ARLINGTON, Va. - Join the celebration, this Sunday, November 13, 2016, the Most Reverend Paul S. Loverde, Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington will close the Holy Door at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More during Mass. For Catholics, passing through the Holy Door is a multifaceted experience. It symbolizes moving from the secular to the sacred. Those who pass through the Holy Door are also granted the removal of temporal punishment after death due to sin (known as an indulgence) if they meet certain requirements: a complete detachment from sin, make a sacramental confession, receive communion, and pray for the intentions of the Pope.
Background
Pope Boniface VIII started the tradition of the Holy Year, known as a Jubilee, in the year 1300. Part of the tradition consists of a pilgrimage to Rome and the ritual of passing through the Holy Door of any of the major basilicas in Rome. But in 2015, Pope Francis made it easier for Catholics to gain the indulgences granted without having to travel to Rome. He allowed each Catholic
diocese throughout the world to designate one or more local Holy Doors during the
Jubilee year.
The Cathedral of Saint Thomas More has a Holy Door.
An Ordinary Holy Year happens every 25 years, but this year is an exception. Pope Francis proclaimed this year, the Year of Mercy, as an Extraordinary Jubilee. Holy Doors in cathedrals and churches outside of Rome were opened on December 13, 2015, and will close on November 13, 2016, in order to mark the close of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.
Here are the details:
When: Sunday, November 13, 2016, 11 a.m.
Where: Cathedral of Saint Thomas More
3901 N Cathedral Lane
Arlington, Virginia
Contact
Angela Pellerano, Director of Media Relations
(703) 841-2517 (o) (571) 215-8731
(c)
a.pellerano@arlingtondiocese.org