As this Jubilee Year began, I was inspired by Pope Francis opening a holy door in Rebibbia prison with the words, “I wanted each of us…to have the possibility of opening the doors of our hearts and understanding that hope does not disappoint.” Hope is resurrection, the opening of the sealed tomb and the experience of new life. Following Maundy Thursday and the Venice Biennial, we were again being brought to the place of imprisonment to hear the jubilee message of liberty. This captured my imagination, for I know the joy of freedom in God but also know that there is a place in many of us that stays locked and hidden, and perhaps even seems hopeless. Here was an invitation to open the door to that place and let God in.
In January 2025, I also started a new ministry in university chaplaincy. With my Ignatian charism and training in spiritual direction, I was soon being approached by students seeking accompaniment as they try to become more aware of God in their lives. Their desire was real and almost 80 participated in a retreat in daily life. As often happens when people give God time and open up their hearts, stories began to unfold and the difficult, locked away, stuff of life began to be brought to the light. This is hope.
At the start of this year, I could not have imagined what this ministry and Jubilee would bring. What Pope Francis initiated, we must now continue. As a Mary Ward sister, I am reminded that she, too, did not live to see her mission come to fruition but always trusted that if it was of God, it would last – the epitome of hope. In this Jubilee year, we will become one worldwide community. Hope does not disappoint.
Charlotte Cummins CJ
