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On 24 January, Catholic schools across England and Wales were invited by Cafod to join together as pilgrims of hope, pledging to work together for God’s kingdom of justice, peace and love, and celebrate the start of the Jubilee Year, by watching Cafod’s Launch Day film (above).

In the Bull of Indiction establishing the Jubilee, Pope Francis said:

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“For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope. God’s word helps us find reasons for that hope.”

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In our Diocese, many schools responded to this call, with celebrations on the day and the launch of a year of events; including:

St Anne’s, Chertsey, which began the Jubilee with an assembly, deepening everyone’s understanding as they began the journey together. Beautiful artwork on the theme of hope was also created by the children and taken to the annual Weybridge deanery schools Mass recently celebrated at Christ the Prince of Peace Church, Weybridge. As part of the Jubilee year, St Anne’s plans to hold prayer days; undertake charitable acts within the local and wider community; fundraise to help those in need, and much more. Writing on Instagram, the school said:

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“Our mission is to spread the message of hope far and wide, inspiring one another to make a positive difference in our school, our community and beyond! Together, we can shine as a beacon of faith, hope and love ensuring people know that they are loved!”

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The children at St Cuthbert’s, Englefield Green, kickstarted the Jubilee by watching a video of the Pope opening one of the Holy Doors, as well as the Cafod launch video for the Jubilee Year. This week, each class will be making their own “holy door’ on a theme of their choice, and sharing them with the rest of the school in assembly. The school’s Head Boy and Head Girl also took represented the school at a recent Parish Mass, opening the Mass with the introduction of the theme of the Jubilee Year: Pilgrims of Hope.

At St Paul’s, Thames Ditton, the wonderful Year 2 children took the lead at a school Mass celebrated by Fr Sebastian Paul at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, to welcome in the Jubilee Year 2025.  

The Year 3 children at Holy Family, Addlestone, have created a “Chest of Hope.” In a post on Instagram, the school said that:

“It is full of what we want for our world! We even had a relic from the last Jubilee 2000 to share too!”

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We look forward to many more Jubilee Year celebrations in our schools, as the year unfolds.

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Sources: Cafod; St Anne's, Chertsey; St Cuthbert’s, Englefield Green; St Paul’s, Thames Ditton; Holy Family, Addlestone