Diocese of Simla-Chandigarh Opens Jubilee Year 2025 with Solemn Ceremony

The Diocese of Simla and Chandigarh inaugurated the Jubilee Year 2025 on December 29, 2024 with a solemn ceremony and the celebration of Holy Mass at Christ the King Cathedral in Chandigarh. The event, held on the Feast Day of the Holy Family, brought together priests, religious sisters, and lay faithful from across the diocese, all united in faith to mark the beginning of this sacred year.

The event commenced with a solemn procession of the Jubilee Pilgrim Cross, carried from the Diocesan Pastoral Centre to the entrance of the Christ the King Cathedral. Thousands of participants, led by His Lordship Ignatius Loyola Mascarenhas, Bishop of the Diocese of Simla and Chandigarh, joined in the procession. Upon arriving at the entrance of the cathedral, Bishop Mascarenhas blessed the Pilgrim Cross and officially declared the Jubilee Year open.

The cross was then brought into the cathedral in a ceremonial procession, accompanied by altar servers, priests, and parishioners. Inside, Bishop Mascarenhas blessed holy water, which was later sprinkled on the faithful. This was followed by the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

In his homily, Bishop Mascarenhas 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 Steve Antao