Pope Francis calls us to live Lent more intensely and intently in the Year of Mercy.

God’s mercy transforms human hearts; it enables us, through the experience of a faithful love, to become merciful in turn.Pope Francis

The Holy Father would like this Jubilee of Mercy to be celebrated throughout the whole world at the local and universal levels.  Dioceses including the Seattle Archdiocese and parishes, including Saint Patrick Catholic Church and other churchs in local area are offering a variety of resources to parishioners for reflection and experiencing the love and mercy of God.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Door

During the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis encouraged each diocese to open a Holy Door, to which pilgrims can journey. The Holy Door represents the compassion, love, mercy, and consolation of God working in our lives.

Archbishop Sartain has designated St. James Cathedral’s great bronze doors, covered in depictions of stories of God’s mercy, as the Door of Mercy for this Jubilee and has invited parishes to set up visits for the Year of Mercy, which can be just a time of prayer and pilgrimage, or can include a guided tour as well. On February 12, 2016 the faculty and staff of Saint Patrick Catholic Church and School pilgrimaged together to the Holy Doors in Seattle as part of the annual parish and school retreat.

Parish Pilgrimage of Mercy

On March 6, 2016— parishioners are invited to a Parish Pilgrimage of Mercy— to walk together through the Holy Doors of St. James Cathedral.  A bus will leave from the parking lot of Saint Patrick Catholic Church at 2:00 P.M.  with the target of a 3:00 P.M. arrival in Seattle to hear a description of Holy Doors and a walk through followed by a tour of St. James Cathedral.

The day will end with Vespers, which includes Exposition, Lenten Vespers and Benediction.

There will be time for personal prayer in the Cathedral or an opportunity to participate in a self-guided Way of Mercy through the Cathedral, beginning at the Doors of Mercy and continuing with prayer stations at important places throughout the Cathedral for 15-20 minutes.  The return to Tacoma is targeted for 6:00 P.M.

Download the Parish Pilgrimage of Mercy flyer to share with your family and friends.

Receiving a Jubilee Indulgence

There have been many Jubilee Years – 26 ordinary Jubilees and three extraordinary Jubilees – and each has featured a special plenary indulgence.

This time around, Pope Francis is seeking to make the indulgence as widely available as possible by way of an opened Holy Door in every cathedral around the world.  To receive a Jubilee Indulgence the following must be accomplished:

• Go to Confession

• Go to Mass and receive Holy Communion

• Walk through the Holy Door

•  Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father during this experience

The four conditions do not need to be completed all on the same day; in fact, they can be completed over several days (as much as 20 days).

Learn more about Jubilee indulgences in the guide Jubilee Year of Mercy published by the Seattle Archdiocese.

The Day of Mercy

One of the high points of the Jubilee Year of Mercy is the Day of Mercy.

In the Archdiocese of Seattle, Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, and priests from across the archdiocese will hear confessions throughout the day at St. James Cathedral on Saturday, March 5, 2016.

Confessions will be heard in multiple languages from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Each hour will begin with music and a brief prayer. All are encouraged to participate in this celebration of the sacrament of mercy during the Jubilee of Mercy.

Veneration of Relics of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II

The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy are celebrating the Jubilee Year of Mercy with visits to seven parishes across the Seattle Archdiocese from February 13 – 20, 2016. They will be coming with first-class relics of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II for veneration, talks on mercy, and time for prayer.

The Infinite Mercy of God

The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy was founded in Warsaw, Poland in 1862. The Congregation has become more widely known in recent years because of one of its members: Sister Faustina Kowalska. They carry out Saint Faustina’s mission by spreading the devotion to the Divine Mercy, by proclaiming the message of the infinite mercy of God, and by imploring divine mercy for the entire world.

An Evening of Mercy at St. Charles Borromeo Parish

On February 18, 2016,  Sister Caterina and Sister Inga from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy will be presenting an Evening of Mercy at St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Tacoma, with Stations of the Cross at 7 P.M. and Veneration of the Relic with Eucharist Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation beginning at 8:15 P.M. and a talk on how to “Be Mercifcul to Others As I Am to You” in between.  Download the Evening of Mercy at St. Charles Borromeo flyer for more information.

For a complete list of the seven parishes offering the event in the Seattle/Tacoma area download Celebrating the Jubilee Year of Mercy with the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, a comprehensive flyer of all the opportunities.