A few months ago, as the end of the 2025 Holy Year drew near, Angelus reached out to readers with a question: Where did you find hope during this Jubilee Year?
In our announcement, published in these pages and on our social media channels, we explained that because the theme of this year’s Jubilee chosen by Pope Francis was “Hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5), we wanted to hear stories of hope: conversions, answered prayers, graces received, and even miracles experienced in the context of the Jubilee.
We received a wide selection of submissions from readers of different backgrounds and experiences. But the winning selections stood out not only for their candor and humanity, but because they helped show us what this Jubilee Year of Hope was really about. We hope they do the same for you, too.
A family pilgrimage: Rome or bust
This Jubilee Year gave me a powerful experience to see the beautiful things God can do.
This past summer, I went on a pilgrimage to Rome with my family (my parents, aunt, five siblings, and a few friends from our church community) for more than two weeks. It was great, but it was not easy. We went by plane, train, bus, and, most of the time, on foot through different countries toward Italy to pray and celebrate Mass with thousands of other young people.
In France, I really enjoyed Lourdes. The focus on honoring Mary was important for me because without her, there would be no Jesus. There was a long procession where we prayed the rosary with many people in different languages. At the front of the line, there were many sick and disabled; several with Down syndrome. This was special for me because my younger brother has Down syndrome and he is always cheerful. The joy that they had, the joy that my brother has every day, is like experiencing heaven on earth despite the sufferings and challenges they have.
When we got to Italy, we visited many churches dedicated to saints that gave their lives for their faith. Visiting these places gave me a great example of how to live my life as I figure out my way and my vocation. One highlight was “Sant’ Agnese in Agone,” a church in Rome where St. Agnes was martyred at about the age I am now. She was very brave and stayed true to her faith in the face of death. It reminded me that God can take us home at any age, but to always stay faithful to the Lord.
We also visited the Vatican and passed through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica to experience God’s forgiveness and mercy. Near the door, we prayed near the tomb of St. Pope John Paul II. I learned more about his life, and even though he lost his family at a young age, instead of being angry and giving up, it strengthened his vocation to become a priest. He served the people and became a great pope and now saint. He said, “Do not be afraid, open wide the doors to Christ,” the same way the Holy Door was open for us as pilgrims. It taught me that even when things are at their worst, God is always with us like he was with John Paul.
The whole experience gave me hope in God’s promise of eternal happiness in heaven. I felt very close to God during this pilgrimage. The common theme of our pilgrimage was that you can find happiness even in suffering. I also realized that I can be happy without TV and video games during the trip. I would definitely do it again, maybe even with my family … I would not have had this amazing experience without them!
— Matthew Costumbrado (13), Riverside
Tears, sickness, and true hope
The pilgrimage I made during this year’s Jubilee of Hope will be the most memorable one for me. When I was still healthy and working, I made pilgrimages to the holy sites as my priority in life. Along with daily Mass, it was my chosen way to strengthen my faith.
Then, I suddenly got sick from an autoimmune disease that required seven long years of dialysis and eventually a kidney transplant. During those bleak years, I thought that I would not be able to do another spiritual pilgrimage again, although I never lost the gift of hope. I can feel his love for me even in my darkest hours.
God really knows our deepest desires because, through our Blessed Mother, I, together with my five other siblings, their spouses and my daughter, Jackie, were able to sign up and go together on a pilgrimage for the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality offered by Chaplet Tours.
During our time in Italy, we visited Turin, St. Padre Pio, Lanciano, St. John Bosco, and Loreto. But in Assisi, where the body of the new St. Carlo Acutis is, I was so touched to see a lot of younger people lined up to venerate this millennial saint who died of a painful illness at 15.
The experience of passing through the Holy Doors at Rome’s four major basilicas in Rome brought me to tears of joy and gratitude for the love that only our God can give me. He knew exactly what I needed most. I will never forget the sound of the pilgrims singing and praying in different languages.
I have not been in the best of health after the transplant, so I am grateful for the penance and the spiritual joy that I have experienced during this Jubilee of Hope 2025.
— Mary Brion
God’s plan and a lunchtime surprise
In the past few years of my life, I haven’t been much of a “go-getter.” Battles with mental health, my suffering faith, and an overall stagnation in my personal development all left me “floating in the wind,” so to speak. There was no such thing as a solid “five-year plan” outside of vague intentions to finish school, teach, publish written work, and have a family someday. Instead, there was a kind of deadness within my soul where nothing grew.
Coming out of a recent season of battling against obsessive-compulsive disorder and into the new year of 2025, I had one resolution at the age of 24 — get a driver’s license.
Spoiler alert: I haven’t gotten the license (yet). But what God gave me this Jubilee Year of Hope was so much more.
He gave me a seedling in the arid desert of my heart — a bud yet to bloom, but growing stronger every day. Meeting my now boyfriend, Michael, in an almost chance kind of way — over a random lunch table at this year’s Live Action Young Leaders Summit — was like catching lightning in a bottle. Add to the fact that both of us bonded partially over a love of St. Pope John Paul II. He became a real patron for our relationship — he who gave so many young people hope during his life now touched ours.
And working alongside my life coach, Monica, was like receiving a pair of “hope goggles,” a “renewal of [the] mind” that allowed the desires of my heart to awaken once more and actually take root — my love for writing and a desire to move past old patterns in my spiritual and mental life that left me stuck and resentful. With all this and more, I’ve learned what hope looks like, and it’s real. God is real.
— Tacianna Bennett, St. John Vianney, Hacienda Heights
