Finding ourselves in the Jubilee story

A statue of Our Lady of San Juan is seen at the Basilica of the National Shrine of San Juan del Valle in San Juan, which is a Jubilee Pilgrims of Hope pilgrimage site in the Diocese of Brownsville. Texas is home to some 87 Jubilee pilgrimage sites, including three in the Galveston-Houston region. (Photo by James Ramos/Herald)

GALVESTON — June 10 roughly marks the midway point of the Jubilee Year of Hope in the Archdiocese. The Ordinary Jubilee will conclude on Jan. 6, 2026, when the Holy Doors in Rome will close, also ending the Jubilee year in Galveston-Houston.

In Pope Leo XIV’s first catechesis for the Jubilee Year, a continuation of what Pope Francis had begun, Pope Leo described the Parables of Jesus as a way to help the faithful “regain hope, because they show us how God works in history.”

“Every parable tells a story that is taken from everyday life, yet wants to tell us something more, to refer us to a deeper meaning,” Pope Leo said at a May 21 general audience. “The parable raises questions in us; it invites us not to stop at appearances. Before the story that is told or the image that is presented to me, I can ask myself: where am I in this story?”

To make a pilgrimage to one of the Holy Doors in Italy is a beautiful way to celebrate one’s Catholic faith and find ourselves in the Jubilee Year’s story. Unfortunately, not all people have the time or money to make a pilgrimage to these great places of faith. There are, however, many pilgrim sites of special importance found throughout Texas — 87 to be exact — that can help us grow in faith. Here are a few sites worth considering.

Catholics in the Archdiocese have two pilgrimage sites designated as special places of prayer in Galveston-Houston: St. Mary Cathedral Basilica (2011 Church St., Galveston), also known as the Mother Church of Texas, and the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (1111 St. Joseph Pkwy., Houston). Additionally, Catholics can also visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham (7809 Shadyvilla Ln., Houston), which is part of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

A Hill Country journey

For many at Archdiocesan parishes more distant from the cathedral basilica in Galveston and the downtown co-cathedral, it might be a shorter (and less stressful!) drive to pilgrim sites designated by neighboring dioceses.

For example, Catholics in Grimes and Montgomery counties could visit St. Joseph Parish (507 E 26th St., Bryan) and St. Mary’s Catholic Center (603 Church Ave., College Station), the latter which features a new sanctuary with a soaring dome and intricate paintings.

Those on the Archdiocese’s far west side could pack up a suitcase and a cooler and make the trek to the Archdiocese of San Antonio, where pilgrims have a choice of 23 sites to visit, including the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower (1715 N Zarzamora St., San Antonio; Phone: 210-735-9126), which will host the Centenary Reliquary of St. Thérèse from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, one of only two of French saint’s major reliquaries in the world.

Alternatively, the Concepción, San Francisco de la Espada, San José and San Juan Capistrano missions, part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and collectively Texas’ only UNESCO World Heritage Site, are also welcoming Texas pilgrims. These famous missions, some more than 300 years old, also comprise the Camino de San Antonio, a 12-mile pilgrimage trail to all five mission sites, including San Fernando Cathedral in downtown San Antonio, plus the optional Mission San Antonio de Valero, known as the Alamo.

The trail, which can be taken north to south (and south to north), can be done all at once in one day (if you can!) and across a series of visits or days, both of which can be done by foot, bike or car.

With adequate preparation for the Texas Hill Country’s heat, an early sunrise trek on the Camino de San Antonio can be a physically invigorating and spiritually renewing encounter, perhaps ending with Mass at the Cathedral or the Espada mission. And maybe bring a change of clothes.

Of note, pilgrims who walk the entire route in San Antonio can receive 30 km credit toward the Camino Ingles (English route) along the famous El Camino de Santiago, making the Camino de San Antonio part of an official route of the Spanish Camino and the only place to begin the journey outside of Europe.

Pilgrims can begin their journey and find support facilities at the Padre Margil Pilgrimage Center (263 Felisa St., San Antonio. Open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Phone: 210-357-5601).

A trip to the Rio Grande Valley

For Catholics looking to head down to the U.S.-Mexico border, consider a visit to the Brownsville Diocese’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral (1218 E Jefferson St., Brownsville) and the Basilica of the National Shrine of San Juan del Valle (400 Virgen de San Juan Blvd., San Juan; 956-787-0083) and its sprawling Stations of the Cross, popular Sunday Masses with Mariachi music, mosaics, iconic candle-lit shrine and even an on-site hotel and café.

On the way down to the Valley, Catholics can also visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Schoenstatt (134 Front St., Rockport; Phone: 361-729-2019) in Lamar, near Rockport. Facing the rustic Aransas Bay and Corpus Christi in the distance, built in 1959, this small chapel is a scaled replica of a German chapel that’s home to the Schoenstatt movement. On Nov. 11 and Dec. 4, the shrine will host a special day of prayer for the Jubilee Year.

At each pilgrim site, Catholics can receive a special jubilee indulgence, and the standard indulgence conditions apply: be in a state of grace, have gone to confession or plan to go soon, receive Communion and pray for the pope’s intentions. As with any journey, call pilgrim sites before leaving home and visit their websites to confirm open hours, Mass times and other details.

To learn more about the Jubilee Year and find other pilgrimage sites, visit www.archgh.org/jubilee2025.