‘Pilgrims of Hope’: Cebu archdiocese prepares for Jubilee Year 2025

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral | Stock Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — In a few weeks, the Archdiocese of Cebu will open its ceremonies for the Jubilee Year 2025, centered on the theme, “Pilgrims of Hope.”

On Tuesday, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Fr. Glenn Theresse Guanzon, and Msgr. Marnell Mejia shared in a press conference the archdiocese’s plans and activities for the most anticipated occasion of the Catholic Church.

They said that the Archdiocese will formally open the celebration on December 29, simultaneously with the designated major churches in Cebu.

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A procession is scheduled to take place in Cebu City at 4 p.m. beginning at Osmeña Boulevard, followed by a mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral at 5:30 p.m. More or less 10,000 pilgrims are expected to partake in this procession.

Additionally, a simultaneous opening ceremony will be conducted at Sto.Tomas de Villanueva Parish-Danao for the northern Cebu parishes, Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Catherine of Alexandria-Carcar for southern Cebu parishes, and St. Peter Parish in Bantayan for the parishes located in Bantayan Island.

Palma said that the Jubilee year started in the 13th century, and through Pope Boniface VIII, it was celebrated every 50 years but in the middle of the 20th century, it is now done every 25 years because the church thought 50 years was too long to wait.

Jubilee Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

According to a report from Vatican News, the theme, as proclaimed by Pope Francis, was reflected in the opening words of the ‘Bull of Indiction’ that said ‘Spes non confundit. Hope does not disappoint.”

The Bull of Indiction is a papal document where the pope announces a significant event.

Guanzon said that the document also declared that the Jubilee Year will officially begin with the opening of the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve 2024 and the Pope also decreed that every Catholic cathedral around the world should offer mass on December 29, 2024 as the solemn opening of the Jubilee Year for the local communities.

“The theme (for Jubilee Year 2025) is ‘Pilgrims of Hope.’ Being God’ss children, we are exhorted to be hopeful. To hope is to believe that there is something good in store for us as we journey through life,” Palma said.

Aside from the simultaneous opening, there will also be monthly celebrations to be organized at the parish and archdiocesan levels, and there will also be pilgrimages to the cathedrals, as encouraged by Pope Francis.

In January, the Jubilee celebration will be for the children, students, and educators.

February will be for the seminarians, consecrated life, ordained ministers, and sick. March will be for the bankers, entrepreneurs, and church workers.

April will be for the health workers and people with disabilities. May will be for media and communications.

Moreover, June will be for lay liturgical ministries, ecclesial movements, lay associations, new communities, and youth.

July will be for families, married couples, grandparents, and elderly. August will be for pastors and catechists.

September will be for migrants, seafarers, and overseas Filipino workers. October will be for environmentalists, government officials, security personnel, and missionaries.

November will be for the poor, orphans, urban, homeless, ecumenical, and inter-faith dialogue. And December for the people deprived of liberty.

Moreover, there will be 32 pilgrimage churches or Jubilee churches for the pilgrims where they can offer their prayers without having the need to go to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and Basilica Minore del Santo Niño.

Jubilee Churches

District 1: Metro Cebu North
1. Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral of San Vitalis
2. Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
3. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
4. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
5. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
6. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Therese of Child Jesus
7. Parish and National Shrine of Virgen de Regla

District 2: Metro Cebu South
8. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of San Nicolas de Tolentino
9. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes – Punta Princesa
10. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of The Immaculate Heart of Mary – Minglanilla
11. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi – City of Naga
12. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Teresa de Avila – Talisay\

District 3: Southeast Cebu
13. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Catherine of Alexandria – Carcar
14. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Michael Archanghel – Argao
15. Parish of San Guillermo de Aquitania – Dalaguete
16. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria – Boljoon

District 4: Southwest Cebu
17. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Anne – Barili
18. Parish of Saint Francis of Assisi – Dumanjug
19. Parish of Saint Francis Xavier – Alegria
20. Parish of Saint Gregory the Great – Ginatilan

District 5: Northwest Cebu
21. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint John of Sahagun – Toledo
22. Parish of Saint Francis of Assisi – Balamban
23, Parish of Santa Lucia – Asturias
24. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of San Antonio de Padua – Tuburan

District 6: Far North Cebu
25. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of San Vicente Ferrer – Bogo
26. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima – Daanbantayan
27. Parish of Saint Peter – Bantayan

District 7: Mid North Cebu
28. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago de Compostela
29. Parish of Santo Tomas de Villanueva – Danao
30. Parish of Saint Joseph – San Francisco, Camotes

District 8: Near North Cebu
31. Parish and National Shrine of Saint Joseph – Mandaue
32. Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima – Mandaue