Diocesan Jubilee Pilgrimages

Jubilee of Hope: Designation of Jubilee Churches

& Pilgrimage Sites

During the recent Saint Oliver 400 celebrations in Lough Crew, Bishop Deenihan formally designated St. Brigid’s Church, Oldcastle, Co. Meath and St. Finian’s Church, Clonard, Co. Meath as the official places of pilgrimage for the people of the Diocese of Meath during the Jubilee Year 2025.

Both parishes are keen to welcome pilgrims from across the diocese and beyond during this special year. Each parish has prepared a Pilgrim's Guide and a set of 'Pilgrimage steps' associated with the sacred site.
Pilgrims of Hope can obtain a Pilgrimage Guide and Jubilee Passport in each of the designated sites and receive the unique Jubilee-pilgrimage stamp while learning about the lives of these remarkable saints.

Official Decree issued by Bishop Deenihan designating the two churches as Jubilee pilgrimage sites.

HOW TO RECEIVE A JUBILEE INDULGENCE

As we celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope, the designated Jubilee Churches in the Diocese of Meath, where the faithful can take part in this special year of grace and renewal by making a pilgrimage to seek the Jubilee Indulgence are St. Finnian's Church, Clonard and St. Brigid's Church Oldcastle. Pilgrimage has always been a central part of our faith, a physical act of devotion that reflects our spiritual journey toward God’s mercy.

The Jubilee Indulgence, a special gift offered during the Jubilee Year, can be received by visiting a Jubilee Church and engaging in prayer, including reciting the Our Father and a Profession of Faith (Nicene or Apostles' Creed). Pilgrimage to these designated churches offers a spiritual journey and an opportunity to obtain the remission of sins and spiritual renewal, both for oneself and for the souls in Purgatory.

How to Receive the Jubilee Indulgence:

Under the usual conditions, the faithful must:

1. Go on a Jubilee pilgrimage – Visit a Jubilee Church or another designated sacred place and spend time in prayer.

2. Pray for the Pope’s intentions – Recite the Our Father and a Profession of Faith (Nicene or Apostles’ Creed).

3. Go to Confession – Be in a state of grace, free from attachment to sin.

4. Receive Holy Communion – Ideally on the same day as the pilgrimage or prayer.

5. Perform an act of mercy or penance – Such as helping someone in need, visiting the sick or lonely, or offering acts of charity.

Those unable to travel due to illness or age can still receive the indulgence by joining spiritually, praying at home, and uniting their suffering with Christ.

This Jubilee is a time of grace, renewal, and deepened faith. Let us embrace this opportunity to draw closer to God’s mercy and live out the works of charity.

Preparing Your Pilgrimage to Clonard

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Pilgrimage Guide & Jubilee Passort

Preparing Your Pilgrimage to Oldcastle

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Pilgrimage

A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey. We don’t choose our destination; it is God drawing us into Himself. Something inside us simply yearns to go. We feel invited, even summoned.

Click images below to learn more about each pilgrimage site.

Knock, Co. Mayo, Ireland.

Knock is Ireland's International Eucharistic and Marian Shrine welcoming pilgrims from all corners of the world. Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, and the Lamb appeared to villagers on the evening of the 21st August 1879 for over two hours.

Fatima, Portugal

The Shrine of Fatima is a place of pilgrimage, which celebrates the memory of its founding event, the apparitions of Our Lady to the three little Shepherds in 1917 at the Cova da Iria, and since then, countless pilgrims from all over the world travel to Fatima in answer to Our Lady's call.

Lough Derg, Co. Donegal

St. Patrick's purgatory, more commonly referred to as Lough Derg is located in the lake of the same name in Co. Donegal. It is a pilgrimage site dating back to the Fifth Century. Since then, it has veen a place of Christian pilgrimage and prayer.

Lourdes, France

Since the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1858, millions of people from all over the world have flocked to Lourdes every year to experience the grace of this place. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is above all the place of healing of bodies and hearts where one comes to pray humbly to the one who revealed her name to Bernadette Soubirous: “I am the Immaculate Conception”.

The Holy Land

The Holy Land, a place of special pilgrimage for Christians, is the land where Jesus was born, where he preached and healed, suffered, died and rose again. Pilgrims from the world over, walk in the footsteps of Jesus, the Son of God and visit the sites assocated with his life and the miracles he worked.

Croagh Patrick, Westport, Co. Mayo.

Croagh Patrick, also known as 'the Reek', is an important site of pilgrimage overlooking Clew Bay in Co. Mayo. It is believed St. Patrick reputedly fasted on the mourtain for 40 days and nights. 20,000 to 25,000 pilgrims still climb the mountain on pilgrimage each year on the last Sunday in July.