What is a jubilee year?

A Jubilee Year is a special year of grace in the Catholic Church. 

It is a year of remission of sins, debts, and universal pardon.  The Church holds a Jubilee Year at least once every 25 years. 

It encourages people to turn towards God in thanksgiving, repentance and communion with the Church. 

The year is usually marked with pilgrimages, celebrating the

Sacraments, Reconciliation and

Eucharist, and involvements in works of mercy and service.

Pilgrims of Hope

Jubilee 2025 was proclaimed by Pope Francis in the Papal Bull Spes Non  Confundit (“Hope does not disappoint”): 

“The coming Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God.  May it help us to

recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of

creation.” (Pope Francis, Spes Non Confundit 25).

In addition to the opening and

passing through the Holy Doors in Rome, hallmarks of a Jubilee Year include pious visits to sacred places, sites of pilgrimage like our Parish OLM, works of mercy and penance, and the opportunity to obtain

plenary indulgences.  The year will conclude in local dioceses on Holy Family Sunday on Dec. 28, 2025.

What is Plenary Indulgence?

"An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of

redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints".  Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1471):

What must I do to obtain the Plenary Indulgence?

Every time making a visit to a pilgrimage site, a plenary indulgence can be gained (only once a day), and, in order to obtain it, the faithful must:

• Have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin; this is exterior expressed in the celebration of Reconciliation.
•  Attend Mass and receive the Holy Eucharist within the reasonable time of the visit. 
• Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father by praying the Creed and one Our Father.

 One additional requirement during this Jubilee, suggested by Pope Francis:

• Perform an extraordinary work of mercy — give a generous gift to the poor or visit a nursing home or prison; or
• Fast at least one day a week from “futile distractions” such as social media, TV, video games, or entertainment apps.

Must l complete all the requirements the same day?

No.  It is appropriate, but not

necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope's intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days before or after the indulgenced act.

Prayer for the Holy Father’s

intentions is left to the choice of the faithful.

One sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy

Father's intentions are required for each plenary indulgence.

NOTE: Indulgences can always be applied either to oneself or to the souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other persons living on earth.

Plan your visit to Our Lady of the Mountains:

The church is open at the times listed below on normal business days: 

• Mondays – Fridays      9:00 am – 2:00 pm
• Wednesdays                   9:00 am – 7:30 pm
• Saturdays                         3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Sundays                            8:00 am – 2:00 pm

Please check our webpage for additional hours during special seasons (Lent, Advent, etc.)

Special arrangements should be made if you have a large group or want to visit at hours other than those listed above. Please contact the Parish Office to make a request:

• phone: 706-253-3078
• email: office@olmjasper.org

Suggested activity while visiting Our Lady of the Mountains:

View the various portraitures of the saints on the walls in the Church, reflecting on their life examples and teachings.