Late last year Bishop Michael announced that there would be eight Pilgrimage sites across the Diocese, these being:

• Sacred Heart Cathedral, Newcastle West
• St Mary Star of the Sea Church, Newcastle
• St John the Baptist Shrine, Maitland
• St Joseph’s Church, East Maitland
• St Joseph’s Church, Murrurundi
• Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Peace Church, Scone
• Saints Patrick & Brigid Church, Cooranbong
• Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Taree

Pilgrimage is an important element of every Jubilee Year and there will be opportunities in 2025 for international and local experiences. Those who have travelled the Camino de Santiago understand that part of the experience is to receive a passport which can be stamped at the different locations along the journey. A pilgrim’s passport for our local pilgrimage experience has been created and can be picked up at the Jubilee launch on 2 March. I look forward to meeting you at the Jubilee marquee as you collect your passport and share some of the wonderful opportunities you are invited to engage in during the year.

Why would we create a passport and what will you do with it?

Apart from stamping your passport at each pilgrimage site you will be invited to document your spiritual journey throughout the year. 

In the Decree on the Granting of Indulgences during the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025 called by His Holiness Pope Francis, we learn that indulgences can be obtained in a variety of different ways. These include; through pilgrimage, visiting sacred places and works of mercy. To view the full list of ways and actions needed to obtain a Jubilee Indulgence go to: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2024/05/13/240513f.html

This leads us to ask what is an indulgence?

When you hear the term indulgence, the Reformation, Martin Luther and his 95 These might come to mind. There is no doubt there was a time in history that this special gift of mercy was misused. The condemnation of the abuse of indulgences for monetary gain was recognised during the Council of Trent (1545- 1563) and the practice was reaffirmed. In modern times the oversight of indulgences has been delegated to various Church bodies over the centuries to ensure that they are regulated. Today the Apostolic Penitentiary a dicastery led by the Major Penitentiary of the Roman Curia oversees the issuance and governance of indulgences.

Historically the term "indulgence" comes from the Latin word "indulgentia," meaning kindness or tenderness. The verbal root is indulgere: means to forgive, to be lenient toward or be tender towards.

Indulgences have roots in early Christian practices, where public penances and prayers were used for forgiveness and purification. By the 11th century, indulgences were granted for various acts like building churches and going on pilgrimages. The practice became more formalised and widespread by the 13th century.

Indulgences are linked to the Sacrament of Penance which involves sanctification and renewal, this requires not only forgiveness from guilt of sin but also purification from the harmful wounds of sin.

In 1967 as a response to the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI wrote the Apostolic Constitution "Indulgentiarum Doctrina” and reformed the practice, abolishing references to days and years and categorizing indulgences as plenary or partial.  Indulgences are included in the 1983 Code of Canon Law and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and require specific acts, such as confession, communion, and prayers for the Pope's intentions.

The Holy Father, Pope Francis declares that the gift of the Indulgence "is a way of discovering the unlimited nature of God’s mercy. Not by chance, for the ancients, the terms ‘mercy’ and ‘indulgence’ were interchangeable, as expressions of the fullness of God’s forgiveness, which knows no bounds" (Spes non confundit, 23). The Indulgence, therefore, is a Jubilee grace.

If you would like to know more about Indulgences, you are invited to a Formation opportunity on Friday 7 March at 1pm, either face to face at the Diocesan Library or online. To register go to: https://forms.office.com/r/cbnKUsEGFM or phone Diocesan Librarian – Mary O’Connor on

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