Archbishop John opens Jubilee year in Southwark
Archbishop John Wilson opens the Jubilee year at St George’s Cathedral
Opening the Jubilee year in Southwark, Archbishop John Wilson said “hope is the daughter of faith and the sisters of hope are joy and love”.
At the start of the service, Archbishop John said “the mystery of the Incarnation of our Saviour Jesus Christ” is the “ground of deep joy and certain hope”. Opening the Jubilee, the Archbishop said:
“in fellowship with the universal Church, as we celebrate the love of the Father that reveals itself in the flesh of the Word made man and in the sign of the cross, anchor of salvation, we solemnly open the Jubilee Year for the Cathedral of St George.”
In his homily, the Archbishop read from the pastoral letter he issued to the Archdiocese of Southwark, he said: “Looking to the Holy Family, we too are called to be pilgrims of hope, just like Mary and Joseph. As they journeyed with faith and trust, so must we”.
Archbishop John asked, for this Jubilee year, “everyone in our Archdiocese to renew our commitment to building a culture of welcome and belonging”. He said to do this, we all need to “seek out those on the margins. People who experience isolation, poverty, and despair”. The Archbishop added:
“Let us be a Church where all feel at home, where the wounded find mercy, where the weary encounter rest, and where we all journey together in faith, hope and love”.
Concluding his homily, the Archbishop said:
“As we begin our Jubilee pilgrimage, may our lives shine with the light of Christ, and, through him, may we bring his hope-filled joy to everyone we meet along the way.
With every blessing for this Christmas Season for the Jubilee Year, and with the assurance of my prayers and gratitude.”
You can watch the service back via the Archdiocese’s YouTube channel. Photos are available below.
The pastoral letter from the Archbishop to mark the Jubilee, which was read at Mass in every parish in the Archdiocese of Southwark can be read here.
The Jubilee is a special year of grace in the Catholic Church and the theme of Jubilee 2025 is “pilgrims of hope”, with Pope Francis calling on the world to “fan the flame of hope that has been given us”.
The Archdiocese of Southwark will be running a series of events and publishing a wide range of resources, from prayer materials to a major event in Aylesford on Saturday 7 June 2025.
