By Matt Miller
Diocesan Director of Worship
Pilgrimage Churches and the Jubilee Indulgence
As Bishop Joseph M. Siegel mentioned in his column last month, one of the primary gifts of the Jubilee are the Jubilee Indulgences offered by the Church. There are several different ways to receive this indulgence once the local celebration of the Jubilee begins on Dec. 29.
What Are Indulgences?
The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” defines an indulgence as “a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven” (No. 1471). Through indulgences, the infinite merits of Christ, as well as the merits of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints, are applied to our purification in this life or the life to come. An indulgence may be either plenary (full or complete), removing all of the temporal punishment due to sins, or they may be partial. Those obtaining an indulgence can choose to apply it either to themselves or to the souls of deceased persons. In the case of the Jubilee Indulgence, if it is being applied to the deceased, two plenary indulgences may be obtained on the same day.
How to Obtain an Indulgence during Jubilee 2025
There are four essential components to all indulgences:
- Complete detachment from all sin,
- Reciting the Lord’s Prayer and making a Profession of Faith (Apostles’ or Nicene Creed),
- Praying for the pope’s intentions and the pope himself, and
- Receiving Holy Communion and participating in the Sacrament of Penance.
For the Jubilee indulgence, the first way is to make a pilgrimage. Several basilicas and important churches both in Rome and other parts of the world have been designated for these Jubilee pilgrimages. For those who cannot make it to those places, they can visit one of the local Jubilee churches.
In order to obtain the indulgence while visiting the church, the faithful should participate in Mass; a celebration of the Word of God; the Liturgy of the Hours; the Way of the Cross; the Rosary; the recitation of the “Akathist” hymn in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary; a penitential celebration with individual confession and reconciliation; or Eucharistic adoration followed by the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed and some invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
For those who are unable to make it to a pilgrimage church (such cloistered religious, the elderly, the sick, prisoners, and caregivers in a hospital or institution), they may instead offer up the sufferings and hardships of their own lives, united in spirit with those who take part in person. If possible, they should also receive Holy Communion and participate in the Sacrament of Penance.
In addition to the pilgrimage churches, the faithful can obtain the Indulgence by performing works of mercy such as visiting those who are in difficulty (the sick, prisoners, homebound elderly, etc.), in a sense “making a pilgrimage” to Christ present in them.
Acts of penance can also help to obtain the indulgence. Abstaining at least for one day of the week from futile distractions such as social media, by fasting or practicing abstinence, or giving of your free time to service activities in the community can all be used for the indulgence.
The Jubilee Indulgence is an amazing gift the Church gives us. To be able to receive God’s boundless mercy either for the benefit of ourselves or for our pilgrim brothers and sisters and build up the Church is what the Jubilee is all about.
For more information on the Jubilee Indulgence, as well as other Jubilee activities, you can visit the diocesan Jubilee 2025 page at https://www.evdio.org/jubilee-2025.html.
Diocese of Evansville Jubilee 2025 Churches
Bishop Joseph M. Siegel has designated the following churches in each of our four deaneries as Jubilee Churches:
- North Deanery: Minor Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Vincennes, 205 Church St., Vincennes, Indiana 47591
- North Deanery: Our Lady of Hope Church in Washington, 315 N.E. Third St., Washington, Indiana 47501
- South Deanery: St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville, 1328 Lincoln Ave., Evansville, Indiana 47714
- East Deanery: St. Mary Church in Huntingburg, 317 N. Washington St., Huntingburg, Indiana 47542
- West Deanery: St. Philip Church in Posey County, 3500 St. Philip Rd. S., Mt. Vernon, Indiana 47620