Christmas Greetings from Archbishop Eamon and Pastoral Message for the Jubilee Year 2025

Ara Coeli

18 December 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As the days of Advent draw to a close, I wish you a very happy Christmas and many blessings for the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025.

I am most grateful for your dedication and commitment to your vocation and for the generosity of your support and service of the Church during this past year.  I ask you to remember in your Christmas Masses a prayer for the happy repose of the souls of our brothers and sisters in the clergy and in consecrated life who have gone to their rest during 2024.

There couldn’t be a better time for a Jubilee Year of Hope!  We live in a world where anxiety, doubt and sometimes even despair, often appear to have the upper hand.

It is sad that so many people go through life without realising in a personal way that God loves them as they are.  Others find it difficult to believe in hope and love because of the present state of the world - surrounded as we are by so much war, violence, exploitation and displacement of people, human trafficking, and attacks on human dignity and life.  All the more reason, however, for us who believe - especially clergy and religious - to be fearless ambassadors of faith and hope; energetic peacemakers and supporters of the cause of all human life; carers for the sick and those with disabilities; consolers of the lonely and the bereaved; faithful stewards and protectors of the environment and all God’s creation; generous helpers of the poor, the homeless and the marginalised; and welcoming friends for migrants and refugees.

When Pope Francis announced the Jubilee Year for 2025, he invited us to become ‘pilgrims of hope’.  He reminded us of the words of Saint Paul who said, "hope (in Christ) does not disappoint”.

I pray that during this Jubilee Year 2025 there will be many graced opportunities for you personally, and for all the people of the Archdiocese of Armagh, to grow in their personal friendship with Jesus Christ who is our reason for living and our reason for hoping.

I attach a copy of my Pastoral Message for the launch of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 which will take place on the weekend of the Feast of the Holy Family 28-29 December 2024.  I would be grateful if you could read this Pastoral Message to your congregations at all Masses that weekend.  I will be formally launching the Jubilee Year at 11.00 am Mass in the Cathedral in the presence of His Excellency, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland.  Of course you would be most welcome to come along, or to tune in over WebCam, or to spiritually join your prayers with mine on this special occasion.

God bless you always.

Archbishop Eamon

Eamon Martin

Archbishop of Armagh

P.S. In lieu of Christmas cards and postage, I’m making a donation to St Vincent de Paul Society, and to Trócaire and the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre for their work in Gaza and the Middle East.