JUBILEE YEAR OF

Misericordiae Vultus

Dear Parent(s)/Carer(s),

Throughout 2016 we have been invited to take part in the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Francis started the Jubilee of Mercy by opening the “Holy Door”. This Extraordinary Jubilee is specifically the Year of Mercy, but actually every Jubilee Year focuses on forgiveness. One of the best visuals for the story of God's salvation and forgiveness is the Holy Door in the Vatican. This door (and others around the world) will be open for this entire (Liturgical) year and is an invitation for pilgrims to walk through as an outward sign of the inward choice of turning back to God and accepting his forgiveness.

The Holy Door is the northernmost entrance of Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. A Holy Door (Latin: Porta

Sancta) refers to an entrance portal located within the Papal Major basilicas in Rome. The doors are normally sealed by mortar and cement from the inside so that they cannot be opened. They are ceremoniously opened during Jubilee years designated by the Pope, for pilgrims who enter through those doors may piously gain the plenary indulgences attached with the duration of the Jubilee year. Pope Boniface VIII began the tradition of the Holy Year, known as a Jubilee, in 1300 and the Catholic Church has celebrated them every 25 years or so ever since. [1] A major part of the Holy Year for Catholics is a pilgrimage to Rome and the ritual passing over the threshold of the holy door to symbolise the passing into the presence of God.

At the same time, the pilgrims' sins are forgiven, known as an indulgence

As mentioned above An important part of the Jubilee Year of Mercy is the opportunity for pilgrimage and the granting of an indulgence with a focus on Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

Pilgrims are welcome to the Door of Mercy throughout the Year of Mercy at the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Two other Jubilee churches: Holy Cross & St Helen in St Helens and St Mary’s in Leyland are also open to pilgrims. More details found here from the Vatican year of mercy website and Liverpool Archdiocese website http://www.iubilaeummisericordiae.va/content/gdm/en.html http://yearofmercyliverpool.org.uk/schools/

In School The class teachers will speak to the children about this year and will plan activities as a class, as a school in how we can celebrate, one important way is prayer. In school we have purchased “little doors” for the year of Mercy , these doors will be in each class as a focus for the children, how we can walk through the door of forgiveness. The doors will be blessed this week, then will be in class. Photographs will be shared on our school website. Accompanying this letter is a simple representation of the seven corporal , we would like the children to talk to you about the year of mercy, colour this page in and/or use the reverse to write a prayer for the year of mercy, then send into school for our display board. The school council will discuss how we can take our discussions, prayers and ideas and turn them into action during this year. This information will then be passed onto the rest of the school and our school community.

Yours sincerely Mrs C. M. Ryding Religious Education co-ordinator

From about Mercy

The bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to a hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness'