Lorain's Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary chosen as 2025 Jubilee site

LORAIN — Pope Francis kicked off the 2025 Holy Year on Dec. 24, with celebrations of the Catholic Church expected to draw millions of pilgrims to Rome. For those unable to make the trek, the Cleveland Catholic Diocese has designated eight parishes and three shrine sites as pilgrimage sites in Northeast Ohio. It chose Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary to represent Lorain County out of its 20 parishes. Parish historian Phillip Bak explained the Holy Year, dating back to the Bible's Old Testament rooted in the importance of the number seven in Judaism. "Every cycle of seven years — so seven times seven years, they would have a Jubilee year," he said, giving the example of the Jubilee year falling on the 50th year as the year after the cycle. "... This was a year for Jewish people where they would release all the prisoners, forgive any debts, any property they had been purchased would return to the original owner and so forth. It was a year of mercy and fulfillment." The first Christian Jubilee began in 1300 under Pope Boniface VIII. Then, as now, pilgrims go to Rome for a year of forgiveness, Bak said. That year of forgiveness included indulgences or a remission of debt due to sin. He compared it to breaking a neighbor's window as a child — while that neighbor may forgive the child for breaking the window, there is still a debt to be paid to replace the pane. While confessionals offer a person forgiveness, indulgences in the Catholic tradition, cancel that debt. "In a Jubilee year, there's special acts you can do to get plenary indulgence, so you can have all the debt that you have due to your sins forgiven. And these indulgences can be applied to yourself to forgive your own sins, or can be applied to someone who passed away to forgive their sins," Bak explained. In Rome, pilgrims visit major basilicas — this year including a prison — and participate in spiritual prayers or exercises to gain indulgence. In Northeast Ohio, Catholics are invited to visit at least one of the Diocese's designated pilgrimage sites. "It's a great honor for us, and it's an opportunity to connect with the other members of the diocese faithful community," Bak said. "... We're hoping this would be a great opportunity to have some of the folks from the county and from other places come visit us." The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish has served central Lorain and the surrounding community for 127 years, more than 100 of those in its current church at West 15th Street and Lexington Avenue. Founded Jan. 11, 1898, it served a growing Polish population. Over the years, Lorain and the parish grew, adding not only Polish immigrants, but later Hungarians and Slovaks whose hymns and traditions were added to the church's liturgy. As the city changed, so did the parish and its traditions. Hymns in Spanish were added to the rolls, as families from Mexico and Puerto Rico replaced newcomers from Eastern Europe. The church boasts its original stained glass, including panels unique to its Polish heritage and a collection of about 70 relics donated by the late Rev. John Kline. Being chosen as a Jubilee parish for the Pilgrimage of Hope year allows the central Lorain site to showcase its history and tradition. Sacristan Chris Korab expects to see additional visitors to the parish this year. "Each church is very different," Korab said. "But yet, in their own right, God is there." Nativity parishioners are still planning events and special services for this year, Korab and Bak said. Those will be publicized on its website and social media. Both reiterated all are welcome at the parish — this year, and beyond — from farmers in Rochester to its next-door neighbors in central Lorain and elsewhere in Northeast Ohio. "I hope they find a really welcoming community," Bak said of visitors to his church. "I hope they hear beautiful liturgies, and we have a beautiful worship space." Korab agreed. "Our worshiping is not only the Mass or services that we have, but it also includes music, it includes the visuals that are here, the saints, the statues, the sacred art." Reflecting on this year's theme as a year of hope, Korab said the world is a challenging place, and people need that connection and belief. "Pope Francis has said he hopes to flame this hope, wherever we come to worship," Korab said. "Whether it's here at Nativity — which we hope they do — but the other churches, that they just feel a sense of hope they can share with others." The 2025 Cleveland Catholic Diocese Jubilee sacred parishes are St. Edward Parish, 501 Cottage St., Ashland; Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 1007 Superior Ave., Cleveland; St. Mary Parish, 401 North St., Chardon; Immaculate Conception Parish, 2846 Hubbard Road, Madison; Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 418 W. 15th St., Lorain; St. Colette Parish, 330 W. 130th St., Brunswick; Queen of Heaven Parish, 1800 Steese Road, Uniontown; and Ss. Peter and Paul Parish, 161 W. Clinton St., Doylestown. The diocese also designated three sacred shrine sites for the Jubilee: Our Lady of Lourdes, 21281 Chardon Road, Euclid; Queen of the Holy Rosary, 6618 Pearl Road, Parma Heights; and Shrine of St. Ann, 5384 Wilson Mills Road, Cleveland. Each church and shrine has a handmade Jubilee cross on display that parishioners from each received during a Dec. 29 processional starting the Holy Year in Cleveland. Those crosses were blessed by Bishop Edward Malesic before being brought back to their respective pilgrimage site. A Pilgrims of Hope passport is available at each pilgrimage site or downloaded from the diocese's website with attendees able to collect stamps at each Jubilee site. The last regular Jubilee was in 2000 when St. John Paul II ushered in the church's third millennium. Pope Francis declared a special Jubilee in 2015-16 dedicated to mercy and the next one planned is in 2033 to commemorate the anniversary of the crucifixion of Christ. The Jubilee Year runs through Jan. 6, 2026. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.