BISHOP of the Killaloe Diocese, Fintan Monahan has been designated as the delegate of the Irish for the Jubilee Year 2025.
A Jubilee or Holy -Year is marked every twenty five years by the Universal Church as a time of dedicated prayer so as to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. The theme for Jubilee Year 2025 is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. A plenary indulgence will be granted following participation in pilgrimages to designated pilgrim sites in the course of the Holy Year.
Bishop Monahan said, “I am delighted to announce that a dedicated countdown timer has now been launched on CatholicBishops.ie to help us look forward to the Holy Year. Many different groups: clergy, religious various ministries and lay apostolates, will celebrate specific jubilee occasions in Rome and at home throughout 2025. One of the highlights will be a specific youth pilgrimage to Rome next August, with Pope Francis celebrating Mass. Already individual dioceses are making concrete plans to attend”.
He explained, “The Holy Year will begin on this Christmas Eve, 24 December, with the opening of the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome. To echo the theme of Holy Year, Pope Francis is calling on all Catholics to renew in the hope of Christ, using Saint Paul the Apostle as a guide for this special year. Each diocesan bishop will celebrate Mass on Sunday, 29 December, to mark the solemn opening of the Holy Year. Similarly, at national and local level for the Irish Synodal Pathway, the theme of ‘Hope’ will be central to many of the meetings and prayerful discernment leading towards a national assembly in 2026”.
A native of Tullamore, Fintan was ordained the Bishop of Killaloe in September 2016. Between 1993 and 2006 he taught science, mathematics, Irish and religion at Saint Jarlath’s College, Tuam, while also coaching basketball and hurling.
