Jubilee icon visitation 2025

As part of the Catholic Church’s celebration of the Jubilee Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope, the Diocese of Northampton will joyfully welcome the CAFOD Jubilee Icon on its pilgrimage across England and Wales.

Commissioned by CAFOD, the icon was created by Ethiopian artist Mulugeta Araya, symbolising both the global nature of this Jubilee and the deep tradition of sacred iconography in Ethiopia. CAFOD chose Ethiopia not only for its rich Christian heritage but also to highlight that the Jubilee Year is a celebration for the whole world, not just for our local Church.

A Gospel of Liberation and Hope

The icon is inspired by Luke 4:16-21, where Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

Luke 4:18–19

These words resonate deeply with the theme of Jubilee: a time of renewal, freedom, and hope.

Portraying Jesus in the Northern Ethiopian artistic tradition, the icon features culturally faithful elements such as traditional clothing and head coverings, inviting us into a deeper encounter with the universality of Christ’s mission.

If you would like to learn more about the Jubilee Icon’s symbolism and meaning, watch the following video.

Visit Schedule in the Diocese of Northampton

We warmly invite all parishioners to take part in this unique opportunity to reflect and pray with the icon during its time in our diocese:

  • Monday 26th – Thursday 29th May – Northampton Cathedral and surrounding parishes
  • Thursday 29th May – Sunday 1st June – St Joseph’s, Bedford and surrounding parishes
  • Sunday 1st June – Wednesday 4th June – St Peter’s, Marlow

Visit Schedule In The Diocese of Northampton

We warmly invite all parishioners to take part in this unique opportunity to reflect and pray with the icon during its time in our diocese:

Northampton Cathedral

  •  Monday, 26th May – In the morning the icon will be at the Cathedral, then St Aidan’s in the evening
  • Tuesday, 27th May – In the morning the icon will be at Ss Francis and Therese, then St Gregory’s Catholic Church in the afternoon and then back to the Cathedral for the evening
  • Wednesday, 28th May – The Icon will be at the Cathedral all day
  • Thursday, 29th May – The Icon will be at St Gregory’s Catholic Church departing at 11am

St Joseph’s, Bedford

  • Thursday, 29th May – The icon will be at St Joseph’s all day
  • Friday, 30th May – The icon will be at Holy Cross all day
  • Saturday, 31st May – The icon will be at St Joseph’s in the morning and in the afternoon will be at Our Lady of Ransom, Kempston
  • Sunday, 1st June – The icon will be at St Joseph’s for the morning

St Peter’s, Marlow

  • Sunday, 1st June
  • Monday, 2nd June
  • Tuesday, 3rd June
  • Wednesday, 4th June

Let us come together as Pilgrims of Hope, to encounter Christ in this sacred image and to renew our commitment to justice, peace and joyful discipleship in this Jubilee Year

Photo credit :Mazur/CBCEW.