MANILA, Feb. 9, 2016— The first of two pilgrimage seasons in the Holy Year of Mercy in the Archdiocese of Manila begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 10 until Pentecost Sunday, May 15.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila has decreed the following parishes and shrines as Jubilee Churches:
- Manila Cathedral
- Santuario de Santo Cristo Parish in San Juan City
- Archdiocesan Shrine of the Sacred Heart Mandaluyong City
- National Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Makati City
- Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Pasay City
In his message to the pilgrims, Tagle said, “Your pilgrimage is not an end in itself. It is merely a ‘pause’ or a ‘spiritual oasis’ as you journey towards your true destination, the Kingdom of God.”
“After visiting each Jubilee church you must be propelled to embark on a journey of mercy; doing the works of mercy, and imbuing your actions, attitude, lifestyle, and life with the purest quality of mercy that God, through His Son Jesus Christ, has so generously shown us and gifted us,” he said.
Pilgrim’s passport
Pilgrims over 15 years old making pilgrimages in the Jubilee Churches will be issued a pilgrim’s passport at the first Jubilee Church they visit. It contains the pilgrim’s name and parish and provides a guide on what to do in each Jubilee church. Each pilgrim’s name is entered in a master list of pilgrims to the Jubilee churches.
After each pilgrimage to a Jubilee church, the Pilgrim’s Passport is stamped. Once the pilgrim has completed all five pilgrimages to the five jubilee churches, he or she is presented a certificate at the last church. (READ: Church to issue ‘passports’ for Jubilee of Mercy pilgrims)
The pilgrims will are also requested to give a donation, in cash or in kind, for a particular corporal work of mercy. The donations received by each Jubilee church will be used to fulfill one or two of the corporal works of mercy and to support the social service programs of the Archdiocese.
For example, donations to the Manila Cathedral are intended for giving shelter to the homeless. All the donations received in the Manila Cathedral will be used for the shelter projects of the Archdiocese.
‘Life is a pilgrimage’
The second Pilgrimage Season in the Archdiocese of Manila will be from Sept. 1 to Nov. 13, 2016, the closing of the Jubilee Door.
Pope Francis encourages everyone to make a pilgrimage during the Church’s Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
In Misercordiae Vultus (the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy), the Pope said that “the practice of pilgrimage has a special place in the Holy Year because it represents the journey each of us makes in his life.”
“Life itself is a pilgrimage, and the human being is a ‘viator’, a pilgrim traveling along the road, making his way to the desired destination,” he said.
He also invited Catholics to make a pilgrimage passing through the Holy Door in Rome or in other designated Jubilee churches. (CBCPNews)
