A LOCAL priest believes that the upcoming Holy Year of Jubilee in the Catholic Church will help people to ‘refocus our lives’ as many struggle to cope with the pressures of modern-day life.
Pope Francis launched the special jubilee year of celebrations, which takes place every 25 years, when he opened the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Christmas Eve.
Monsignor Peter O’Reilly, parish priest at St Michael’s Parish Church in Enniskillen, feels that the Holy Year of Jubilee comes at an important time when many people are in need of hope.
“The purpose is to refocus our lives with an awareness of the love of God, and the intention is to let our lives change accordingly,” Monsignor O’Reilly told the ‘Herald.
“Every life settles into a rut or goes off the rails. We all lose energy. This is especially true of our inner lives. Sometimes, we want to change, but we are not sure where to begin.”
It’s expected that around 30 million people will visit the Vatican in Rome, where pilgrims will be offered the opportunity to walk through the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica.
Monsignor O’Reilly hopes that many locals in Fermanagh will go on pilgrimage during 2025.
“The Holy Year gives us a chance to give expression to this desire,” Monsignor O’Reilly said.
“I would expect that quite a few people will make the pilgrimage to Rome, Lough Derg, Knock, or other places of pilgrimage in order to rejuvenate their inner spiritual and personal lives.
“This also involves taking part in Mass and other Sacraments,” he added.
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