Plenary Indulgence
On 8 September 2024, in Rome, on the occasion of the solemn celebrations in honour of St. John Macias for the 50th anniversary of his canonisation, the Apostolic Penitentiary has granted the Plenary Indulgence.
According to the decree, the indulgence can be obtained, subject to the usual conditions, by going on pilgrimage to a church of the Order to attend a jubilee celebration or at least to pray before the relics of the saint, concluding with the Our Father, the Creed, and the invocations of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John Macias.
For people who cannot leave the house, they can gain indulgence by joining in the celebrations spiritually. The concession applies not only to Peru, but to the whole world.
The Jubilee Feast
The Prior Provincial of the Province of St. John the Baptist of Peru calls the Dominican Family and the people of God in general to join the celebration.
The Jubilee of the 50th anniversary of the canonization of St. John Macias began on September 18 and will conclude on September 28, 2025. The Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of St. John the Baptist of Peru, Bro Romulo Vásquez Gavidia, OP, calls the members of the Dominican Family and the people of God in general to join in the celebration of this jubilee year.
“The young shepherd and great devotee of the sacred reading and the holy rosary, who came to these lands, inspired by the vision of the sacred author, ‘I saw a new heaven and a new earth’ (Rev 21,1), a vision that he interpreted by applying it to the newly discovered America, will help us in a great way to look at our life and mission with faith and hope, with a vision of becoming and making a new land by the path of solidarity and commitment to justice and peace”, emphasizes the Prior Provincial, who exhorts all the members of the Dominican Family to join in these celebrations, organising in each community and work activities that are necessary to learn about the life and mission of St. John Macias, promoting solidarity activities for the missions of the Order in the Amazon or for places where there is need, and providing the faithful with due preparation on the meaning of the indulgence, as well as the conditions prescribed by Holy Mother Church for its worthy reception.
In fact, the Apostolic Penitentiary has granted a plenary indulgence “to the well-disposed faithful who participate in the Eucharistic celebrations organised by the Dominican Family in our churches and colleges on the occasion of the jubilee of the canonisation of St. John Macias, as well as to the faithful who go on pilgrimage to the churches, sanctuaries and oratories under his invocation”, confirms the Prior Provincial, recalling that “with the grace of God and the support of the General Curia, we will have the opportunity to gain plenary indulgences for this jubilee, The Prior Provincial confirms, recalling that “with the grace of God and the support of the General Curia, for this Jubilee we will have the opportunity to gain plenary indulgences granted by the Holy Father in the temples where our communities are located in Peru and in the world.
The Door of Mercy, the goal of the pilgrimage, as a sign of the desire for a profound conversion, was opened during the opening celebration of the Jubilee, presided over by Monsignor Adriano Tomasi Travaglia, OFM, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Lima, in the Basilica of the Most Holy Rosary in the capital of Peru on Wednesday 18 September, during the Mass of the Feast of St. John Macias.
Richard Manrique Díaz, OP, responsible for this Jubilee, together with the core team made up of representatives of the Dominican Family, has elaborated a programme of activities and material to promote devotion to St. John Macias, as well as the commitment to the needy where the Order exercises its mission.
Jubilee Prayer
Today, Lord, we want to thank you, because you allow us to celebrate this jubilee of sanctity of our brother Juan Macías. Thank you for his simplicity, for his goodness, for his humility and because he knew how to combine contemplation and charity.
Teach us, like him, to know how to overcome difficulties with confidence in you;
to build friendships that lead us to holiness; to walk the paths of life holding your hand; and to know how to live in prayer and the Eucharist.
We ask you, John Macias, to watch over orphaned children, so that they may never feel alone.
For the shepherds, that they may continue to care for their flock with love, as you cared for them.
For migrants, that they may find fulfilment in their lives wherever they arrive. And for the souls in purgatory, that they may always have someone to pray for them.
In this Jubilee year, John, remind us that our life is a continuous service of love for our neighbour, as a fruit of our encounter with God, and that life must be lived in the key of holy friendship.
Amen.
