"May Jubilee hope blossom in Rome and in every corner of the earth," Pope Leo XIV prayed, "hope in the new world God is preparing, of which you, O Virgin, are like the bud and the dawn."
By Julia Rose
Happy New Year! But as we welcome 2026, we bid farewell to another year: the Jubilee Year of Hope!
The Jubilee Year began on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2024, with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica by the late Pope Francis. It will conclude with the closing of the Holy Door by Pope Leo XIV on Jan. 6, the feast of the Epiphany.
What a year!
And what a year it was! More than 30 groups were honored this year with individual jubilees, from artists, police, and healthcare workers, to priests, deacons, and confraternities, to persons with disabilities, sports, and choirs. Young people were a special focus, with more than one million attending the Jubilee of Youth Mass at the University of Rome’s Tor Vergata in August.
Spotlights on business and entrepreneurship, and digital missionaries and Influencers, highlighted how the landscape for Catholic evangelization has rapidly evolved since the last jubilee, the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016.
We also welcomed nine new saints, including St. Carlo Acutis, St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, and St. Bartolo Longo. What a blessing!
And, as a designated Jubilee pilgrimage site, the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy saw an influx in Jubilee pilgrims, many seeking the special indulgence.
Going forward in hope
The natural question to ask now is, "What's next? How do we build upon the blessings of the Jubilee Year of Hope?"
Never lose hope, says Fr. Chris Alar, MIC. “If we have hope, we always have something greater to believe in than just this world,” he says. “Depression and anxiety are at the highest rates ever. What is the antidote? Hope. And how do we obtain hope? We Marian Fathers firmly believe it is through the Sacraments. The Sacraments give hope to the world. Stay close to them. They’re the antidote, the ‘penicillin’ we all need!”
Pope Francis pointed out the enduring connection between mercy and hope. “Works of mercy are also works of hope that give rise to immense gratitude," he wrote. “May no one be deprived of the opportunity to receive God’s forgiveness and consolation."
Special care, the Holy Father added, must always be shown to the poor, the sick, migrants, prisoners, elderly, and youth, and this was reflected in the Jubilees celebrated throughout the year honoring those groups.
In his Jubilee message from last year, then-Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger of Albany, New York, stressed the importance of connection and listening. "Showing that person that they have value, that their joys, their hopes, their sorrows, their brokenness," he wrote. Hearing and seeing others, he explained, "through your ears and your eyes, God is hearing them, too," resulting in stronger, more connected communities. Prayer can also be used to foster hope and bring others closer to Jesus.
Turn to Mary
Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to visit Marian shrines around the world and foster a deeper relationship with the Blessed Mother. "I am confident that everyone, especially the suffering and those most in need, will come to know the closeness of Mary, the most affectionate of mothers, who never abandons her children and who, for the holy people of God, is a sign of certain hope and comfort," he wrote.
Pope Leo agrees. In his prayer for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, 2025, the Holy Father prayed:
Look, O Mary, upon so many sons and daughters whose hope has not been extinguished:
may what your Son has sown in them take root and grow,
He, the living Word, who in each person asks to grow still more, to take on flesh, face, and voice.
May Jubilee hope blossom in Rome and in every corner of the earth,
hope in the new world God is preparing,
of which you, O Virgin, are like the bud and the dawn.
After the holy doors, may other doors now open,
doors of homes and oases of peace where dignity may flourish again,
where people may learn nonviolence and the art of reconciliation.
Let’s enter 2026 inspired to live in hope, receive the Sacraments, perform acts of mercy, and pray the Rosary, remembering that hope is not only instrumental to our faith, but also capable of providing great healing for ourselves and for others.
Photo copyright Vatican Media.
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