Originally published at Southern Cross
SAN DIEGO — “In fellowship with the Universal Church, we open the Jubilee Year for the Church of the San Diego. Today is a prelude to a rich experience of grace, mercy and consolation … The reason for our hope, especially in this time of war and disorder, is Jesus Christ.”
With these words, Auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano began on Dec. 29 the observance of the Jubilee Year 2025 in the Catholic Diocese of San Diego. He led at a morning prayer in English and Spanish at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, where the faithful packed the pews and jammed the back of the historic building.
Afterward, all set off in a procession, at times stretching three blocks long. They walked to nearby St. Joseph Cathedral, where Bishop Bejarano proclaimed a special blessing for the Jubilee Year and celebrated Mass. The faithful filled the 900-seat church, which the diocese has designated as the site for local Jubilee pilgrimages.
A Jubilee Year is an important event in the Catholic Church, a time of grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. The Church observes an “ordinary” Jubilee Year every 25 years. The 2025 theme calls on Catholics to be “Pilgrims of Hope,” highlighting the power
