Jubilee Churches

Gain the Jubilee Indulgence by visiting one of the Jubilee Churches in the Diocese of Burlington.

The indulgence, a priceless gift of divine mercy, is one of the special ‘signs’ of a Jubilee Year. It is a “jubilee grace’ which allows one “to discover how limitless God’s mercy is.” A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishments due to sin. It can be applied to one’s own soul, or for souls in Purgatory.

The indulgence applies to sins already forgiven in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (thus, as indicated below, sacrament confession is a requirement to obtain this Jubilee indulgence). In order to obtain the indulgence by making a local pilgrimage, one must meet the usual conditions for receiving an indulgence:

• Be detached from all sin
• Sacramental Confession (to be done either as part of the pilgrimage or a few days before or after the pilgrimage)
• Reception of Holy Communion (to be done either as part of the pilgrimage or a few days before or after the pilgrimage)
• Prayers for the Intention of the Holy Father (to be done either as part of the pilgrimage or a few days before or after the pilgrimage)

In making the pilgrimage to a Jubilee Church, the faithful should devoutly take part in any of the following:

• Holy Mass
• Liturgy of the Hours
• The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)
• Eucharistic Adoration, concluding with the Our Father, the Profession of Faith, and prayers to Mary.

There are other ways to obtain the indulgence as well: making a pilgrimage to Rome, engaging in charitable works of mercy and/or works of penance (such as fasting, abstaining from “futile distractions such as social media or television), donating a proportional sum of money to the poor, supporting religious or other social works financially or with your time (especially in defending all stages of life), and offering support to migrants, the elderly, the poor, or young people experiencing difficulty. One can also obtain the indulgence by participating in spiritual exercises or faith formation activities or spiritual exercises on the documents of the Second Vatican Council or the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Four Jubilee Churches