On Christmas Eve at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis symbolically opened the holy door that marks the Jubilee year, which happens every 25 years. This Jubilee is the Year of Hope, and will run until the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6, 2026. While only Rome has formal holy doors, the Archdiocese of New York is offering Jubilee pilgrimage sites where indulgences may be obtained as part of this very special time for the Church. To see Cardinal Dolan’s Jubilee of Hope video message on The Good Newsroom website, click here.
2025 Jubilee Pilgrimage Sites
National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Middletown
National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
70 Carmelite Drive
Middletown, NY 10940
The shrine is open daily from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Masses are celebrated Monday through Friday at 11:30 am and Sundays at 12:00 noon. Confessions are held on Saturday from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon and there is no Mass celebrated on Saturday. Pilgrimages can be planned any day except Sunday and personal visits can be made any day.
Franciscan Friars of the Atonement at Graymoor, Garrison
Franciscan Friars of the Atonement at Graymoor
40 Franciscan Way
Garrison, NY 10524
Nestled in the hills of the Hudson River in Putnam County, 50 miles north of New York City, Graymoor’s picturesque grounds, shrines and chapels are open dawn to dusk, year round, for the public and people of all faiths to enjoy. From the summit of Mount Atonement, marvel at the sweeping vista and the beauty of a replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta. A few steps away find the tranquility of the St. Francis Chapel, with its altar that once marked the spot where St. Francis of Assisi received his holy stigmata in 1224.
Mount Alvernia Retreat Center, Wappingers Falls
Mt. Alvernia Retreat Center
158 Delavergne Avenue
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
Mount Alvernia Retreat Center is a Roman Catholic Retreat Center, a ministry of the Franciscan Friars (OFM) of the Province of the Immaculate Conception with headquarters in New York City. The Center conducts and hosts spiritual programs for persons of all faiths, although its major focus is Roman Catholic spirituality. It has served the community since 1968. Located in the village of Wappingers Falls, NY, the Center has 204 acres of land overlooking the Hudson Valley in Dutchess County.
National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, Stony Point
National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians
174 Filors Lane
Stony Point, NY 10980
As you explore the Marian Shrine you will see that the beautiful grounds are marked with a variety of devotional statues and reminders of ways people can communicate with God. You may choose to visit for a leisurely walk, stop into the Mary Help of Christians Shrine Chapel (open daily from 8 am until 4:30 pm) or plan a day to stay for Mass, go to confession or say the rosary.
St. Frances Cabrini Shrine, Upper Manhattan
St. Frances Cabrini Shrine
701 Fort Washington Avenue
New York, NY 10040
Nestled in a quiet neighborhood in northern Manhattan, St. Frances Cabrini Shrine rises above the Hudson River on a scenic site chosen by Mother Cabrini herself. Enshrined in the chapel are the treasured remains of St. Frances Cabrini, the patron saint of immigrants. The Shrine also includes a small museum of second-class relics and memorabilia of Mother Cabrini. Rotating exhibits provide additional insight into her life and spirituality. It is easily accessible by mass transit.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Midtown Manhattan
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
5th Ave between 50th/51st Streets
New York, NY 10022
Every year, more than five million people of every different nationality and faith enter St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Some come just as a tourist, but many more come to participate in the life of the Church. Regardless of why people visit this magnificent Cathedral, everyone who crosses our threshold is invited to open their hearts to God. Every year, more than one million prayer candles are lit at St. Patrick’s Cathedral — an outward sign that so many of those who visit in person do so to invite Christ into their lives. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is a physical manifestation of the Church’s mission to invite people to open the doors and ask Jesus in to their hearts.
Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, Manhattan
Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral
263 Mulberry Street
New York, NY 10012
The Basilica of Saint Patrick’s Old Cathedral is the original Cathedral Church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. Since its opening over 200 years ago on the corner of Mott and Prince Streets in the Nolita section of lower Manhattan, its spiritual mission continues to be the great beacon for the Catholic Faithful and an American symbol of the triumph of religious freedom.
