Year of Jubilee 2025 – “Pilgrims of Hope”
Support Mary's Meals during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope by donating, volunteering or fundraising.
Published onOn Christmas Eve 2024, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica and officially inaugurated the 2025 Jubilee of Hope. During his Christmas evening Mass, he reassured the faithful that Jesus offers the world infinite hope and joy.
The 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope will conclude with the closing of the same Holy Door on 6 January 2026.
What is the “Pilgrims of Hope” Jubilee?
With origins dating back to the Jewish tradition, the Jubilee is celebrated once every 25 years, offering the faithful the opportunity to renew their faith through prayer, pilgrimage and acts of charity.
The theme for the 2025 Jubilee is “Pilgrims of Hope” – an opportunity for Catholics to demonstrate the hope their Christian faith represents at a timeof suffering from the impact of war, poverty, climate change and the lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the Jubilee, Pope Francis calls on the Church to be: “…tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind … I ask with all my heart that hope be granted to the billions of the poor, who often lack the essentials of life.”
Mary’s Meals and “Pilgrims of Hope”
At Mary’s Meals, we continue to be a beacon of hope for children experiencing extreme poverty around the world. Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder of Mary’s Meals, says: “Hope is a word that has informed and inspired the work of Mary’s Meals since the beginning.”
“In the 1990s, we painted ‘Delivering Hope’ on the side of our truck carrying aid donations to people in Bosnia during the war there,” says Magnus. “Twenty years later, we began calling the young adults whose lives had been changed by receiving Mary's Meals at school ‘Generation Hope’.”
During this Year of Jubilee, we continue our simple mission to provide hope through serving daily meals to hungry children in their place of education. We consist of, respect and reach out to people of all faiths and none. In doing so, we invite everyone to be part of our beautiful work, living out the call of Pope Francis in this Jubilee Year.
How will Mary’s Meals celebrate the Jubilee?
Throughout the year, a series of thematic Jubilee events have been organised, each with a specific focus designed to celebrate and involve various groups. At Mary’s Meals, we will be celebrating these key events in person at the Jubilee:
- Jubilee of the World of Volunteering (8–9 March) – an event to thank, affirm and encourage people who contribute to the world through volunteering their time. Mary’s Meals will be present with an international group of volunteers to participate in the Jubilee pilgrimage and share our mission with those present in Rome
- Jubilee of Youth (28 July/3 August) – an event to encourage young adults aged 18–35 from across the globe to visit Rome and renew their commitment to their faith. Mary’s Meals will be organising a “come and see” opportunity for young people during this week – we will share more details in the coming months
- Jubilee of the World of Education (31 October/2 November) – an event that reflects on the importance of education for human growth. Mary’s Meals will be hosting an event in Rome to recognise students, teachers and leaders involved in elementary, secondary and higher education. More details will follow later in the year.
The Jubilee represents an extraordinary moment of faith, hope and reconciliation for millions of Catholics worldwide. We invite you to join Mary’s Meals at these events in Rome.
To find out more information about the events or organise a presentation about Mary’s Meals for your group while in Rome, please contact info@marysmeals.it. You can also learn more about how you can support Mary's Meals during this Jubilee year through donating, volunteering or fundraising!
It costs just £19.15, €22, $25.20 USD or $31.70 CAD to provide a child with school meals for an entire school year. There are many ways you can help us to reach the next hungry child waiting for Mary’s Meals. Learn more about how you can get involved and make a difference.
Calum MacFarlane-Barrow is the Engagement Manager (Youth and Faith) for Mary's Meals. He develops and delivers global strategies to grow the Mary’s Meals movement among faith-based communities and youth audiences. He also builds alliances with churches, schools and other relevant organisations to increase our impact and reach.