Archbishop Michael G. McGovern celebrates a special Mass at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha on Dec. 28 to close the 2025 Jubilee Year in the Archdiocese of Omaha. ROBERT ERVIN PHOTOGRAPHY

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Archbishop McGovern closes Jubilee Year in the archdiocese

December 30, 2025

by Susan Szalewski

Archbishop Michael G. McGovern officially closed the 2025 Jubilee Year in the Archdiocese of Omaha with a special Mass on Dec. 28, the Solemnity of the Holy Family, at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha.

While cold, sharp winds whipped snow outside the cathedral, worshipers were warmed inside at the 10:30 a.m. Mass.

The 2025 Jubilee Year was begun by one pope and will be concluded worldwide by another on Jan. 6, the Epiphany of the Lord. A similar situation has only happened once before, the archbishop noted in his homily, 325 years ago, when the Jubilee Year of 1700 was opened by Pope Innocent XII and closed by Pope Clement XI.

The Jubilee Year – with its Pilgrims of Hope theme – was also historical for the Archdiocese of Omaha.

The year was officially opened here on Dec. 29, 2024, by Archbishop George J. Lucas, before his retirement in May, and concluded by his successor, Archbishop McGovern.

Archbishop Emeritus Lucas was on hand to concelebrate the closing Mass for the Jubilee Year, along with Father Jeremy Hans, pastor of St. Cecilia Parish and rector of the cathedral; Father Georges Sopko, associate pastor; and Father Scott Schilmoeller, archdiocese vocations director.

More important than the historical significance of the 2025 Jubilee Year, however, was its spiritual significance.

Archbishop McGovern spoke about the graces poured out during the holy year, especially for pilgrims who visited the archdiocese’s eight designated pilgrimage sites, which included St. Cecilia Cathedral.

Those pilgrims participated “in a special way in this Jubilee Year,” he said, meeting the Lord in the sacraments, including the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where they experienced His mercy and forgiveness.

ROBERT ERVIN PHOTOGRAPHY

During the Jubilee Year, the faithful have grown, Archbishop McGovern said, “inspired to forgive one another, to forgive debts, to forgive grudges that perhaps we carry, to let go of anger and whatever weighs us down.”

He said he expects to continue to see the spiritual benefits of the Jubilee Year into the new year and beyond.

“One of the beautiful fruits of this Jubilee Year, I believe, is the number of people who are asking, inquiring about becoming part of the Catholic faith.”

“In just a few Sundays,” he said, the cathedral will be filled for the Feb. 22 Rite of Election, when hundreds of people will express to the archbishop their desire to enter fully into the Catholic Church.

Though the Jubilee Year has come to a close in the archdiocese, Archbishop McGovern called upon Catholics to continue to be pilgrims of hope, “turning to Jesus, Who is the hope that does not disappoint, and then to set out as the family of God to walk together.”

“My friends, as we conclude the Jubilee Year in the Archdiocese of Omaha, my prayer for us is that we will continue to be pilgrims of hope each and every day,” he said, “that strengthened by this beautiful Jubilee Year, we might continue to share the Gospel of Life with those around us, to be a sign of fresh hope for those in need.”