Jubilee Year
of
M e rc y
Special Insert - December, 2015
Opening of the Holy Door By: Fr. John Sauer
On December 13, 2015, Bishop Quinn will join bishops across the world in opening a Holy Door at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona. This holy door will be a focus of our diocesan observance of the Year of Mercy. The Holy Father will open the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on December 8, 2015 and the Holy Door at the Cathedral of St. John Lateran on December 13. In the papal bull announcing the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis writes, “I will have the joy of opening the Holy Door on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. On that day, the Holy Door will become a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instills hope.“ A holy door or porta sancta has been used since the fifteenth century as a ritual expression of conversion. Pilgrims and penitents pass through it as a gesture of leaving the past behind and crossing the threshold from sin to grace, from slavery to freedom, and from darkness to light. Often these rituals are associated with prayer, pilgrimage, sacrifice, confession, and indulgences. But the door finds meaning only when the believer associates the door with Christ. Jesus is the Door! In the words of Pope Francis, “There is only one way that opens wide the entrance into the life of communion with God: this is Jesus, the one and absolute way to salvation. To him alone can the words of the Psalmist be applied in full truth: ‘This is the door of the Lord where the just may enter’ (Ps 118:20).” Saint John
Paul II offers a similar exhortation: "To focus on the door is to recall the responsibility of every believer to cross its threshold. To pass through that door means to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; it is to strengthen faith in him in order to live the new life which he has given us. It is a decision which presumes freedom to choose and also the courage to leave something behind, in the knowledge that what is gained is divine life [cf. Mt 13:44-46]” (Saint John Paul II, Incarnationis Mysterium, 8, in the year 2000). John’s gospel clearly depicts this relationship between Jesus and us. “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life, and have it more abundantly” (John 10:7-10). It is fitting that a Holy Door be situated within a church building. The door of the Church is the ianua ecclesia – “the silent witness to all the moments of our lives” (USCCB, About the Jubilee Door, 1999). Often sacramental rituals begin at the door – here, the priest or deacon welcomes the parents as they bring their child for baptism; here, he greets the bride and groom as they begin the wedding liturgy; here, he greets the catechumens at the Rite of Acceptance; and, finally, the priest greets the casket at the beginning of the funeral liturgy. In addition to the Holy Door at the Cathedral, Bishop Quinn has asked those parishes dedicated to the Sacred Heart as well as the Sacred Heart Care Center in Jackson and the motherhouse of the Franciscan sisters in Rochester to inaugurate a holy door so that pilgrims from across the diocese will have access to the graces and indulgences that can be gained by processing through a holy door. Parishes and individuals will be provided information on how to make a pilgrimage to the holy door sites. This is an extension of the grace of mercy which God bestows upon us through this special jubilee observance. As Pope Francis stated in extending his invitation, “Therefore, let us create Holy Doors in our cathedrals or other significant churches which can be worthy symbols of Christ and a welcome invitation to seek Him within our communities of faith.” Source: the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions.
Inside the Issue
Announcement of the Jubilee of Mercy
read the Pope's words on page 2
Holy Doors in the Diocese of Winona!
read more on page 4
To Walk Through a Holy Door
read the reflection on page 4
Frequently Asked Questions Q. When does the Year of Mercy begin? “The Holy Year will open on 8 December 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This liturgical feast day recalls God’s action from the very beginning of the history of mankind. After the sin of Adam and Eve, God did not wish to leave humanity alone in the throes of evil. And so he turned his gaze to Mary, holy and immaculate in love (cf. Eph 1:4), choosing her to be the Mother of man’s Redeemer. When faced with the gravity of sin, God responds with the fullness of mercy. Mercy will always be greater than any sin, and no one can place limits on the love of God who is ever ready to forgive” (Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus #3).
