The National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, on the campus of Mount St. Mary's University, invites everyone to join us in observing this unique Jubilee Year of Hope. Our motto is Spes Nostra, Our Hope, and we consider it a special grace to be named one of the 9 pilgrimage sites endorsed by Archbishop Lori for this celebratory year.
What is a Jubilee Year?
The Jubilee Year in the Church is traditionally proclaimed every 25 years. It is a particular time set aside to encourage the faithful to embark on pilgrimages, repent of their sins, forgive the sins of others, and to renew a focus on the spiritual life. Learn more: Plenary Indulgence
What is an indulgence? The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1471) states: “An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.” “An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.” The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead. Obtaining a Plenary Indulgence during the Jubilee Year Baptized Catholics should do the following to gain a Plenary Indulgence for the Jubilee Year as part of your visit to the National Shrine Grotto: While you are here, do the following in a spirit of total detachment from sin:
Sometime within about two weeks before or after your visit to the National Shrine Grotto, do both of the following, here or elsewhere:
You can gain one plenary indulgence each day. You can apply the indulgence to yourself or to the soul of a deceased person (named or unnamed). A separate Holy Mass is needed for each plenary indulgence, but reconciliation doesn't have to be repeated if within the two week time frame. Additional Links |
What is the Significance of Holy Doors during a Jubilee Year?
"From a symbolic viewpoint, the Holy Door takes on a special significance: it is the most powerful sign of the Jubilee, since the ultimate aim of the pilgrim is to pass through it. The opening of the door by the Pope constitutes the official beginning of the Holy Year. Originally, there was only one door, at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. Later, to allow as many pilgrims as possible to take part in the Jubilee experience, the other Roman Basilicas also opened their own holy doors. In crossing the threshold of the Holy Door, the pilgrim is reminded of the passage from chapter 10 of St John’s gospel: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” Passing through the Holy Door expresses the decision to follow and be guided by Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd. The door is a passageway that ushers the pilgrim into the interior of a church. For the Christian community, a church is not only a sacred space, to be approached with respect, with appropriate behavior and dress code, but it is a symbol of the communion that binds every believer to Christ: it is a place of encounter and dialogue, of reconciliation and peace which awaits every pilgrim, the Church is essentially the place of the community of the faithful. In Rome, this experience takes on a special significance because of the special links between the Eternal City and Saints Peter and Paul, the apostles who founded the Christian community in Rome and whose teachings and example are models for the universal Church. The tombs of Saints Peter and Paul are located in Rome, they were martyred here; and together with the catacombs, these sacred sites are places of continuous spiritual inspiration." Source: www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/giubileo-2025/segni-del-giubileo/porta-santa.html |
National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes
on the campus of Mount St. Mary's University 16330 Grotto Road Emmitsburg, MD 21727 Phone: 301-447-5318 MASS: Monday–Friday 11:00 AM Saturday 12:00 PM Sunday (English) 12:00 PM Sunday (Español) 2:00 PM ADORATION: Saturday 10:45 AM–11:45 AM Sunday 10:45 AM–11:45 AM CONFESSION: Saturday 10:45 AM–11:45 AM Sunday 10:45 AM–11:45 AM FIRST SATURDAY DEVOTION: After 12:00 PM Mass every First Saturday |