Jubilee of the Missionaries of Mercy

This retreat is an opportunity give thanks for God's mercy towards us, as we celebrate with the pilgrims of hope gathered in Rome for the Jubilee of the Missionaries of Mercy.

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Jubilee of the Missionaries of Mercy

Just over ten years ago, during one of his Sunday Angelus addresses from his window overlooking St Peter's Square, Pope Francis said he wanted to suggest a “special medicine” to those present. He said:

But someone might think: ‘What, is the pope a pharmacist now?'.

Up at his window, Pope Francis was shaking a little box resembling a pack of tablets. In the square below, these boxes of “special medicine” were being handed round to an estimated crowd of 20,000 pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square.

Each box was labelled:

Misericordina, 50 grammes for the heart

and emblazoned with an image of the human heart. The box contained a set of rosary beads and the instructions:

Can be used once a day, but in case of emergency can be taken as much as the soul needs.

The “special medicine” the pope was suggesting is mercy, “a spiritual help for our soul and to spread love, forgiveness and fraternity everywhere”.

In his mercy, God never tires of stretching out his hand to lift us up, to encourage us to continue our journey, to come back and tell him of our weakness, so that he can grant us his strength.

The Jubilee of the Missionaries of Mercy is a celebration of the mercy God has for each one of us. Priests who are Missionaries of Mercy, specially commissioned by the pope to absolve sins and promote the Sacrament of Reconciliation, will gather in Rome for a special Jubilee event which concludes with a final Mass in Rome's church of Sant'Andrea della Valle on Sunday 30 March.

Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His providence.

May these words of Saint Augustine encourage us all to celebrate the mercy of God as we continue our journey as pilgrims of hope.  

The Programme

In preparation for and to coincide with the Jubilee event in Rome, a series of reflections and questions will be posted from 27-30 March 2025 to help us participate with the pilgrims of hope gathered in Rome.

Join us as pilgrims of hope for this major Jubilee event of 2025.

Retreat prayer

A Prayer of Mercy

Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father, and have told us that whoever sees you sees Him. Show us your face and we will be saved. You are the visible face of the invisible Father, of the God who manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy: let the Church be your visible face in the world, its Lord risen and glorified. You willed that your ministers would also be clothed in weakness in order that they may feel compassion for those in ignorance and error: let everyone who approaches them feel sought after, loved, and forgiven by God. Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with its anointing, so that on our journey as pilgrims of hope the Jubilee may be a year of grace from the Lord, and your Church, with renewed enthusiasm, may bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed, and restore sight to the blind. We ask this of you, Lord Jesus, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Mercy; you who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.