the many people who act as beacons of hope because they are doing their best to make our world a better place. The Pope knows that the world can become a better place much more quickly if we come together from all corners of the Earth and starting working more effectively with each other. The Jubilee Logo below, designed by Giacomo Travisani, is based on this theme.

The Jubilee Logo shows four figures representing all humans, coming together from every corner of the Earth. They embrace each other to show unity and solidarity. The person at the front is holding on to the cross, which is a sign of faith but also of hope because even in the worst of times, God never abandons us. The rough sea is a reminder of the difficult times in our lives. The anchor is us, anchoring our hopes for a better, fairer world in Christ. The Logo fully depicts the aim of this Jubilee Year: that we as a people, should travel together, support each other and be guided by God along the good and rough stages of our lives. This is all summarised in the image below.

How will we mark this Jubilee Year in school?

As Pilgrims of Hope, we are:

  • Invited to this shared journey of hope;
  • Invited to renew our hope and discover a vision that can “restore access to the fruits of the Earth to everyone”;
  • Invited to understand ourselves as “pilgrims on the Earth” rather than masters of the world.

The Jubilee Plan below outlines clearly when and what we have planned during this special Jubilee Year in school.

Jubilee Year Of Hope Whole School Plan

The Jubilee Prayer

We are encouraged to pray the official Jubilee Prayer regularly throughout 2025:

Please find below some other resources that may be of interest.

Pope Francis Jubilee Letter

Bishop Marcus Stock Jubilee Letter for Schools

Jubilee Year: Key Dates for Schools