Q. When does the Year of Mercy conclude?
The Year of Mercy concludes on November 20, 2016 --
the Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
Q. Does the Year of Mercy have a theme?
“Merciful like the Father” is the ‘motto’ of this Holy Year. This is a shortened version of the verse in Scripture, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). The Pope wrote, “In mercy, we find proof of how God loves us. He gives his entire self, always, freely, asking nothing in return. He comes to our aid whenever we call upon him. What a beautiful thing that the Church begins her daily prayer with the words, “O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me” (Ps 70:2)! The assistance we ask for is already the first step of God’s mercy toward us. He comes to assist us in our weakness. And his help consists
Answering Questions, cont'd on next page
Jubilee Year of Mercy
2
Announcement of the J u b i l e e Y e a r o f M e rc y March 13, 2015 ~ Saint Peter Basilica, Rome "Dear brothers and sisters, I have often thought of how the Church may render more clear her mission to be a witness to mercy; and we have to make this journey. It is a journey which begins with spiritual conversion. Therefore, I have decided to
announce an Extraordinary Jubilee which has at its centre the mercy of God. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy. We want to live in the light of the word of the Lord: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (cf. Lk 6:36). And this especially applies to confessors! So much mercy! This Holy Year will commence on the next Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and will conclude on Sunday, 20 November 2016, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe and living face of the Father's mercy. I entrust the organization of this Jubilee to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, in order that it may come to life as a new step on the Church’s Pope Francis places a flower on a tomb after journey in celebrating Mass at Rome's Verano Cemetery on the feast of All Saint's Day on November 1, 2015. her mission Credit: © L'Osservatore Romano to bring the Gospel of
Answering
Questions,
cont'd from pg 1 of insert
in helping us accept his presence and closeness to us. Day after day, touched by his compassion, we also can become compassionate towards others” (Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus #14).
Q. How is this Jubilee Year of Mercy different from other Jubilee Years?
Traditionally, a jubilee year is celebrated to mark twenty-five years or fifty years or an important anniversary, such as the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ in 2000. But Archbishop Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, makes some important distinctions: “In order to avoid any misunderstanding, it is important to reiterate that this Jubilee of Mercy is not and does not intend to be the Great Jubilee Year of 2000. Therefore, any comparisons lack validity, for every Holy Year possesses its own unique nature and aims. “It is the Pope’s desire that this Jubilee be celebrated in Rome as well as in the local Churches; this will give due focus to the life of individual Churches and their needs, in such a way that the initiatives will not place an extra burden on local Churches, but will blend into their calendars and usual activities very naturally. “Also, for the first time in the history of the Jubilee tradition, there will be an opportunity for individual dioceses to open a Holy Door – the Door of Mercy – either in the Cathedral or in a church of special significance or a shrine of particular importance for December, 2015 w The Courier
pilgrimages. “Similarly, it is easy to cull other characteristics from the Bull of Indiction that will make this Jubilee unique. From the very beginning, however, the call to mercy breaks with the traditional pattern. The history of Jubilees has been marked by their occurrence every 50 or 25 years. The two Extraordinary Jubilees fell on anniversaries of Christ’s redemptive act (1933, 1983). This Jubilee, however, is based upon a theme. It will build upon the central content of the faith and intends to call the Church once again to its missionary priority of being a sign and witness in every aspect of its pastoral life.”
Q. Are there other special days which our diocese should celebrate? Pope Francis has named special days of jubilee throughout the year – for youth, for workers and volunteers of mercy, for prisoners, for deacons, for priests, for the sick and persons with disabilities, etc. In addition, there are special events, e.g., “24 Hours for the Lord,” with special emphasis on the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. It is the intention of the Holy Father that these be celebrated also in dioceses throughout the world. From information provided by the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC), “Resources for the Year of Mercy ~ Part I: An Introduction to the Year of Mercy.” Contact: www.fdlc.org / 202-635-6990
mercy to each person. I am confident that the whole Church, which is in such need of mercy for we are sinners, will be able to find in this Jubilee the joy of rediscovering and rendering fruitful God’s mercy, with which we are all called to give comfort to every man and every woman of our time. Do not forget that God forgives all, and God forgives always. Let us never tire of asking forgiveness. Let us henceforth entrust this Year to the Mother of Mercy, that she turn her gaze upon us and watch over our journey: our penitential journey, our year-long journey with an open heart, to receive the indulgence of God, to receive the mercy of God."
