Pope Francis announced that 2025 would be a Jubilee Year — a special celebration in the life of the Church that takes place every 25 years. The theme for this Jubilee was “Pilgrims of Hope”, inviting Catholics around the world to journey together in faith, renewal, and joy.
The Jubilee began in Advent 2024 and will continue until the Feast of the Epiphany in 2026. Although it is a global celebration, Pope Francis encouraged dioceses and communities to mark the Jubilee in their own unique way.
Here at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, we embraced this sacred time with a series of events and activities that helped our children, families, and staff reflect on hope, deepen their faith, and celebrate together. From liturgies and pilgrimages to creative projects and acts of service, we journeyed through the Jubilee with joy and purpose.
We continue to walk forward as Pilgrims of Hope.
What Is a Jubilee?
A Jubilee Year is a deeply significant tradition in the Catholic Church, celebrated every 25 years as a time of grace, renewal, and spiritual reflection. It is recognised across the world as a moment to reconnect with our faith and with one another.
The last ordinary Jubilee Year was in 2000, marking the Church’s entrance into the third millennium. Pope Francis also proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016, highlighting the Church’s mission of compassion and forgiveness.
The Jubilee Year offers the faithful the opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence — a remission of sins for themselves or for deceased loved ones. It begins with the symbolic opening of the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, followed by the other three papal basilicas. The Pope also grants permission for Holy Doors to be opened in churches around the world, allowing Catholics everywhere to take part in this sacred rite.
Rooted in Scripture, the Jubilee has its origins in the Bible, where it was celebrated every 50 years as a time of rest, restoration, and justice. Debts were cancelled, land was returned to the landless, and people were invited to renew their relationship with God and creation. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus proclaims the year of the Lord’s favour — a mission of hope and healing that echoes the spirit of Jubilee.
At its heart, a Jubilee is a call to forgiveness, reconciliation, and joyful renewal — a time to walk together in faith as Pilgrims of Hope.
Holy Doors
One of the most cherished traditions of a Jubilee Year is the opening of Holy Doors — powerful symbols of welcome, grace, and spiritual renewal. For the Holy Year of 2025, Pope Francis opened the first Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, followed by a second at Rebibbia Prison, reminding us all that hope is for everyone and that “open hearts” are the true path to brotherhood.
Inspired by this message, we at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School have embraced the spirit of the Jubilee by creating our own Holy Doors. Each class has decorated their classroom door with reflections, prayers, and artwork that express their hopes, faith, and journey through the Jubilee Year. These doors are not just creative displays — they are invitations to open our hearts and walk together in faith.
At the front of our school, we have a specially dedicated Holy Door, beautifully adorned with contributions from across the school community. It stands as a reminder of God’s everlasting and unlimited grace, and all families are warmly invited to visit and reflect on the gift of hope it represents.
Our Year 6 class also had the privilege of visiting the Holy Door at Glastonbury, deepening their understanding of pilgrimage and the wider Church’s celebration of the Jubilee. It was a moving experience that connected their learning with the living tradition of our faith.
As Pope Francis encourages us to renew our hope and rediscover our place as “pilgrims on the earth,” our Holy Doors at St Mary’s help us live that message each day — with open minds, open hearts, and open hands.
Jubilee Pledge day
Praying Together in the Jubilee Year
As part of our Jubilee celebrations at St Mary’s, our whole school community has come together in prayer and song to reflect on the theme Pilgrims of Hope. Each week, we unite in a special prayer that helps us focus on our journey of faith, compassion, and renewal.
We begin by turning to God the Father, who calls us to care for His creation. We ask for strength to restore, replant, and renew the world around us — working together with love and purpose.
We then look to Jesus, the light of the world, who teaches us to love our neighbours and stand up for those who are suffering. We pray to be people of kindness, fairness, and forgiveness in all that we do.
Finally, we invite the Holy Spirit to guide and inspire us. We ask to grow in faith, to hear God’s word in scripture, and to recognise Christ in one another — united as one global family.
Each part of our prayer ends with a shared response:
“Guide us on our journey as pilgrims of hope.”
This prayer has become a meaningful part of our Jubilee journey, reminding us of the grace we receive and the hope we carry. Alongside it, we sing our Jubilee hymn with joy, lifting our voices in celebration and unity.
Whole School Prayer
God, our loving Father,
In this Jubilee year,
you remind us of our call to love creation.
Help us to work together
to replant, repair, and renew.
R# Guide us on our journey as pilgrims of hope.
Jesus, our light,
In this Jubilee year, you remind us of our call to love our neighbours and to set free those who suffer.
Help us to treat everyone with dignity; to be fair; forgiving; and kind.
R# Guide us on our journey as pilgrims of hope.
Holy Spirit, our inspiration,
In this Jubilee year, you remind us of our call to grow in faith and love.
Help us to hear you in scripture, to see Jesus in others,
and to be united as God’s global family.
R# Guide us on our journey as pilgrims of hope.
Our 25th Anniversary
This Jubilee Year has been especially meaningful for us at St Mary’s, as we also marked our 25th Anniversary as a school! It has been a time of reflection, celebration, and gratitude for all that we’ve achieved together as a community.
To honour this milestone, we revisited our school mission and celebrated the values that have guided us over the past quarter-century. A special Anniversary Mass brought together pupils, staff, families, and parish members in joyful thanksgiving.
One of the highlights of our celebrations was the creation of a stunning whole-school mosaic, designed and crafted by every class. Each piece represents a part of our journey, and we were honoured to have Bishop Bosco lay the final tile — a symbolic moment that brought our past, present, and future together.
As we continue through the Jubilee Year, we give thanks for 25 years of faith, learning, and community — and look forward to many more to come.
Jubilee Retreat
As part of our ongoing celebrations for the Year of Hope, we were delighted to begin the new school year in September with a very special opportunity for our whole community. On the first Friday back, staff and children took part in a virtual school retreat, a time set aside for us to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the deeper purpose of our mission as a Catholic school.
This retreat, generously purchased for us by FOSM through onelifemusic, offered a peaceful and meaningful afternoon where we could step away from the busyness of everyday life. Through music, prayer, storytelling and reflection, the retreat invited us to consider how we can continue to be people of hope—bringing kindness, courage and compassion into every part of our school family.
We are incredibly grateful for this gift, which allowed us to start the term grounded in faith and united in spirit. Moments like these remind us that hope is not only something to celebrate, but something we are called to live out together each day.
Jubilee Celebration Day
Ending the Jubilee Year
In January 2026, our school community gathered together to mark the end of our Year of Hope. It was an uplifting moment to pause as one family in faith and to celebrate all the wonderful things we achieved throughout the year. From acts of service and fundraising, to moments of prayer, creativity, and companionship, our children and staff showed what it means to live out hope in both small and significant ways.
As a community, we also took time to reflect—
to recognise not only our achievements, but the growth that has taken place within each of us. We considered the ways in which God’s hope has guided our school, strengthened our friendships, and inspired us to be people of light in the lives of others. In that quiet, prayerful stillness, we were reminded that hope is not just something we talk about—it is something we choose to practise daily, through kindness, resilience, and trust in God’s loving plan.