BISHOP KULICK ON THE JUBILEE YEAR
Bishop Kulick to open Jubilee Year in Diocese with Mass at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral
Mass to feature specially created cross representative of the faithful in the Diocese
GREENSBURG – Every 25 years, the Universal Church proclaims a Jubilee Year to encourage the faithful to embark on pilgrimages, repent of their sins, forgive the sins of others and renew a focus on their spiritual lives. On Christmas Eve, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, will begin the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, “Pilgrims of Hope,” with the official Opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In the Diocese of Greensburg, Bishop Larry J. Kulick will open the 2025 Jubilee Year with the Solemn Opening Mass of the Jubilee, Sunday, Dec. 29, at 3 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral.
Bishop Kulick says the Holy Father is asking the faithful to use the year to focus our hope on the future through Christian discipleship rooted in our baptism, in which our eyes are fixed on the world to come, leading to the gift of salvation, intentionally moving as pilgrims in a specific spiritual direction.
“Every Jubilee Year calls us to understand how we are disciples and how our lives must be centered on Christ. Christ is our hope,” Bishop Kulick said. “Not only is He our hope, but He also accompanies us on our pilgrimage, and He is indeed the source of hope. Christ is the destination to which our hope points – eternal life.”
The Jubilee Mass celebration begins in the Westmoreland Museum of American Art’s lower level with the blessing of the Jubilee Cross and reading of the Papal Bull. The Bishop will then lead the faithful to the doors of the Cathedral for the official Opening Mass of the Jubilee – Pilgrims of Hope. The Jubilee Cross, created by Deacon William Hisker, will be a focal point for the yearlong celebration in the Diocese, following Pope Francis’ direction that each Diocese designate or create a cross that is spiritually significant and representative of each Diocese.
Deacon Hisker’s Jubilee Cross includes hardwood from Blessed Sacrament Cathedral and contains soil from the four counties of the Diocese. Included on the cross is the Latin word for hope, spes. The letters are made from stainless steel manufactured at Allegheny Teledyne in Vandergrift; there are also elements of glass, aluminum and coal, all representing the industrial heritage of our Diocese. There also are seeds representing the agricultural history of the Diocese.
Bishop Kulick believes the Church is on the cusp of renewal and prays that the faithful will take advantage of the many opportunities the Diocese plans for pilgrimages, reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration and faith formation. He also has his own hope for the faithful. “That those who do not know Christ may find Him. That those who know Christ will love Him even more and that we, together as a Church, may go forward in a positive, energetic way with a clear vision of embracing with joy and hope the mission entrusted to us and not to have doubt, not to have fear and not to second guess ourselves.”
The Jubilee Year in the Universal Church will also lay the groundwork for a very important celebration for the Diocese of Greensburg. In 2026, the Diocese will celebrate its 75th anniversary, or Diamond Jubilee. The celebration will begin in Advent of 2025.