Year of Mercy Calendar of Events January
On the first Friday… [or on another Friday of the month] Diocesan “Holy Hour” (at 3:00 pm, the “Hour of Great Mercy”) [Site TBD] [There will be a designated site in the diocese for the monthly holy hour, but other parishes and church institutions are also encouraged to celebrate a monthly “holy hour” during the Jubilee Year.] January 31 - February 6, 2016 Catholic Schools Week
In Rome and the Universal Church… Tuesday, December 8 (Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception) Opening of the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica “I will have the joy of opening the Holy Door on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. On that day, the Holy Door will become a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instills hope.” (Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus # 3) Sunday, December 13 (Third Sunday of Advent) Opening of the Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran and in the Cathedrals of the world In the Diocese… Sunday, December 13 • Opening Mass (10:30 am – at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona) • Opening of the Holy Doors (at the Cathedral and at “Sacred Heart” sites across the diocese)
February On the first Friday… [or on another Friday of the month] Diocesan “Holy Hour” (at 3:00 pm, the “Hour of Great Mercy”) [Site TBD] February 2 Closing of the Year of Consecrated Life (at IHM Seminary, Winona) [hosted by RSM Community] Lent 2016 “24 Hours for the Lord” (24 hours of confession offered at parishes/ parish clusters during Lent)
March On the first Friday… [or on another Friday of the month] Diocesan “Holy Hour” (at 3:00 pm, the “Hour of Great Mercy”) [Site TBD]
April On the first Friday… [or on another Friday of the month] Diocesan “Holy Hour” (at 3:00 pm, the “Hour of Great Mercy”) [Site TBD] April 2 Diocesan Men’s Conference (at Lourdes High School, Rochester) April 3 Divine Mercy Sunday April 24 “Jubilee for young boys and girls” (ages 13-16)
May On the first Friday… [or on another Friday of the month]
Jubilee Year of Mercy
In December...
In 2016...
3
“On the same [Third] Sunday [of Advent], I will announce that in every local Church, at the cathedral – the mother church of the faithful in any particular area – a Door of Mercy will be opened for the duration of the Holy Year…. Thus the Jubilee will be celebrated both in Rome and in the Particular Churches as a visible sign of the Church’s universal communion.” (Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus # 3)
Diocesan “Holy Hour” (at 3:00 pm, the “Hour of Great Mercy”) [Site TBD]
June On the first Friday… [or on another Friday of the month] Diocesan “Holy Hour” (at 3:00 pm, the “Hour of Great Mercy”) [Site TBD] Diocesan “Jubilee of Mercy” Week June 3 - “Jubilee for priests” (at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona) June 5 - “Jubilee for deacons” (at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona) June 8-10 - “Jubilee of Mercy” Days (for laity, religious, and clergy)
July On the first Friday… [or on another Friday of the month] Diocesan “Holy Hour” (at 3:00 pm, the “Hour of Great Mercy”) [Site TBD]
July 26-31 World Youth Day – “Jubilee for young people”
On the first Friday… [or on another Friday of the month] Diocesan “Holy Hour” (at 3:00 pm, the “Hour of Great Mercy”) [Site TBD] Date TBD... Catechetical Day
“Hour of Great Mercy”) [Site TBD] Date TBD... Diocesan Women’s Conference (with an emphasis on Our Lady, Mother of Mercy) “Marian Jubilee” Date TBD... White Mass (possibly with parishes offering Healing Masses and Anointing of the Sick) “Jubilee for those who are ill and for persons with disabilities”
September
November
On the first Friday… [or on another Friday of the month] Diocesan “Holy Hour” (at 3:00 pm, the “Hour of Great Mercy”) [Site TBD] September 25 Catechetical Sunday – “Jubilee for catechists”
On the first Friday… [or on another Friday of the month] Diocesan “Holy Hour” (at 3:00 pm, the “Hour of Great Mercy”) [Site TBD] November 6 - “Jubilee for prisoners” November 13 Closing Mass (at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona) Closing of the Holy Doors Mass (at the Cathedral and at “Sacred Heart” sites across the diocese)
August
October On the first Friday… [or on another Friday of the month] Diocesan “Holy Hour” (at 3:00 pm, the
December, 2015 w The Courier
INDULGENCE & CONDITIONS
Jubilee Year of Mercy
4
The season of grace which is the Jubilee of Mercy, will naturally be characterized by the possibility of obtaining the plenary indulgence through certain pious exercises culminating in entering through the Holy Door, the Door of Mercy. These pious exercises will accompany the prayer and celebration of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist as concrete signs of conversion and “immersion” in the Mercy of the Father.
