A Jubilee Year entrance sign to St. Mathias Church in Muscatine marks the main door.
By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
The late Pope Francis proclaimed 2025 as a Jubilee Year of Hope. He asked the faithful to “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.”
A Jubilee Year, which has its roots in Scripture, marks a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another and with all of Creation. Jubilee is a time for reconciliation, conversion, and spiritual renewal.
Pilgrimage is at the heart of a Jubilee Year, which ideally would mean a pilgrimage to Rome. However, the faithful may make a pilgrimage in many other ways, including to churches closer to home. Responding to that request, the Diocese of Davenport designated five Jubilee Year churches: Ss. Mary & Patrick Church (of Divine Mercy Parish), West Burlington; Sacred Heart Cathedral, Davenport; St. Mary Parish, Grinnell; St. Patrick Parish, Iowa City, and Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish, Muscatine.
Here is a list of diocesan pilgrimage sites and details for people planning a pilgrimage. Details about additional events at the sites will be available later this summer. Contact each Jubilee church for more information. Also, take time to read the Diocese of Davenport’s excellent Jubilee Year guide (http://bit.ly/3ZZ6Ue3), which includes information about Jubilee Year Indulgence.
Ss. Mary & Patrick Church (of Divine Mercy Parish), West Burlington
The church is open Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. until the Saturday vigil Mass concludes. Mass on Saturday morning begins at 8 a.m. The sacrament of reconciliation will be offered after the morning Mass and from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Saturdays before the 5 p.m. vigil Mass, Father Jacob Greiner, the pastor said.
Weekly adoration takes place Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. with a priest available to hear confessions during this time. On first Fridays, adoration is offered beginning after the 8 a.m. Friday Mass until the start of the 8 a.m. Saturday Mass.
For the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage stop in Burlington on May 21, Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois will cross the Mississippi River by boat with the Blessed Sacrament. Bishop Dennis Walsh will meet him at Bluff Harbor Marina. At 2 p.m., a procession will start at the harbor to St. Paul Church, Burlington, followed by prayer. The procession resumes at 2:45 p.m. to Ss. Mary & Patrick Church with Mass at 5 p.m. On Oct. 12, a “Sparking the Spirit” event with Bishop Walsh will take place. More details will follow later. To schedule a parish tour, contact the Divine Mercy Parish office.
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Davenport
A special Eucharistic procession in June for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) is in the planning stage. In November, the cathedral plans to host evangelist Chris Stefanick for a parish mission.
While the cathedral doesn’t offer regularly scheduled tours, “many times people just drop in and would like a tour,” Father Thom Hennen, the pastor said. “We are happy to accommodate parish groups that would like to come for a tour. Most any time we can arrange that.”
For safety reasons, the cathedral remains locked outside of Mass times or other events. “But people can come to the parish office during normal office hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30p.m.) and ask to see the church. There is almost always someone around to let them in or even give them a short tour.”
St. Mary Parish, Grinnell
Each Thursday after the 8:30 a.m. morning Mass, the parish often offers coffee and treats in the hall with a presentation on a piece of Christian art from a Catholic perspective, said Father Scott Foley, the pastor. Artists range from Rembrandt to Caravaggio. The parish is planning one-night parish retreats with a specific topic. An April 2 presentation focused on the graces of Divine Mercy Sunday and Divine Mercy image. “We are planning a parish pilgrimage to the larger-than-life-size Stations of the Cross at the Cloisters on the Platte in Nebraska in May,” Father Foley said.
St. Patrick Parish, Iowa City
A parishioner has created an audio tour of the church, downloadable by scanning a QR code on the Jubilee Year banners in the narthex, said Father Troy Richmond, the pastor. The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage procession on church grounds will take place May 22 from 3-4 p.m. The parish also is hosting Steve Angrisano in concert on Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m.
“Our church is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the Sacred Heart Chapel is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Those who wish to adore from 9 p.m. to midnight must stop by the parish office to obtain a key card for secure access,” Father Richmond said.
Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish, Muscatine
The parish has done several things to mark the selection of St. Mathias Church as a Jubilee pilgrimage site, said Father Chris Weber, pastor of Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish. The parish installed signs above the main entrance to St. Mathias Church noting that it is a Jubilee church site for all to see. Bishop Walsh opened the Jubilee Year at the parish Jan. 29. An adult formation presentation Feb. 26 focused on the Jubilee Year and indulgences. A website https://marymathias. org/jubilee has the latest information.
