Pope Francis has marked the second anniversary of his election
by declaring a special Jubilee Year:
The Holy Year of Mercy.
The new Jubilee will begin on the Catholic Feast of the Immaculate Conception
with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican,
and end on the Feast of Christ the King on November 20, 2016.
In his declaration, Pope Francis invoked his central message of compassion and pardon, saying:
“Dear Brothers and Sisters, I have often reflected upon how the Church can make its mission as a witness of mercy more apparent. It is a journey that begins with spiritual conversion. For this reason I have decided to proclaim an Extraordinary Jubilee which focuses on God’s mercy. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy. We wish to experience this inspired by the Word of the Lord: “Be merciful, just as your father is merciful” (cfr. Luke 6:36). This Holy Year will begin on the next Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and will conclude on 20 November 2016, Sunday of Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the universe and the living face of the Father’s mercy."
"I am convinced that the whole church ... will find in this Jubilee the joy to
rediscover and render fruitful the mercy of God, with which we are all called to give
consolation to every man and woman of our time”
—Pope Francis, St. Peter's Basilica
What is a Jubilee Year?
A jubilee year is a special year called by the Holy Father
for remission of sins and to receive blessing and universal pardon.
Since the year 1300,
the church has declared Jubilee Years every 25 or 50 years.
There have also been several special years known as extraordinary jubilee years.
This is the first one since 2000,
during the papacy of Pope John Paul II,
which was known as "The Great Jubilee."
Jubilee years are an important time for the Faithful
to make a pilgrimage to a sacred site such as Santiago
to obtain forgiveness for their sins.
The Jubilee Year traditionally starts
with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica,
followed by the opening of the Holy Doors of the other three major basilicas in Rome:
St. Mary Major, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, and St. John Lateran,
as well as the holy doors of other basilicas around the world.
The opening of the doors signifies God opening a new pathway
to salvation, mercy and graces.
As in other Holy Years,
there will be an opportunity to receive Plenary Indulgence,
a year of forgiveness of sins.
It's also a year of reconciliation and an opportunity to deepen your faith.
Come and Walk With Us
During a Holy Year or Jubilee Year,
the Camino is very busy.
As I"m booking lodging for our Spring and Fall Camino treks
I'm noticing more and more places are FULL.
Consider walking with either Annie (Spring) or Joe (Fall)
this year
and letting us do the work for you.
Our 21 day trips are a lot of fun!
Cost is $1495 this year,
another good reason to go:
while the exchange rate is excellent.
You have the option of walking with the small group,
or heading out on your own,
knowing that you can take your time and relax,
and you'll have a warm bed and a hot shower at the end of the day.
No rushing for an albergue dormitory bed!
Our lodging is in private double twin rooms,
or private single rooms if you choose.
We help you with all the extra details,
and do everything we can to make the trip stress free for you.
We end the trip by walking the mandatory 100 kilometers
from Sarria to Santiago
so you can obtain your Compostela.
We can arrange backpack transport for you
if you do not want to carry your pack.
We are both experienced pilgrims,
having walked the Camino Frances over 14 times between us.
For more information see our website at:
And if you choose to walk on your own in 2016,
I suggest you begin making your lodging reservations now.
It will be a busy year!
Buen Camino!
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