Schoenstatt Shrine of Light, Staten Island
Schoenstatt Shrine of Light
263 Mulberry Street
New York, NY 10012
Schoenstatt is Catholic Apostolic Movement with a deep Marian spirituality. As an ecclesial movement, it emphasizes education after the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, upholding her as a perfect example of love and commitment to Christ. The Schoenstatt Shrine of Light serves as a spiritual beacon to all who come to honor Our Blessed Mother and worship Her Son. Nestled in a peaceful Staten Island neighborhood, the Shrine is just a short distance from the iconic Statue of Liberty. Come experience this holy place and connect with the abundant graces flowing to all who visit.
Jubilee FAQs
What is the Jubilee?
Jubilees are usually years marking a significant anniversary, such as the 25th or 100th anniversary of a historical event or notable date. Historically in the Bible, a Jubilee year occurred every 50 years and involved religious observances as well as the forgiving of debt, freeing of slaves, and other civil matters.
In the Catholic context, the frequency has varied since the first Jubilee in 1300 called by Pope Boniface VIII, but as of 1470 is celebrated every 25 years. What occurs during a Jubilee year has also changed over time, but generally it includes pilgrimages, walking through Holy Doors, and the granting of a plenary indulgence.
What is a plenary indulgence?
“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1471
A plenary indulgence is the complete removal of all temporal punishment described per the above quote. To learn more about how to obtain the plenary indulgence within the Archdiocese of New York, click here to download the Guide to Plenary Indulgences flyer.
What is a Holy Door?
“God is always opening the door of His house… the family called the Church.”
The Jubilee year begins with the opening of the Holy Door by the Pope. While originally there was only one Holy Door, there are now several in Rome.
“In crossing the threshold of the Holy Door, the pilgrim is reminded of the passage from chapter 10 of St John’s gospel: ‘I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.’ Passing through the Holy Door expresses the decision to follow and be guided by Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd. The door is a passageway that ushers the pilgrim into the interior of a church. For the Christian community, a church is not only a sacred space, to be approached with respect, with appropriate behavior and dress code, but it is a symbol of the communion that binds every believer to Christ: it is a place of encounter and dialogue, of reconciliation and peace which awaits every pilgrim, the Church is essentially the place of the community of the faithful.
Why the Year of Hope?
“We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope. This will indeed be the case if we are capable of recovering a sense of universal fraternity and refuse to turn a blind eye to the tragedy of rampant poverty that prevents millions of men, women, young people and children from living in a manner worthy of our human dignity. Here I think in particular of the many refugees forced to abandon their native lands. May the voices of the poor be heard throughout this time of preparation for the Jubilee, which is meant to restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone. As the Bible teaches, ‘The sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves and for your hired servant and the sojourner who lives with you; for your cattle also, and for the beasts that are in your land, all its yield shall be for food’ (Lev 25:6-7).”
Where can I learn more about the Jubilee?
The Vatican has prepared a comprehensive website available at iubilaeum2025.va/en.html, including a calendar of events in Rome, prayer resources, and a history of Jubilees.
For the list of Jubilee churches in Rome, click here.
RESOURCES
We’ve prepared the below downloadable digital and printable assets to help you promote the Jubilee in your parish and your daily life. To find more resources for parishes, click here.
Logos
Click on the image below to download the file. The three below images are available with a transparent background.
The two below images are available with a white square background.
Phone Wallpapers
For more prayer card phone wallpapers, click here.
Printable Banners
These banners are available at a high resolution for print or digital use.
Social Media Graphics
The social media graphics have been formatted across multiple design platforms to ensure accessibility and convenience for all users. Select the platform you’re most comfortable using – all options are free.
Flyers
What is a plenary indulgence? Where can you go in the Archdiocese to obtain one, and how?
Click the button below to download the flyer, available to you at no cost for digital and print use, with the answers to these and more questions about the 2025 Jubilee.
