Pope Francis wants dioceses worldwide to shine a spotlight on their “saints next door” every year on November 9.
In a letter released by the Vatican in Italian on November 16, the pope established an annual commemoration of saints, blessed, venerables, and servants of God in local dioceses worldwide, set to begin with the upcoming jubilee.
“I exhort particular Churches, starting from the upcoming 2025 Jubilee, to remember and honor these figures of holiness each year,” Pope Francis wrote, according to a Catholic News Agency report.
The initiative aims to help Catholics around the world rediscover and maintain the memory of those extraordinary disciples of Christ who have witnessed the presence of the risen Lord and continue to guide the faithful in those dioceses today.
He signed the letter at St. John Lateran on Novmber 9, the feast day of the basilica’s dedication.
While the pontiff chose this feast day for the yearly remembrance, he emphasized that he was not adding another liturgical celebration to the Church calendar.
Instead, the pope explained, he called on local dioceses to promote appropriate initiatives outside the liturgy or recall these figures within it, such as during homilies.
Called to be holy
Pope Francis connected the initiative to his 2018 apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate on the universal call to holiness.
The 2018 letter emphasized how sanctity manifests in everyday life through various examples, including married couples living their faith while being open to life, young people following Jesus with enthusiasm, and religious living the evangelical counsels.
“We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case,” the pope wrote in his exhortation. “We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.”
According to the letter released November 16, episcopal conferences may develop pastoral guidelines for implementing this commemoration.
The Vatican expects millions of pilgrims to travel to Rome for the 2025 Jubilee Year but also renewed spiritual initiatives in dioceses across the globe.
