A plenary indulgence, which removes all temporal punishment due for sin, can be obtained starting Wednesday, Dec. 27.
The indulgence is part of the Sacred Heart Jubilee Year taking place in the Church from December 2023 to June 2025. The jubilee commemorates the 350th anniversary of the apparitions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque that took place in Paray-le-Monial, France.
The Jubilee Year began Dec. 27, the anniversary of the first apparition, and concludes on June 27, 2025, the date of the solemnity of the feast of the Sacred Heart, which falls on the Friday after the Corpus Christi octave in the Church each year.
The indulgence can be obtained by making the pilgrimage to Paray-le-Monial, known as the City of the Eucharist.
Bishop Earl Fernandes will lead a diocesan pilgrimage to France from May 31 to June 9, 2024. The pilgrimage includes a visit to Paray-le-Monial, the site of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.
During the Sacred Heart Jubilee Year, four churches in the Diocese of Columbus also will be pilgrimage sites: Cardington Sacred Hearts, Columbus Sacred Heart, Coshocton Sacred Heart and New Philadelphia Sacred Heart.
The faithful can receive the plenary indulgence during the Jubilee Year by visiting one of the local pilgrimage sites and assisting at Mass; reciting prayers, such as the Litany of the Sacred Heart; making a Holy Hour of reparation; and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father.
An indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints.
To receive a plenary indulgence, an individual must have complete detachment from sin, receive the sacraments of reconciliation and Holy Communion within a reasonable time period and pray for the Holy Father’s intentions.