A Jubilee is Proclaimed!

Yesterday Pope Francis officially proclaimed a Jubilee Year for 2025. The theme for this year is “hope”, as spelled out in the first words (and therefore title) of the Papal Bull Spes Non Confundit: “Hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5). And what, exactly, is a Jubilee Year? The Vatican has a rather lengthy article, which begins with this definition: In […]

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750 Years

Today is the 750th anniversary of the death of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Of old (and in my Benedictine Ordo), today was his feast day, but in the calendar reform it was moved to January, presumably so that it would be outside of Lent. Saint Thomas Aquinas The saint died at Fossanova Abbey in Italy on March 7, 1274, and yesterday, […]

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Saint Brigid of Kildaire: 1,500 Year Jubilee

Today is the 1,500th anniversary of the death of Saint Brigid of Kildaire. She founded the first monasteries in Ireland shortly after Saint Patrick’s mission. She was named after an ancient Celtic goddess, and over the course of history many of the attributes of the goddess have been attributed to her as well. As you might imagine, this makes a […]

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New Year, Holy Year

As 2020 comes finally to its end, we welcome with hope (and no small amount of trepidation) its sequel, 2021. It’s worth remembering, though, that we are also celebrating some other years as well: holy years. The Year of Saint Joseph Pope Francis has declared a “Year of Saint Joseph” from December 8, 2020 through December 8, 2021. This year […]

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Year of the Eucharist

Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle has proclaimed a “Year of the Eucharist” to begin on the external Solemnity of Corpus Christi, this coming Sunday. In his recent pastoral letter The Work of Redemption, he says: During the coming year, I ask every Catholic and every parish community to commit themselves to deepening our understanding and experience of the Eucharist, and […]

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Rejoice in the Lord Always!

This past weekend has been what we at Pistachio House sometimes refer to as a “churchy weekend”: three Masses and chanted Vespers. The first of these was a new experience for us. At 6:30 on Saturday morning, we attended an Extraordinary Form Rorate Mass at Saint Joseph. This is a votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin celebrated in Advent. Since […]

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Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

Pope Francis opened the Holy Doors at Saint Peter’s Basilica, officially beginning the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. On December 13, the Third Sunday of Advent, Father Nicholas Wichert will open Tacoma’s Holy Doors. Perhaps I should explain. Normally for a Jubilee, the Holy Doors of all four […]

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Open Wide the Holy Doors and Announce the Jubilee!

Today, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, Pope Francis unsealed the Holy Doors at Saint Peter’s Basilica, officially beginning the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. On this coming Third Sunday of Advent, all across the world, cathedrals, basilicas, and shrines in every diocese will bless and open their own Holy Doors. Archbishop Sartain has designated a […]

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Mercy!

Released today and, weirdly, also dated today, Pope Francis has published some instructions pursuant to the upcoming Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. Some highlights: How Indulgences are to be Granted: I wish that the Jubilee Indulgence may reach each one as a genuine experience of God’s mercy, which comes to meet each person in the Face of the Father who […]

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Papal Bull!

No. Really. Today Pope Francis issued a Papal Bull proclaiming the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. Misericordiae Vultus BULL OF INDICTION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY FRANCIS, BISHOP OF ROME, SERVANT OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD TO ALL WHO READ THIS LETTER GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE 1. Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy. These words might […]

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Jubilee!

Pope Francis has announced a Jubilee Year for 2016. Traditionally, these happen only every 25 years, the last being proclaimed by Saint John Paul II in 2000. VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis announced an extraordinary jubilee, a Holy Year of Mercy, to highlight the Catholic Church’s “mission to be a witness of mercy.” “No one can be excluded from […]

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The Year of Faith Begins

Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed a “Year of Faith” to run from today, 11 October 2012, through to 24 November 2013. Pastoral guidelines have been published that call for prayer, celebrations, pilgrimages, catechetical events, missions, and new forms of evangelization. The Pope calls us to profess the faith, celebrate the faith, and witness to the faith. Faith grows when it […]

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