By Virginia Vollmer, OFS
Pope Francis has named 2025 the Jubilee Year of Hope. As Christians we are to called to be Pilgrims of Hope. What does that mean- pilgrims of hope? The word pilgrim can be defined as someone who journeys to a sacred space as an act of religious devotion. Someone walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela is a pilgrim. A traveler to Lourdes in France or Assisi in Italy can be a pilgrim. These places are beautiful places to go to on pilgrimage, but what if it’s not possible to travel those distances? Fortunately, there are much closer alternatives for us in Arizona.
Bishop Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix has named six Jubilee sites in Arizona as places of pilgrimage:
Saints Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix.
Saint Anthony Mission in Sacaton.
Saint Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix.
Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Kingman.
The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Prescott.
Take a pilgrimage to one, two, or all of the sites during this Year of Hope. Become a pilgrim with family, friends, parishioners by making the entire journey to your site of choice one of prayer and contemplation. What do you hope for during the visit? Share this with your fellow pilgrims. Say devotions particular to the saint or place. When you visit one of the churches, try to discover the hopes of the community or parish. Is there something you can do to assist them? The Diocese website has information regarding these Jubilee sites at dphx.org/tilma.
Is it possible to be a pilgrim if circumstances do not allow one to travel? Yes, it is possible. You can create your own pilgrimage to your own sacred space. That space can be at church, in a park, or at a prayer space in your home. Be aware of your intentions when you make your home pilgrimage. Make sure there will be no distractions (turn off the phone). Plan for at least an hour — ideally, a half day or full day. What prayers or devotions will you say? Will you light a candle, write in a journal, meditate, read a spiritual book? Let the Holy Spirit guide you as you plan this home journey. If you create this pilgrimage as a family, have each person create their own intentions.
What does the word hope mean to you? A feeling of anticipation? Confidence that what you want will be obtained? An expectation that events will turn out for the best? Is hope a promise or faith or belief? Yes, hope is all of these. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have hope in the promise of His return. His resurrection insures that hope. It insures our hope of eternal salvation; our hope of the joy of heaven. Hope is what sustains us through the trials and the suffering of this day. As Bishop Dolan has written, “…you have a Father who continues to seek you out, who finds you in the crowd, over and over again, and who always keeps His word – a Father who fulfills your every hope, and Who will never leave you disappointed”.
Pope Francis named ten Hopes for this Jubilee year of Hope. They are listed in the sidebar to this article. I will be creating a written pilgrimage on a few of them in each of this year’s issues of the Family Seton Newsletter. After all, the Jubilee is for one full year.
I’ll end this first article with the first stanza from one of Emily Dickinson’s poems-
“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –
