With hearts full of hope
Pilgrims from St. Paul the Apostle walk through the Holy Doors at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Fort Worth on March 13. (NTC/Juan Guajardo)
With joy and enthusiasm, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Fort Worth reaffirms the opportunity of bringing hope as a local Year of Jubilee pilgrimage site, feeling “dearly loved by God and by our bishop,” said parish pastor, Friar Feliciano Torres-Castro, O.F.M. Cap.
It is only once every 25 years that the Catholic Church opens the jubilee by granting a plenary indulgence —forgiveness of all sins committed —to the faithful who confess, cross the Holy Door in Roman basilicas, receive the Holy Eucharist, and pray for the Pope's intentions.
This year, Pope Francis announced the “Pilgrims of Hope” jubilee, calling on all dioceses to “open” the Holy Door to all pilgrims, and allowing them to receive the indulgence without having to travel to Rome.
In the Diocese of Fort Worth, Bishop Michael Olson decreed St. Patrick's Cathedral in Fort Worth and the parishes of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in Wichita Falls; Sacred Heart in Comanche; St. Philip the Apostle in Flower Mound; and OLG in Fort Worth as pilgrimage sites.
The practice of passing through the Holy Door began with Pope Boniface VIII in the 1300s and was opened only during jubilee years as an opportunity to receive full indulgence and experience God's mercy. Sergio Martínez, 49, has been a parishioner of OLG for 15 years, and he didn't hesitate to put his carpentry talents at the "service of the Church" to build "the sacred door” the parish has used to symbolize the second requirement to receive the plenary indulgence.
"It is by faith and grace that God gives us the indulgence,” Martínez, originally from Zacatecas, said. “But if with the talent God gave me, I can help many people cross the door and gain indulgences, I feel privileged and happy.”
Friar Torres-Castro, known as Father Chano to his parishioners, explained that crossing the sacred door is a deeply symbolic act, representing the entrance to a new period of grace. It is "entering the fold of Jesus," changing our lives and making a commitment.
The jubilee year, said the priest who is originally from Chihuahua, "is a living encounter with Jesus, emphasizing renewal and conversion."
The parochial vicar of the predominantly Hispanic parish Friar Roberto Viveros Rosales added, “This church is the home of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who asked that a place be built for everyone. That is already a sign of hope.”
The Capuchin friars are “filled with joy” welcoming each priest who arrives to celebrate Mass with their parishioners and to accompany groups who request it with talks, pilgrimages with the Jubilee Cross amid songs and the litany of saints, renewal of baptismal promises, and the Holy Eucharist.
Father Thu Nguyen, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church in River Oaks, made his way over to Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish on March 13, celebrating the 7 p.m. Mass, accompanied by more than 60 of his parishioners.
“We need to give people every opportunity to receive the grace of indulgence,” said Fr. Nguyen. “My hope is to reconcile many families who are not living their sacraments,” and “to sow the desire to return to God with all their sins forgiven,” he said, announcing that his parish will return with more pilgrims on June 26.
Rumelia Lujan, 54, a parishioner of St. Paul's for more than 30 years, not only made the pilgrimage asking for the indulgence, but also participating in the liturgy as a Eucharistic minister.
“When Father Thu thanked Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish for welcoming us, saying, ‘We come from St. Paul,’ it was very moving to feel as if we are his flock, and he is leading us to the Lord,” Lujan shared.
Daisy Pérez, 16, felt that she and her family “are not alone” as they went to confession and delved deeper into the value of the indulgence, “coming together as a community” from their St. Paul parish.
For Mónica Mendoza and her wife Jorge, being "pilgrims of hope" has meant seeking forgiveness not only for themselves, but also for the soul of their daughter Mónica Patricia, who passed away at the age of 25.
Originally from Aguas Calientes, and with almost three decades of belonging to St. Stephen Parish in Weatherford, the Mendoza couple joined hands as they crossed the sacred door, accompanied by their five of their six children, carrying their daughter Mónica Patricia in their hearts and prayers. “We trusted in God's promises, asking for the plenary indulgence for ourselves, but above all for the soul of our daughter who passed away two years ago,” said Monica Mendoza, 51.
“We arrived with our souls in pain, but Father Chano and Father Beto [Friar Rosales], with their love of service, told us, ‘God is here waiting for you,’” Monica said, describing her first pilgrimage in February with 10 parishioners from St. Stephen and her return in March with 60 pilgrims from her church. “The parish’s embrace as a pilgrimage site was fraternal and beautiful,” she explained.
Mendoza said she plans to lead her community to receive the indulgence once a month. “We have to empty purgatory,” she asserted.