As part of the Day of the Unborn Child Mass, those who attended were given a flower and invited to put it into baskets on the sanctuary to remember children who had died at birth through miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion or other causes.

The celebration of a Holy Year every 25 years is an acknowledgment that “the Christian life is a journey calling for moments of greater intensity to encourage and sustain hope as the constant companion that guides our steps toward the goal of our encounter with the Lord Jesus.”

With the words “pilgrims” and “hope” representing key themes of Pope Francis’ pontificate, he has last month approved “Pilgrims of Hope” as the motto for the Holy Year 2025.
The motto aims to give a concise sense of the full meaning of the jubilee journey.