Visit the Holy Doors in the Diocese of Winona
Having Crossed the Doorway
Once they have crossed through the Holy Door or Door of Mercy, or have fulfilled one of the other conditions under which Pope Francis has granted the Jubilee Indulgence (for example, for the sick, for the imprisoned, or for anyone who carries out in person a work of mercy), in addition to the usual conditions which require a heart well-disposed for the grace to bring its desired fruits, the faithful should stop in prayer to fulfill the final actions asked for: the profession of faith, and prayer for the Holy Father and his intentions. The latter should be at least an “Our
Father” – the prayer in which Jesus himself taught us to turn as children to the Father – but it could possibly be more. In particular, taking into consideration the spirit of this Holy Year, it is suggested that pilgrims recite the lovely prayer of Pope Francis for the Jubilee, and that they conclude the time of prayer with an invocation to the merciful Lord Jesus (for example, “Merciful Jesus, I trust in You”). From information provided by the Vatican at the web site of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart – Winona Sacred Heart Church – Adams Sacred Heart Church – Brewster Sacred Heart Church – Hayfield Sacred Heart Church – Heron Lake Sacred Heart Church – Owatonna Sacred Heart Church – Waseca Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel (at Assisi Heights) – Rochester Sacred Heart Mercy Health Care Center Chapel – Jackson The chapel at Sacred Heart Hospice in Austin, is also designated as a “special site” for the jubilee year. Although it will not have a Holy Door nor be a pilgrimage site, its residents and guests may receive an indulgence by visiting the chapel when the other conditions for the indulgence are met.
To Walk through a Holy Door - a Reflection By: Theresa Martin It was January of 2000 and, now Saint, Pope John Paul II had just opened the “Porta Sancta” (Holy Door) for the Jubilee Year. I had the privilege to be studying abroad in Rome that fall. I was honestly clueless about what a Holy Door was and why it should be important to me. Even the word "indulgences" registered in my mind as a negative word, but the truth was, I had no idea what it actually meant. As it was slowly explained to me, there were a few things that had to be done, but when they were, and you walked through the Holy Door in good faith, your debt of purification time in purgatory is taken away (which is what is meant by plenary indulgence). If you died then, you’d go straight to heaven. I had my doubts. Is this some kind of good luck charm or superstition? I thought, I am just supposed to do those things and poof! Just like that time in purgatory is removed? I did understand the need for purgatory. Sin to your soul is like breaking a window. You are very sorry you broke it and the Father truly forgives you. Yet, the window is still broken. The time is purgatory is like the need to fix or replace the window. So, I admit, I was very skeptical; however, I decided I couldn’t miss this chance, so I committed myself to get the indulgence. I went to confession; attended Mass and also did the extra act of faith requested. This required some effort on my part. We followed a guide who went from Church to Church and gave a spiritual reflection in each one. My legs were tired; my feet were sore, but I prayed at each Church. We then made our way to St. Peter's Basilica and had to wait in a long line to go in through the Holy Door. Each minute that passed by left me asking whether this was worth it. There were pilgrims from every nationality, December, 2015 w The Courier
St. Pope John Paul II during the opening ceremony of the Holy Door. (2000)
some kinder than others, all with the same goal. When we arrived at the Holy Door, a great calm came over me. It was as if the ordinary and extraordinary met.
It's just a door. Though this particular Holy Door was an enormously large one, in the end, it is just a door. And yet, God uses the ordinary to bring us to Himself. He uses bread to give us His body, water to wash our sins away, chrism to anoint us with the Holy Spirit. In a subtly powerful way, the holy door points us to the true door to heaven, which is Christ Himself. As normal and miraculous as the daily sunrise, I walked through the door and entered the Church to pray. As I prayed, I felt that peace that comes after a good Confession. I realized that these steps we had to do were not just buttons to press, but they were actions that changed you. Going to Confession, receiving the Eucharist at Mass, participating in an act of faith, and walking through the door, were not merely actions I took, but events that changed me – if I let them. I would encourage everyone to make time at some point this year and visit one of the Holy Doors. Make a pilgrimage of it. Don't miss this profound opportunity to receive an abundance of God's merciful grace! Pope Francis knows this is what our world needs - a year of mercy - and this is what you and I need as well. I plan to take full advantage of our Holy Door (maybe more than once)! Pope Francis also made it super easy. What you need to do is: Confession, Eucharist, walk through the Holy Door. It is also suggested that you pray the Year of Mercy prayer or another profession of faith prayer. Saying the rosary together with your pilgrimage group would be a beautiful addition to your Holy Door experience. As I prayed that day in St. Peter's Basilica, the peace of the Holy Spirit swelling in my heart and tears rising in my eyes, I thanked our Lord for His great mercy in allowing such a gift to His children. Blessed be the name of the Lord.