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Celebrate the Jubilee of the World of Education - October 31 - November 2, 2025

The Holy See has designated a number of Jubilee Days throughout 2025 to recognize and celebrate different groups of people and various ministries in the Church. The Jubilee of the World of Education will be celebrated on October 31 - November 2, 2025. The Jubilee of the World of Education includes students, teachers, and leaders who are involved in elementary, secondary, and higher education. 

Spiritual Reflection

In anticipation of the Jubilee of the World of Education, we call to mind what the Church has said of education: “The Catholic school forms part of the saving mission of the Church, especially for education in the faith…It is precisely in the Gospel of Christ, taking root in the minds and lives of the faithful, that the Catholic school finds its definition as it comes to terms with the cultural conditions of the times.” (The Catholic School, 9) At the heart of the mission of Catholic education is transmission of a vision – the vision of life in Jesus Christ. We live in times that can be confusing and distressing, as did those who have walked this road of faith in the decades and centuries before us. Think of the great saints who lived and persisted during times of struggle –St. Joan of Arc, St. Thomas More, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. John Paul II, St. Josephine Bakhita, among others. Their courage in the face of danger–sometimes even death–and their willingness to sacrifice for Jesus did not appear out of nowhere. This was the fruit of a friendship that they sought and formed with Christ. During his own ministry, Jesus had two primary areas of emphasis: teaching and healing. Those who are engaged in the ministry of teaching are privileged to share in Our Lord’s own ministry. Many have answered the call to teach in Jesus’ name, including St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Benedict, St. John Bosco, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, among many others. They came to know him through their studies–and not just their religious studies. They recognized that the beautiful, ordered cosmos points to Him in whom all things cohere. Their vocation became helping others, especially the young, to know Christ through the patterns and order of mathematics, the mysteries and properties of science, the eloquent truths of poetry and literature, and the soul-attracting beauty of art and music. Those of us who are engaged in the work of Catholic education have taken up their work in our own time. Like them, we must find courage in the storms of our culture. We must fix our vision on Him, as the apostles did one stormy night on the Sea of Galilee. Pope Francis has said this of Catholic education: “Education is, above all, an act of hope in those before us, in their possibilities to change and contribute to the renewal of society” (Address on Catholic Education in Spain, (February 24, 2024): Vatican News). Our Holy Father is calling us to follow the path trod by great saints, to use our education and intellect to proclaim that Jesus Christ is Our Hope! 

Here are some suggestions for celebrating in your school:

• Use the weekend liturgies on October 31 - November 2 to recognize all those in education in the community: in the homily, general intercessions, with a special blessing, or by inviting them to serve in key liturgical roles. An example of a petition for the Prayer of the Faithful might include: For the Church’s ministry of education throughout the world, especially in this Jubilee Year of Hope, that Catholic schools and all who serve in them—teachers, administrators, catechists, students, and families—may be renewed in their mission to form minds, shape hearts, and lead young people to Christ; and that access to quality, faith-filled education may expand to all corners of the world, we pray to the Lord.
• Plan a local pilgrimage for students, teachers, and leaders who are involved in elementary, secondary, and higher education to the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa. A stationary Jubilee Cross has been placed in the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu for the veneration of all the faithful during this Jubilee Year. Contact the parish (808-521-1700) to let them know you plan to bring a group. After returning home, take time for prayer and theological reflection on the graces of God received during the pilgrimage experience.
• Read, compare, and discuss the following parables:
  • The Parable of the Great Banquet. Luke 14:1-24 (Hope)
  • The Parable of the Sower. Matthew 13:1-9 (Education)
  • Sayings on Discipleship. Luke 25-35
• Study some of the historical Jubilee years that the Church has celebrated. Information on these can be found here. Become familiar with the people, events, and fruits of these Jubilee years; compare and contrast them with this current Jubilee year.
• Read and discuss literary tales of pilgrimages. High school students can read Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, while elementary and middle school students can read many of the prose translations for children their age.
• Read and discuss poetry centered on the theme of hope. See a few examples below:
  • “Hope” is the thing with feathers - Emily Dickinson
  • Lift Every Voice and Sing – James Weldon Johnson
• Show students the Raphael’s Rooms at the Vatican Museum.
• Examine both the School of Athens and the Disputation of the Holy Sacrament and discuss what they reveal about Catholic education
• Post on your parish and/or school's social media and/or website ways you are celebrating this Jubilee Year of Hope as a school community.   
• Use the Jubilee celebration as an opportunity for Catholic schools to invite the broader community to encounter their mission, highlight their contributions, and showcase the joy of faith-based learning.
• Gather school communities together to participate in the Mass and Canonization of Carlo Acutis & Pier Giorgio Frassati LIVE from Rome on September 7, 2025.

Download Prayers.
Download a list of Key Saints.

Other Resources:

• A History of the Jubilee, Vatican.
• The Theological Virtues, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1817-1821
• The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School (Congregation for Catholic Education, 1988)
• To Teach as Jesus Did (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1973):
• The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools (2005), Archbishop V. Michael Miller: In 2005, the USCCB issued a statement “Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millenium”, in which the bishops called for Catholic schools to be “truly Catholic” as well as “available, accessible, and affordable” to Catholic families. Archbishop Miller, then the Secretary for the Congregation for Catholic Education, expanded on what a “truly Catholic” school would look like.