Drawing: How have you witnessed hope this Jubilee Year?

When Pope Francis announced the 2025 Jubilee Year, he chose the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.”

In his official papal bull proclaiming the Jubilee Year, titled “Spes non confundit,” translated as “Hope does not disappoint,” Pope Francis wrote, “In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. ...

“Surely we need to ‘abound in hope’ (cf. Romans 15:13), so that we may bear credible and attractive witness to the faith and love that dwell in our hearts; that our faith may be joyful and our charity enthusiastic; and that each of us may be able to offer a smile, a small gesture of friendship, a kind look, a ready ear, a good deed, in the knowledge that, in the Spirit of Jesus, these can become, for those who receive them, rich seeds of hope. ...

“The coming Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God. May it help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation. ...

“Through our witness, may hope spread to all those who anxiously seek it. May the way we live our lives say to them in so many words: ‘Hope in the Lord! Hold firm, take heart and hope in the Lord!’” (Psalm 27:14).

So, how have you been a pilgrim of hope?

Whether you went on a pilgrimage abroad, visited the local pilgrimage churches designated by Bishop McManus this Jubilee Year, or were a witness to hope in your own family, parish or community, we want to hear from you.

Did you come to a deeper understanding of what hope means? Experience a hopeful moment?

How will you carry hope with you beyond the end of the Jubilee Year?

The Catholic Free Press will publish submissions in a few weeks, as the Jubilee Year of Hope comes to an end.

Locally, the Holy Year will conclude Dec. 28, the feast of the Holy Family, with a closing Mass at 4 p.m. at St. Paul Cathedral in Worcester.

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to close the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica Jan. 6, 2026, the feast of the Epiphany, officially closing out the Jubilee Year.

While all submissions might not be published in print, every person who submits will be entered into a drawing to receive a Jubilee Year rosary from Rome and a free one-year subscription to The Catholic Free Press. Five others will receive the free subscription.

How to submit an entry:

Write about your Jubilee Year hope (maximum of 250 words) and send it via email to cfpnews@catholicfreepress.org or mail it to The Catholic Free Press, 49 Elm St., Worcester, MA 01609.

A photo or two per submission is welcome, though not necessary.

Please include your name, parish affiliation, address and phone number. Your name, parish and town will be published.

Submission deadline is Dec. 19.