Opening the Holy Door
Sunday December 13th was an historic day for St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York. Pope Francis opened the extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy on December 8, 2015 and all cathedrals and designated shrines opened their Holy Year Doors on December 13, 2015 – the Third Sunday of Advent. St. Frances Cabrini Shrine was designated an official pilgrimage site by Cardinal Egan and thus a door of the Shrine was blessed by Bishop Walsh as the Holy Year Door.
The Shrine was packed for a bi-lingual Eucharistic Celebration. St. Elizabeth Church choir provided the music and the staff and volunteers of the Shrine contributed countless hours to prepare for the celebration.
In his homily Bishop Walsh reminded the people of the words of Pope Francis: “I present, therefore, this Extraordinary Jubilee Year dedicated to living out in our daily lives the mercy which the Father constantly extends to all of us. In this Jubilee Year, let us allow God to surprise us. He never tires of casting open the doors of His heart and of repeating that he loves us and wants to share his love with us.”
All are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to any of our three Shrines (New York, Colorado or Chicago) all of which have been designated as official sites of pilgrimage. As Pope Francis said: “May pilgrimage be an impetus to conversion: by crossing the threshold of the Holy Door, we find the strength to embrace God’s mercy and dedicate ourselves to being merciful with others as the Father has been with us.”