Diocese of Calicut Opens Jubilee Year 2025 with Solemn Ceremony

The Diocese of Calicut inaugurated the Jubilee Year 2025 on December 29, 2024, with a solemn ceremony and the celebration of Holy Mass at Mother of God Cathedral in Kozhikode. The event, held on the Feast Day of the Holy Family, was presided over by His Lordship Most Rev. Dr Varghese Chakkalakal, Bishop of the Diocese of Calicut. Several priests, religious sisters, and lay faithful from across the diocese participated in the event.

The ceremony commenced with a solemn procession in which the Jubilee Pilgrim Cross was carried from the adjacent St. Antony's A.U.P. School to the entrance of the Mother of God Cathedral. Thousands of participants, led by Bishop Chakkalakal, joined in the procession. Upon arriving at the entrance, Bishop Chakkalakal blessed the Pilgrim Cross and then officially declared the Jubilee Year open.

After this, the Jubilee cross was brought into the cathedral in a ceremonial procession, accompanied by altar servers, priests, and parishioners. Inside, Bishop Chakkalakal blessed holy water. This blessed water was then sprinkled on the faithful by the bishop and the priests participating in the event. This was followed by the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

In his homily, Bishop Chakkalakal reflected on the Jubilee Year’s theme, "Church as Pilgrims of Hope in the World." He urged the faithful to embrace the Jubilee year with renewed hope and faith and called on them to serve as beacons of light in a challenging world.

The ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks by the Jubilee coordinator of the diocese, followed by the veneration of the Jubilee Cross by members of the faithful. 

By Catholic Connect Reporter