Pilgrims of Hope 2025
Pilgrims of Hope
At Our Lady & St Kenelm’s, we see every member of our school community as a Pilgrim of Hope.
Inspired by the teachings of Jesus Christ, we are on a journey together—exploring faith, discovering purpose, and striving to live out Gospel values in our daily lives.
As Pilgrims of Hope, our pupils are encouraged to grow spiritually, morally, and academically, developing the courage to face challenges, the compassion to serve others, and the wisdom to make choices guided by faith. Every step of this journey is supported by a caring community, strong pastoral guidance, and a curriculum rooted in Catholic teaching.
We aim to nurture young people who carry hope into the world, shining as examples of Christ’s love, justice, and mercy, and who are equipped to contribute positively to society as active, faith-filled citizens.
Pope Francis has emphasized the theme "Pilgrims of Hope" in various messages, particularly in the context of the 2025 Jubilee Year. He invites Christians to embark on a journey of faith, embodying hope and peace in their lives.
In his message for the 61st World Day of Prayer for Vocations, he stated:
“To be pilgrims of hope and builders of peace, then, means to base our lives on the rock of Christ’s resurrection, knowing that every effort made in the vocation that we have embraced and seek to live out, will never be in vain.” Vatican
This call encourages individuals to live out their vocations with purpose, fostering hope and contributing to peace in the world.
Additionally, during the Med24 Meeting in 2024, Pope Francis addressed participants with the message:
“We are all pilgrims of hope, walking in search of the truth, living our faith, and building peace – because peace needs to be built!” Vatican News
This underscores the collective responsibility of Christians to actively pursue peace and truth in their daily lives.
The last major official events of the 2025 Jubilee will be the closing of Rome’s four Holy Doors, accompanied by the solemn closing rites and the celebration of Mass.
The first to close will be the Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major on December 25th at 6:00 pm. The Cardinal Archpriest of the Basilica, Rolandas Makrickas, will preside over the rite and Mass.
This will be followed by the Basilica of St. John Lateran on December 27th at 11:00 am, with the rite and Eucharistic celebration presided over by Cardinal Vicar of Rome, Baldo Reina, with music from the Rome diocesan choir, directed by Monsignor Marco Frisina.
On December 28th, at 10:00 am, the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls will be closed, with the celebration presided over by the Cardinal Archpriest James Michael Harvey.
The last Holy Door to close will be that of St. Peter's Basilica on January 6th at 9:30 am, with a Closure Rite and Mass presided over by Pope Leo XIV. The Holy Year officially concludes with the celebrations of the Feast of the Epiphany.
Last Friday, we had the privilege of celebrating our Year of Jubilee alongside all the Catholic schools in our Archdiocese. This special occasion was marked by a live-streamed liturgy that brought our wider Catholic community together in prayer, reflection, and thanksgiving. It was truly inspiring to see so many schools united in marking this important Jubilee Year, reminding us of the rich heritage and shared mission that connect us all. We were especially proud to see our very own Head Boy and Head Girl representing our school during the celebration. Their participation in the live stream was a wonderful moment for our community, and they carried out their roles with confidence, maturity, and great enthusiasm. They were outstanding ambassadors for our school, and we are delighted with the way they represented both their peers and our values. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped prepare for this event and to all who joined us in spirit. Opportunities like this strengthen our sense of unity and help our children understand that they are part of something much bigger—a vibrant, faith-filled community that stretches far beyond our school walls.
Catholic schools from England and Wales made the pledge to be Pilgrims of Hope during #Jubilee2025 and they've been recognised by the Vatican for their extraordinary response. Well done to all at OLSK for being great Pilgrims of Hope! 🙏💙🙏 We are Pilgrims on a journey.... Sing it loud, sing it proud! 💙💙
Today, we sowed our seeds of Hope. They have grown into beautiful sweet pea plants, and we have placed them into the Mary Garden, looking forward to lots of lovely flowers 💐
Getting ready to meet Bishop Gerry from the Philippines today. We will be asking questions about his work and listening to how we can help the people and biodiversity of the islands. True Pilgrims of Hope.
Little Kenelm’s holy doors. We journey with Mary as companions of hope.
Today, in our Assembly, we launched our Pledge to Fr Hudson’s Good Shepherd Appeal- Care for our Common Home, to bring hope to the world. 🙏💜🙏 All classes have been presented with a jar to collect all their money in! 💜 Please, if you can, give generously! 😇 Thank you in advance for your support! 💜🙏💜
Join us on our Pilgrim Journey!
Our Hearts of Hope Tree is up in the Mary Chapel for the staff & children to write a prayer, & hang it on the tree! Look who was first to it this morning! What a beautiful prayer - so proud! 🙏❤️🙏
We are pilgrims on a Journey; Pilgrims of Hope!
Celebrating the Jubilee with Archbishop Bernard
Look at all the amazing work produced across the school today; stunning! Thanks to Mrs Morris & our Eco Warriors for the Seeds of Hope!
We’re getting ready for the Jubilee launch party on Friday! We are giving the whole day to celebrate the Jubilee! We’re all wearing colours of the Vatican Flag, decorating our classroom Doors of Hope, researching the Holy Doors & lots more! 🥳🎉
Our task, as true disciples of Jesus Christ, is to tell other people about this Jesus we know and love. That's what it means to be a witness to Jesus Christ. That's what it means to make Jesus known.
Year of Jubilee 2025 Pilgrims of Hope
What is a Jubilee?
In the Catholic Church, a Jubilee or Holy Year is a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation, in which people are invited to come back into right relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation.
What is the theme for the Jubilee Year?
The theme is 'Pilgrims of Hope'
Pope Francis has invited Catholics to renew our hope and discover a vision that can "restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone". We are also invited to rediscover a spirituality of God's creation in which we understand ourselves as "pilgrims on the earth" rather than masters of the world.
When does the Jubilee Year start and finish?
The 2025 Jubilee Year begins on Christmas Eve 2024 and concludes on 6 January 2026.Pope Francis will open the Holy Door on Christmas Eve 2024 to begin the Jubilee year.
The Jubilee Prayer
The official Prayer allows pilgrims from all over the world to use the same words to express gratitude to God for the Jubilee experience and request the grace of forgiveness. The official prayer of His Holiness Pope Francis for the Holy Year, this can be found in other languages on the website of the Jubilee. The Jubilee is an experience of faith and a profound encounter with the Lord.
Prayer
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever.
Amen
Join us on our journey, as Pilgrims of Hope for the Jubilee Year! 🙏💜🙏 Thank you to @schoolsignscouk for providing us with our lovely banner! We are very excited about the year ahead! 💜💜💜
Vatican unveils anime pilgrim mascot for Jubilee 2025
The Holy Doors are only opened during the Jubilee Year.
The opening of the Holy Door is the most well-known and moving ritual, marking the beginning of the Jubilee. The first documented account of the Holy Door opening ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica for the Jubilee dates back to 1500 under Pope Alexander VI.