Bishop Anthony B. Taylor named five churches in Arknasas as Jubilee Churches for the Holy Year beginning this month.
In a letter dated Nov. 27 to the “people of the Diocese of Little Rock,” he wrote, “I am delighted to share that Pope Francis will officially open the Holy Door at St. Peter Basilica in Vatican City on Dec. 24, 2024, marking the start of the Ordinary Jubilee Year of 2025. This Jubilee, centered on the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope,’ will be a year dedicated to fostering hope within our hearts and communities, concluding on Jan. 6, 2026.”
Pope Francis will also open Holy Doors at the major basilicas of St. John Lateran Dec. 29, St. Mary Major Jan. 1 and St. Paul Outside the Walls Jan. 5. The Dicastery for Evangelization, which is coordinating the celebration of the Jubilee, issued a note Aug.1 saying the only Holy Doors will be at the four basilicas and Rebibbia prison on the outskirts of Rome.
The Apostolic Penitentiary issued a decree May 14 authoring diocesan bishops to designate churches in their dioceses as pilgrimage sites for the Jubilee Year, “allowing the faithful — especially those unable to travel to Rome — to obtain the jubilee indulgence,” Bishop Taylor noted.
The Jubilee Churches in Arkansas will be:
- The Cathedral of St. Andrew, Little Rock
- St. Edward Church, Little Rock, home of the Divine Mercy Chapel
- Immaculate Conception Church, the first Catholic church in Fort Smith, built in 1899
- St. Joseph Church, Pine Bluff, founded in 1858 by French immigrants
- St. Mary Church, Helena, known for its design by architect Charles Eames
A jubilee plenary indulgence is available for those who visit a jubilee site, receive the Eucharist, go to confession and pray for the pope’s intentions.
“I warmly encourage each of you to embark on a pilgrimage to one of these Jubilee Churches,” Bishop Taylor wrote. “Let this journey be an opportunity to encounter God’s abundant mercy and become true agents of hope in our world.”
