July 21, 2025 // Bishop
‘Drink from the Wellspring of Hope’ at Local Jubilee Masses
“The Jubilee churches along the pilgrimage routes and in the city of Rome can serve as oases of spirituality and places of rest on the pilgrimage of faith, where we can drink from the wellsprings of hope,” wrote Pope Francis in Spes Non Confundit, the papal document outlining his vision for the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025.
At the beginning of the Holy Year, Bishop Rhoades designated nine Jubilee churches to serve as these oases within the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. During the Jubilee Year of Hope, he has invited all the faithful to visit these churches, where they can receive a special plenary indulgence.
In the upcoming months, Bishop Rhoades will celebrate special Jubilee Masses at eight of the nine churches and, again, is encouraging the faithful to attend. The full schedule of upcoming Jubilee Masses is:
St. Anthony of Padua, Angola: Wednesday, August 13, 6:30 p.m.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Warsaw: Saturday, August 16, 6:30 p.m. (in Spanish)
St. Pius X, Granger: Thursday, August 21, 6:30 p.m.
St. Michael, Plymouth: Wednesday, September 3, 6:30 p.m.
Basilica of the Sacred Heart, University of Notre Dame: Wednesday, September 24, 5:15 p.m.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Fort Wayne: Wednesday, October 8, 6:30 p.m.
SS. Peter and Paul, Huntington: Wednesday, October 29, 6:30 p.m.
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Fort Wayne: Sunday, December 28, 11:30 a.m.
In Spes Non Confundit, Pope Francis wrote on the importance of pilgrimage during a Jubilee year, calling it “a fundamental element of every Jubilee event.” He continued: “Setting out on a journey is traditionally associated with our human quest for meaning in life. A pilgrimage on foot is a great aid for rediscovering the value of silence, effort, and simplicity of life. … The coming Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God.” Monsignor Michael Heintz, pastor of St. Pius X Catholic Church in Granger, which will host a Jubilee Mass on Thursday, August 21, shared with Today’s Catholic the importance of each Catholic marking the Holy Year.
“Visits to the various Jubilee sites/parishes remind us that our experience of the faith is embodied: We encounter the Lord in particular places.” He added: “St. Pius X is open for prayer and worship from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. each weekday and from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. It is a beautiful and easy place to pray, as the art and design elevate the mind and heart to God.”
The Masses give the opportunity for Catholics to reflect on the nature of hope, a virtue often forgotten.
“Hope is probably the least preached about of the theological virtues,” Monsignor Heintz said. “We hear lots about faith and love. This gives the entire Church an opportunity to reflect on this gift given us at our baptism,” he said.
In his homily to mark the beginning of the Holy Year, Bishop Rhoades noted that this Jubilee is “a wonderful opportunity to be renewed in our Christian hope, renewed by the grave of the Lord Jesus who is our hope and salvation.”
He continued: “The pope has instructed us bishops to designate Jubilee churches in our dioceses where people can go on pilgrimage and obtain the Jubilee Indulgence under the usual conditions for receiving a plenary indulgence, including going to confession, receiving holy Communion, and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father,” Bishop Rhoades explained. “I have designated one church in each of the six vicariates of our diocese as Jubilee churches, in addition to our two cathedrals and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame. I invite you to make a pilgrimage this year to these churches, to receive the gift of God’s mercy from the treasury of the Church, the Jubilee Indulgence.”
In the end, the Jubilee Year Masses allow Catholics to grow in love and pray for grace this year.
“St. John of the Cross taught that at the sunset of our lives, we will be judged by love. Presumption, like despair, is a sin against hope. It is presumptuous for us to think that we can go to heaven without loving God and our neighbor. Of course, we need God’s grace to help us,” Bishop Rhoades concluded.
For more information on each of the nine Jubilee churches in the diocese or how to receive the special Jubilee Indulgence, visit the diocesan Jubilee information page at diocesefwsb.org/jubilee25.
Clare Hildebrandt is a staff writer for Today’s Catholic.
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