Jubilee Opening Mass
Celebrate the Start of the Jubilee Year of Hope
Bishop Gregory Parkes invites all to participate in the local launch of the Jubilee Year of Hope on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at 11:30 am, at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle, in St. Petersburg.
The solemn Opening Mass will begin with a procession at 11:25 am outside the Cathedral on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Tyrone Boulevard. Pilgrims who are able, will proceed to the church and enter the sacred space for Mass.
The procession symbolizes the journey of hope, guided by the Word of God, that unites all the faithful. Pope Francis proclaimed 2025 a Jubilee Year with the theme, Pilgrims of Hope. In line with ancient tradition, the Catholic Church celebrates a Jubilee every 25 years to increase opportunities to experience God’s grace.
The pope will inaugurate the Jubilee Year at the Vatican on December 24, 2024, with the opening of the Holy Door of Mercy at St. Peter’s Basilica. The Holy Door symbolizes the spiritual journey from sin to grace.
The Jubilee will conclude on January 6, 2026.
The Holy Father has asked every cathedral in the world to celebrate a Holy Mass to observe the solemn openingof the Jubilee.