The sign outside St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay is seen June 12, 2020. (Fox 11 Online)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — There was much to celebrate Monday during a special mass held at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay.
Not only did the mass open the Jubilee Year of Hope, but it also served as an anniversary celebration marking Bishop David Ricken’s episcopal ordination.
Ricken, who serves as the bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, was one of 12 priests ordained as a bishop by St. John Paul II in Rome on January 6, 2000.
During Monday’s mass, Ricken opened the Jubilee Year of Hope. According to Ricken, in the modern Catholic church, Jubilee years are celebrated every quarter century.
Pope Francis first announced the 2025 Jubilee back in 2022, saying:
We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire.
Ricken said the Jubilee Year of Hope will be marked internationally — and it’s not just limited to Catholics.
“This is a beautiful Jubilee year that the Pope has called for around the world, with all Catholic people — and everybody, really — because it’s a Jubilee of Hope. He’s calling us to be pilgrims of hope; in other words, to carry hope to the world, which is in such great need today, especially with good news and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There’s a lot to be hopeful about and there’s a lot of light in the midst of darkness,” Ricken said.
During the Jubilee Year of Hope, there will be special opportunities for members of the Diocese of Green Bay to exercise and grow their faith.
Along with St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Ricken has chosen the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion and St. Pius X Parish in Appleton as the diocese’s Jubilee churches. They will be open on a regular basis for prayer “and the receipt of certain indulgences and graces.”
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