The Opening Mass, held on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, will begin at 7:30 p.m. with readings and a short procession from the St. Monica Hall of Kolbe Cathedral High School (on the Cathedral Grounds) to the front door of St. Augustine’s.
The Diocese of Bridgeport serves all of Fairfield County, with more than 410,000 Catholics in 82 parishes. Bishop Frank Caggiano has invited all Catholics in the area to gather for the procession and formally enter through the Holy Door of the Cathedral to launch the Jubilee year.
“Following the blessing, all present will be invited to re-commit ourselves to the guidance and protection of Our Lady, as we first did at the conclusion of the Synod Mass,” said Caggiano.
The bishop said that Pope Francis has urged dioceses across the world to create a Holy Door, “to become a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instills hope.”
The bishop formally dedicated a Holy Door in the diocese on Sept. 19, when he led a Holy Hour for youth at St. Augustine Cathedral with more than 8,000 residents attending.
In Catholic Church tradition, Holy Doors are normally sealed shut from the outside and opened during Jubilee years when pilgrims enter to seek reconciliation related to the Jubilee. Throughout year, area Catholics will be encouraged to visit the cathedral for prayer and also to participate in the sacrament of reconciliation.
Those who are interested in joining the procession into the church through the Holy Door are encouraged to arrive by 7:15 p.m.
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