“We are really putting our best foot forward,” he said as he greeted the faithful in the morning at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn.
In celebrating Mass at the two locations, Bishop Brennan was following an edict issued by Pope Francis that Dec. 29 would be a day in which Mass would be held in every cathedral in the world to mark the start of the Jubilee Year of 2025.
The Holy Father led by example when he opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve, launching what he called a “Jubilee of Hope.”
A jubilee year is set by a pope once every 25 years or so to give Catholics worldwide the opportunity to renew and strengthen their faith. The theme of Jubilee Year 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope.”
Saskia Loa, a parishioner of St. Charles Borromeo in Brooklyn Heights, said she felt compelled to attend Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James because it marked the official start of the diocese’s Jubilee Year.
“I wanted to start the new year off for me in a spiritual way,” she said. “I’m excited about the Jubilee because I feel like it’s going to give me a chance to get closer to God.”
For Bishop Brennan, the Jubilee Year year is full of promise. “It’s a reminder of our connection to the greatest moment in time, when God became human, and how we measure time according to that great event in human history,” he said, referring to the birth of Jesus Christ.
After Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James, Bishop Brennan led a group of more than 100 faithful through the streets of Brooklyn under police escort to the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights. The participants were joyful, praying the rosary and singing hymns as they walked behind the Blessed Sacrament.
Anna DeJesus, a parishioner of St. Matthew Church in Crown Heights, went to the Cathedral Basilica of St. James to attend Mass and participate in the procession.
“We Catholics, we are a family, and we should be doing things together as a family. Walking with Jesus through the streets for all to see is such a proud moment,” she said.
Father Joseph Gibino, vicar for evangelization and catechesis for the Diocese of Brooklyn, said he was mindful that the formal opening of the Jubilee Year coincided with the Feast of the Holy Family.
“This really is a moment to stop and consider what it means to celebrate the solemnity of the Holy Family immediately after we celebrate the solemnity of Christmas,” he explained. “It is the chance to contemplate what Jesus, Mary, and Joseph mean to all of our families.”
Father Gibino also said the procession was “a chance for children to see their parents role modeling faith in public.”
Traditionally, jubilee years are filled with pilgrimages to holy sites such as the Vatican. The Diocese of Brooklyn is planning different pilgrimages to Rome, including for young people, which will take place in July and will be led by Father James Kuroly, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the diocese.
This Jubilee Year will last until Jan. 6, 2026. The next Jubilee Year will take place in 2033 to mark the anniversary of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
