Urgell Diocese Closes Jubilee Year with Packed Cathedral Mass

The Cathedral of Santa Maria d’Urgell hosted a packed closing Mass for the local Jubilee Year on Sunday, led by the Bishop of Urgell, Josep-Lluís Serrano, with Bishop Emeritus Joan-Enric Vives in attendance.

The service brought together members of the Episcopal Council, diocesan priests, delegation representatives, a large contingent from the Congregation of the Sagrada Família d’Urgell, and leaders from various ecclesial movements. Worshippers filled the cathedral ahead of the Eucharist, which opened with an entrance procession and performances of the Jubilee Hymn under the direction of Mn. Antoni Elvira, who also oversaw the liturgical music.

In his opening remarks, Bishop Serrano described the Jubilee—or Holy Year—as a period when “God’s holiness transforms us,” expressing gratitude to everyone involved in its activities. During the homily, he highlighted the diocese’s family-like unity, referring to the cathedral as its “mother house” at the end of this hopeful chapter. He reinforced Pope Francis’s invitation to view pilgrimage as a journey fostering hope, universal fraternity, and trust, while drawing attention to poverty that denies dignity to many.

Following the homily, the nuns of the Congregation of the Sagrada Família d’Urgell gathered at the altar to renew their vows collectively before the bishop. The event capped a year of Jubilee pilgrimages by parish groups, youth organizations, schools, and ecclesial movements to the cathedral and the Sant Crist de Balaguer basilica.

Proclaimed by Pope Francis under the theme *Pilgrims of Hope*, the Jubilee started on 25 December 2024 and concludes in Rome on 6 January 2026.