Pope Francis has decided that 2025 will be a year of Jubilee, something which happens every 25 years. ‘Jubilee’ is the name given to a particular year. A time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation.

The theme is “Pilgrims of Hope”, and it will be a year of hope for a world suffering the impacts of war, the ongoing effects of COVID-19 pandemic, and a climate crisis.  We are invited to celebrate the Jubilee year with ‘deep faith, lively hope and active charity’.  The hope that comes from knowing we are loved by God, the hope we can bring to those in most need, and the hope we can bring to our common home, the earth. There will be    opportunities for the whole school community to experience the joy of sharing their faith in prayer and worship, and take action together as pilgrims of hope ‘in service to God’s kingdom of love, justice and peace.’

The Jubilee Year began in December 2024 with Pope Francis opening the ‘Holy Door’ in St. Peter's Basilica. The Jubilee of Hope will end on the feast of the Epiphany in 2026.  

At St Joseph’s, we are looking forward to celebrating this special year along with our communities, near and far. On Friday 24 January, Catholic schools across England and Wales joined together to celebrate Jubilee Launch Day for Schools. As part of our celebrations, we launched our Jubilee Pledge by supporting CAFOD with the hope of renewing our faith and commitment to building a fairer world where all people may flourish. This will be achieved through various fundraising activities linked to Catholic Social Teaching.