Opening of the Jubilee Year Door of Mercy December 8, 2015 7:00 PM

Our Holy Father, Francis, has declared a Jubilee Year of Mercy (Holy Year) beginning December 8, 2015 the So­lemnity of the Immaculate Conception and concluding in November of 2016. The Holy Year will be ritually begun by Pope Francis when he opens the "Holy Door" at St. Peter's Basilica on December 8 th.
As the Vatican explains: "All the four papal basilicas in Rome have what is known as a holy door. These doors are I normally shut from the inside and cannot be easily opened; they are only opened during Jubilee years. When you enter St. Peter's Basilica, the last door to the right hand side is the Holy Door. The door is bricked up on the in­side. On the first day of the Holy Year (Jubilee Year), the pope strikes the brick wall with a hammer and then opens the door to let in the pilgrims who come to make the most of the indulgence. Once again, it is the pope him­self who closes the door at the end of the Jubilee Year. The tradition of the opening and closing of the Holy door can be traced back as far as the 15th Century.
"According to the Roman Catholic Church, the Holy Door represents Jesus, the Good Shepherd and the gate of the sheep pen. The bible says in John 10:9 that "I am the gate. Whoever enters through me, will be safe. He will go in and out, and find pasture". The Jubilee Year is celebrated every 25 years, meaning that the Holy Door is opened every 25 years. The Ho­ly Door of St. Peter's Basilica was last opened by Pope John Paul II on 24th December 1999, when he simplified the ceremony for the Jubilee Year in 2000. Pope Francis has called for an Extraordinary Jubilee Year.
"The Holy door was cast in bronze by Vico Consorti in 1950. Before that, the Holy Door used to be wooden. The Holy Door is 3.65m by 2.30m. This "Holy Door" is also known as "Door of the Great Pardon". The door's panels portray scenes of man's sin and his redemp­tion through the mercy of God:
"Jesus opens the door of new life to the woman who is sinful but can love. Jesus tells Peter that one must forgive seventy times seven times. Through baptism, Jesus permits us to join his People; he comes to seek us when we go astray, just as a shepherd goes to look for his lost sheep; he welcomes us at the door just as the father welcomes the prodigal son.
To mark the Holy Year of Mercy here at St. Matthias, we are designating the west doors of the Gathering Area entering into the Church as our "Door of Mercy". It is not a "Holy Door" as the one in Rome and we won't be gaining the Indulgence, BUT it will be a reminder throughout the Holy Year of Cod's mercy. Every time we walk through the "Door of Mercy" we wilt recall our sinfulness and the great love and mercy that God has granted us through the passion and death of Jesus Christ.
To show the significance, the St. Matthias "Door of Mercy" will be closed beginning on December 1, 2015 and we will ritually open it at the 7:00 P.M. Mass on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, the official beginning of the Holy Year of Mercy.