Power of Prayer - Jubilee Piligrimage to Riverside Parish

Oct 07, 2025Comments (0)

Kelly Sweeney, parishioner and Year of Prayer group chairperson at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Corona met with the parish’s priest Father Ba “Philip” S. Lam, to discuss having parishioners share their testimonies on answered prayers during Lent. During Masses on March 15-16, parishioners were given the opportunity to share their testimonies after the celebrant gave a brief homily.

Some examples of the testimonies shared included:

  • The impact of prayer in their marriage, especially during the hardships of losing a child.
  • Healing of a brain tumor
  • Healing of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Doctors were mystified!
  • Two children born is physical deficiencies are both now self-sufficient, happy, productive adults.
  • Being in despair after so many losses in the family and crying out to God saying “If you are REALLY hearing me, God, show me a sign! Anything. … even a DEER!”. Then suddenly a deer out of nowhere ran in front of her car!

“I was grateful for the opportunity to reflect on how God has answered prayer in my life,” shared parishioner Terri. “I ended up realizing how God sometimes answers the unasked prayer before we even know what we need! I’m glad I thought about it so I could thank Him for all those times I didn’t realize He was there until long after the fact.”

After hearing various testimonies, parishioners were left feeling deeply touched.

“As I reflect on the answered prayer sharing, I know I am truly blessed with the support I have now,” shared parishioner Dottie. “My faith tells me I am not alone and to trust that God is always with me.”The Year of Prayer group, in honor of the 2025 Jubilee Year, coordinated a pilgrimage to St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Riverside.

While at the designated Jubilee parish, individuals were offered the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the group prayed the Jubilee Prayer, had a guided meditation on “bathing in God’s love,” had four Scripture based meditations with time to talk to God after each one to listen to the Holy Spirit, prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet together, and prayed the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary and Prayers for the Holy Father.

“What an amazing morning! I went to Mass, received the Holy Eucharist, [went] on to St. Thomas [the Apostle Church] for Reconciliation, Adoration and prayer and walked away with a Plenary Indulgence,” shared a participant. “I felt like the luckiest lady ever! It made me much more aware of the occasions of sin and not wanting to ‘blow it’ on the ‘clean slate’ I had been given. What a wonderful blessing! Thank you for the opportunity.”

Like a flame my hope is burning, 
may my song arise to you: 
Source of life that has no ending,
on life’s path I trust in you. 

Ev’ry nation, tongue, and people
find a light within your Word.
Scattered fragile sons and daughters
find a home in your dear Son. Rit.

God, so tender and so patient,
dawn of hope, you care for all.
Heav’n and earth are recreated
by the Spirit of Life set free. Rit.

Raise your eyes, the wind is blowing,
for our God is born in time.
Son made man for you and many
who will find the way in him. Rit.

THE HYMN - PILGRIMS of HOPE

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Jubilee Reconciliation & Indulgence

Jubilee year is a sign of reconciliation because it establishes a “favorable time” (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:2) for conversion. We are called to put God at the center of our lives, growing toward Him and acknowledging His primacy. Concretely, reconciliation is about experiencing the sacrament of Reconciliation, taking advantage of this time to rediscover the value of confession, and personally receiving God's word of forgiveness. There are some Jubilee churches that continuously offer the possibility for Reconciliation. Indulgence is a concrete manifestation of God's mercy, which surpasses and transforms the boundaries of human justice. This gift of grace came about by Jesus’ saving mission. Seeing the witnesses of Jesus and the saints and living in communion with themì our hope for our own forgiveness is strengthened. Concretely, the experience of God’s mercy involves some spiritual actions, as Pope Francis has recommended to the faithful. Those who cannot make the Jubilee pilgrimage due to illness or other circumstances are nevertheless invited to take part in the spiritual journey that accompanies this Jubilee year. Among the conditions for receiving the indulgence is praying for the Pope's intentions.

The Jubilee Logo

The cross of Christ is the hope that cannot ever be abandoned because we are always in need of it, especially in the most difficult moments.

 The Cross, in the shape of a sail, is transformed into an anchor that imposes itself over the waves in motion. A universal symbol of Hope.  

The figures represent humanity from the four corners of the World. They are embracing each other to illustrate the solidarity between the peoples, as the first holds onto the cross.

The rough sea is a reminder of the difficulties of the pilgrimage of life. Often, personal events as well as those of the world, press on us more intensely, demanding a greater hope. 

The logo shows how the way of the pilgrimage is not an individual effort, but rather collective, with the impression of a growing dynamism that tends more and more to the cross.

The Prayer

Father in heaven, may the faith you have gifted us in your son Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity kindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us, the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. 
May your grace transform us into diligent cultivators of the evangelical seeds that make humanity and the cosmos rise unto the confident expectation of the new heavens and the new earth, when with the powers of Evil overcome, your glory shall be manifested eternally. 
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, the yearning for heavenly treasures and pour over all the earth the joy and peace of our Redeemer. To you God blessed in eternity, be praise and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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What is the Jubilee?

The Jubilee has always been an event of the people. In fact, the first Holy Year
of 1300 was born at the the request of the People of God. In a climate of change of century, the faithful o f Rome asked Pope Boniface VIll for "a pardon of sins which would be not only more abundant, but complete" as we read in the Bull of Indiction.

Among the ancient Hebrews, the Jubilee (called the year of the yobel, "of the goat" because the holiday was announced by the sound of a goat's horn) was a year proclaimed holy. At that time, the Mosaic law prescribed that the land, o f which God was the sole master, would return to its former owner and that slaves would receive back their freedom. It usually would fall every 50 years.

In the Christian era, after the first Jubilee, the recurrence for the jubilee celebration was set by Boniface VIII t o b e every 100 years. In 1342, following a petition from the Romans to Pope Clement VI, the period was reduced t o 5 0 years. Subsequently, Pope Paul Il, in the mid-15th century, reduced the inter-jubilee period to 25 years.

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