• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
A visitor passes through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Feb. 8, 2025, during the Jubilee of the Armed Services, Police and Security Personnel. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

What is a Holy Door and where can I find one?

March 17, 2025
By Sister Regina Frances Dick
OSV News
Filed Under: Commentary, Jubilee 2025

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

When I grew up in Southern California, the doors to my home were always holy to me. We were a large Catholic family, and we moved around according to our economic reality. So, we lived in a lot of houses. The doors to those houses were the passage from the world outside, where there was still a lot of mystery, to a safe and usually happy place where I could be with the people I loved most.

During the Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015-2016, Pope Francis had extended the jubilee’s Holy Door tradition, which had previously been limited to the Vatican basilicas, to all the bishops, so that they might in turn welcome pilgrims through the Holy Doors of their cathedral church and thus receive the special blessings and indulgences of the Holy Year.        

This holy passage symbolizes Jesus, who is the Way for all humanity to follow, like the gate for the sheep, so that we might receive and experience salvation.

During this Holy Year of Hope, Pope Francis has designated only the Holy Doors at the Vatican and in Rome as well as those of a Roman prison, almost to signify our common need for liberation from sin as we, together, enter a pilgrimage of hope.

The U.S. bishops have designated the Basilica of National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington as the place to receive special jubilee indulgences. And individual bishops have likewise also designated jubilee pilgrimage sites where we can more readily receive jubilee indulgences

Where can you find these holy sites of pilgrimage in your own diocese? Here are a few links to help plan your own pilgrimage:

— USCCB website for the Jubilee Year of Hope: www.usccb.org/jubilee2025

— National shrines and pilgrimage sites in the U.S: www.catholicshrines.org/jubileeofhope

— Or, check your own diocesan website (archbalt.org) or office of evangelization.

It is good to seek safety and serenity, especially in the difficult times such as we live in. Hope is not always easily pursued. It in fact sometimes calls for grit and determination. But as the great St. Paul assures us, it never disappoints. And so, it is good to be on a pilgrimage of some kind during these special days.

Even if one cannot physically make a pilgrimage to the sacred places that the church sets aside, every Catholic can experience the indulgence of God’s grace by entering the holy doors of one’s own parish “home” and being intentional about receiving the sacraments.

Enter the journey of hope, and allow Jesus to show you the way to the Father. Open the doors of your heart and allow Father’s mercy to enter in. It is the Jubilee Year of Hope.

Read More Commentary

Cupcakes with 2025 graduation toothpicks in them and a bowl of cookies

Our 31-hour Road Trip

St. Paul and discovering that sin is ‘missing the mark’

Six lit candles on a chocolate birthday cake

Making a birthday wish come true

Pilgrims of Hope: Walking the Way of St. Francis in the Year of Jubilee

The fisherman and the pharisee

A loaf of sliced bread

We are part of the miracle

Copyright © 2025 OSV News

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Sister Regina Frances Dick

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

Cupcakes with 2025 graduation toothpicks in them and a bowl of cookies

Our 31-hour Road Trip

St. Paul and discovering that sin is ‘missing the mark’

Six lit candles on a chocolate birthday cake

Making a birthday wish come true

Pilgrims of Hope: Walking the Way of St. Francis in the Year of Jubilee

The fisherman and the pharisee

| Recent Local News |

Archbishop Lori announces clergy appointments, including pastor and associate pastors

DUAL ENROLLMENT

Double the learning: Dual enrollment provides college credit to high school students

St. Mary’s purchases former Annapolis Area Christian School

Radio Interview: Exploring the Nicene Creed – Part Two

St. Clement Mary Hofbauer adapts to times, cultures as it celebrates 100th anniversary

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Pope: Vatican still ready to host peace talks between Russia, Ukraine
  • Archbishop Lori announces clergy appointments, including pastor and associate pastors
  • Pope prays for conversion of those resisting climate action at new Mass
  • Judge blocks, for now, Planned Parenthood defunding provision backed by bishops
  • ANALYSIS: ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ gives school-choice advocates partial victory with more to do
  • Notre Dame prepares to reopen towers’ tour with return of famed statues of saints to rooftop
  • After 12 years, locals welcome pope back to his summer home
  • Double the learning: Dual enrollment provides college credit to high school students
  • Synod office provides guidelines to help local churches, bishops implement synodality

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en