Jubilee Year of Mercy begins around the world

Bishop leads Our Lady of Mercy community in prayer to extend God’s mercy, forgiveness

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EAST GREENWICH — On Tuesday, the Diocese of Providence joined Catholics around the globe in kicking off the celebration of the Year of Mercy, a Year of Extraordinary Jubilee whose start date coincides with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the beginning of the new liturgical year.

Bishop Thomas J. Tobin marked the occasion by visiting Our Lady of Mercy Parish, East Greenwich, where he celebrated the feast day Mass with parishioners and students of Our Lady of Mercy School.

“I’m very happy to be with you today to celebrate a very important moment in the life of our Church,” said Bishop Tobin. “Today is the Jubilee of Mercy.”

He went on to explain the significance of the Jubilee of Mercy as a yearlong period of reflection on the power of God’s loving and forgiving nature. During the Jubilee of Mercy, Catholics are invited to seek forgiveness of sins and participate in those actions and ministries which extend God’s mercy to others both within and outside the Church.

“It’s a reminder that God loves each and every one of us in a very special way,”

Bishop Tobin told the gathered schoolchildren. “If we sin, God wants us to remember that we can always be forgiven.”

Pope Francis announced his intention to celebrate the 2015-2016 liturgical year as a Jubilee Year of Mercy last spring. In the Catholic Church, jubilee years are traditionally celebrated every 25 years, with the last jubilee in the year 2000 celebrating the two millennia since the birth of Christ. The Year of Mercy, occurring only 15 years after the previous jubilee, is being celebrated as an Extraordinary Jubilee to give the Church the opportunity to reflect on an aspect of faith that has become a central theme of the Holy Father’s papacy.

“I have often thought of how the Church may render more clear her mission to be a witness to mercy,” said Pope Francis during the March 13 announcement. “It is a journey which begins with spiritual conversion. Therefore, I have decided to announce an Extraordinary Jubilee which has at its center the mercy of God.”

During the Jubilee Year, the faithful are invited to observe and reflect by participating in the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and seeking forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation. Catholics around the world are also invited to make a pilgrimage to those dedicated cathedrals and churches in which a Holy Door will symbolize the journey from sinfulness to God’s good grace. Pope Francis broke the seal on the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in a Tuesday morning ceremony attended by 70,000 pilgrims.

Bishop Tobin will open a similar door at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul during a solemn Mass this coming Sunday, Dec. 13, at 1 p.m. All those living in the Diocese of Providence and beyond are invited to visit the holy door during the Year of Mercy and receive the indulgence attached to the act of crossing the threshold and soon after making a confession of sins, receiving the Eucharist, professing the faith and praying for the intentions of the pope.

For the faithful of the diocese, the Year of Mercy presents an opportunity to focus on the signs of God’s mercy already present in their faith lives. Parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in attendance at Tuesday’s Mass shared some of their expectations for the upcoming jubilee year.

“It’s making it more relevant in our lives, knowing that Jesus is always there to forgive us,” said Betty, who asked to be identified only by her first name. “There are so many things that you can do just to be thankful that mercy is always there.”

“We know what mercy is and we can pray for that privately,” said Jane, who also wished to be identified by her first name, adding that many of the women in the parish already pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet regularly in remembrance of a friend who has passed away.

“I hope that I’m more aware of mercy and showing mercy,” said Betty. “The immediate problem is calling for mercy.”

Father Bernard Healey, pastor of Our Lady of Mercy, announced that the parish would participate in its first organized work of mercy of the new liturgical year this Saturday, Dec. 12, following the 4 p.m. Mass. Parishioners and other volunteers would arrange 20,000 meals to be shipped to those in need overseas as part of the Catholic Relief Services’ Helping Hands program.

“It is a great day for our parish as we celebrate the feast day of our patron, Our Lady of Mercy,” said Father Healey.

Other parishes and ministries of the diocese will organize events and prayerful observances to celebrate the Year of Mercy through the close of the jubilee celebration on November 20, 2016. On March 5, the Diocese of Providence will host a daylong period of confessions in accordance with the Vatican and Catholic churches throughout the world.