Hi
@Psychopav. That sounds like an amazing trip.
Can you elaborate on what a jubilee pilgrimage trip is?
And how the prayers are done and such?
Am I right to assume this is a Catholic thing?
Thanks for offering to pray for folks and I hope you have an amazing trip!
Pope Francis (rip) declared 2025 a "jubilee year of hope", and encouraged Catholics from around the world to celebrate by making a local or long range pilgrimage (like we are here). In ancient times, Israel would celebrate a jubilee year every 50 years. In these years of joy and celebration, debts would be forgiven and slaves would be freed. The modern Catholic Church has adopted this practice. Popes have on occasion declared jubilees at various times in the same spirit of reconciliation.
Traditionally, there are holy doors in Rome located in the basilicas there, which are only opened during these years in order to give a focal point to the pilgrims. I'm sure I'll know much more about this tradition after the trip and I'll report back after I get back.
My wife and I will be accompanying about 50 other pilgrims who are coming together under the leadership of three local Catholic priests from the Joliet Diocese in IL, who have organized the trip. We'll be flying to Rome this weekend and spend the following 2 weeks in prayer and song, visiting these holy doors, and also will be going to Assisi and a few other sites. We have a charter bus which will take us over 850 miles over the two week journey, which will also include plenty of sightseeing, shopping, food and wine as well no doubt. I expect something like a drawn out travelling retreat.
We will at some point have an audience with Pope Leo as well. I'm not sure exactly what that will be like, whether I'll get to speak to him or give him a baseball (lol) or what. Again I'll report back