Jubilee 2025 began when Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica at Midnight Mass on the Solemnity of the Nativity in December 2025. In the decree declaring the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis wrote, “May [the Holy Year of Jubilee] help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation. May the witness of believers be for our world a leaven of authentic hope…” — Spes Non Confundit #25
As we move into the final months of this Holy Year, let us refocus our observance of Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope with a prayer of lament and hope in our monastery chapel.
We will gather as pilgrims of hope to offer a prayer of lament and hope on Friday, October 3, in a special service, Lament: An Opening to Hope. The service will take place at 7:00 p.m. in our monastery chapel and is open to the public, please share the invitation.
About Lament: An Opening to Hope
The Mercyhurst University Liturgical Dance Ensemble will join us for this service, assisting us in expressing our prayer of lament and hope through the element of liturgical dance in addtition to music, chant, and spoken word.
The prayer of lament has its roots in the Old Testament. It is a form of prayer that expresses the deep sorrow we experience in our present world of suffering and injustice. Once acknowledged and expressed, often communally, we move to renew our hope and trust in God's faithfulness and promise as we look toward our future fulfillment in love. Sisters Dorothy, Chris Kosin, and Jean Wolbert are planning this special service.
