The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome causes me to pause and reflect with gratitude on my Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome this past summer. I was blessed to be able to visit the Eternal City with some friends and had many wonderful experiences there. We visited dozens of incredible churches, marveled at countless artworks, and prayed over the bodies of many great saints. I even had my rosary blessed over the tomb of my confirmation patron, St. Cecilia.
Perhaps one of the most significant experiences I had in Rome was passing through the holy doors at all four of the major basilicas, the last of which was St. John Lateran, the cathedral seat of the Holy Father. These holy doors are only opened during a Jubilee Year, and an indulgence may be gained by those who faithfully pass through them. Most Catholics will know that Pope Francis announced that 2025 would be a Jubilee Year of Hope. A Jubilee Year typically occurs every twenty-five years. It is a time of rest, forgiveness, and pilgrimage. The tradition has its origins in the Old Testament, when the Jewish people had a year of release from debt and slavery. Today, Catholics focus on the Jubilee as an opportunity for release from our own slavery to sin. As I passed through each holy door, I prayed for this release. I don’t think I could have the courage to do this without the gift of the very virtue to which this Jubilee Holy Year is dedicated, that of Hope.
My mind and heart were drawn back to Rome as I prayed for yet another indulgence only yesterday. An indulgence for the holy souls in Purgatory may be gained by praying in a cemetery during the first eight days of November. As I walked through my local cemetery, swinging the very rosary that was blessed in Rome, I couldn’t help but recall one of the more moving experiences I had there. On our second-to-last day in the city, I took a day to be on my own. I visited the Vatican Museums and then ended the day with a Sunday Vigil Mass at the Pantheon, also known as the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs. The Pantheon is one of my favorite buildings in the world. Every time I caught a glimpse of it throughout the week, I felt a thrill of awe at its ingenious construction and centuries of history. My friends laughed at me as I delighted in the very smell of the place. How much more wonderful, then, was the opportunity to worship there. The tourists faded away, and the church filled with gorgeous ancient polyphony as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass began. I marveled at how such a place as Rome has endured throughout the centuries.
One may be tempted to believe that the Eternal City is indeed eternal. This somber month of November can serve as a reminder that all things, even Rome herself, will pass away. The soaring dome of St. Peter’s will collapse. The Sistine Ceiling will crumble. These should not be images of despair but of deepest hope and longing. This Jubilee Year inspires us to look forward to the ultimate end of all our hopes, that of one day seeing the truly eternal city, the Heavenly Jerusalem.
AUTHOR: Julia Hieronymus, Grade 1 Teacher
