PARISHES THROUGHOUT THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES WILL PROCLAIM JUBILEE YEAR “FORWARD IN MISSION” JUNE 26-27
June 23, 2021  |  By:   |  Press Releases, The Latest  |  

PARISHES THROUGHOUT THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES WILL PROCLAIM JUBILEE YEAR  “FORWARD IN MISSION” JUNE 26-27

 

—The year-long celebration will run from Sept. 11, 2021 to Sept. 10, 2022, in commemoration of the 250 anniversary of the founding of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel —

 

Archbishop José H. Gomez has called on all parishes of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to read the official proclamation for the upcoming Jubilee Year. The Jubilee Year, “Forward in Mission,” will run from September 11, 2021 to September 10, 2022 to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, a center of the first evangelization in what is now the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The proclamation will be read during each Mass at every parish throughout the Archdiocese this coming weekend, June 26 and 27. To see Proclamation in English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, and Tagalog visit, forwardinmission.com.

 

“What we celebrate on this anniversary is the planting of the family of God here in Los Angeles, and the beginnings of his kingdom in America,” said Archbishop Gomez. “San Gabriel Mission was Los Angeles’ spiritual heart from its founding. The mission was already 10 years old when the diverse band of settlers, known as ‘Los Pobladores,’ processed nine miles from the mission to establish Los Angeles near present-day Olvera Street, on September 4, 1781. In this jubilee year, we need to reconnect with that original spirit of holiness and adventure, the spirit of that first generation of mystics, missionaries, and migrants.”

 

On September 8, 2021, the 250th anniversary of the founding of Mission San Gabriel, Archbishop Gomez will lead an outdoor prayer service at 7 p.m. at the Mission to celebrate this great milestone. Then, 22 designated pilgrimage sites across the Archdiocese will host 40 hours of Eucharist Adoration from 6 p.m. on September 9 through September 11 at 10 a.m. to pray for the Jubilee Year to bear much fruit in the life of the local Church.

 

Archbishop Gomez will open the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels at the start of the Jubilee Year Opening Mass he will celebrate on September 11 at 11 a.m. A Holy Door represents Jesus Christ, who states: “I am the door” (John 10:1). To cross the threshold of the Holy Door into the church is to step into Christ, and to pass through the doors of the Church into the world is to step into mission. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels will also host 250 Years of Mission, a year-long exhibit featuring treasures from the Archdiocesan Archives to showcase the rich legacy of Catholic faith in Los Angeles.

 

“The aim of this Jubilee Year is not simply to celebrate the past, but to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ anew and raise up a new generation of missionaries for our time,” said Father Parker Sandoval, who is overseeing planning for the special year under the tagline “Forward in Mission” — an adaptation of Mission San Gabriel founder St. Junípero Serra’s famous motto, ‘Always Forward!’

 

“We cannot simply revert to business-as-usual in the life of the Church following this time of crisis. This is a providential moment to return to Jesus, our first love and the one who loved us first.”

 

Aside from the events mentioned above, other special archdiocesan events and experiences will be held throughout the Jubilee Year, including:

  • Opening of the Holy Door at all pilgrimage sites during a Sunday Mass on Sept. 12, 2021
  • Promotion of missionary practices 2×2: Gospel reflection, prayer, and acts of charity and justice
  • Archdiocesan Jubilee Year prayer
  • Prayer of the Faithful petitions for the Jubilee for each Sunday throughout the year
  • Homily points on mission for each Sunday throughout the year
  • Our Lady of Guadalupe Procession and Mass on Dec. 5, 2021
  • Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
  • Mass of Thanksgiving at Mission Basilica San Buenaventura on December 19, 2021 at 5 p.m. for its elevation to minor basilica
  • Adelante! young adult event at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
  • One Life LA: Forward in Hope on Jan. 22, 2022
  • Religious Education Congress: Living Waters of Hope, March 17-20, 2022
  • Parish retreats to proclaim the core Gospel message and inspire a spirit of mission
  • Mass of Thanksgiving at Mission San Gabriel for completion of its restoration
  • Camino pilgrimage walks from Mission San Gabriel to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
  • Jubilee Closing Mass at Mission San Gabriel on September 10, 2022 at 10 a.m.

 

The idea of a “Jubilee Year” originally comes from the Book of Leviticus, in which God instructs Israel to observe every 50th year as a time of mercy – a time of release from debt and labor (Leviticus 25: 10-13). Since the 14th century, the Church has celebrated jubilees at regular intervals. The pope can also proclaim “extraordinary jubilees” to mark special events or anniversaries or to fulfill a special need (the last was “The Year of Mercy” in 2016). To each jubilee the Church attaches certain indulgences, which are opportunities for grace and mercy, they may involve pilgrimages, prayers, or works of charity. 

 

During the Jubilee Year “Forward in Mission,” a plenary indulgence will be granted to all the faithful who meet the usual conditions and visit any of the pilgrimage sites within the Archdiocese to spend some time there at least to pray the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be with the intention of uniting themselves with the missionary spirit of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization, and St. Junípero Serra, founder of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. For more information, visit forwardinmission.com.

 

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