principal celebrant to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month.

the Mass commemorating National Hispanic Heritage Month. National Hispanic Heritage Month,

Catholic School in Washington, Hispanic Heritage Month brings a unique sense

Maryland celebrated its annual Hispanic Heritage Month Mass on Oct. 4,

first day of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory

the United States observes Hispanic Heritage Month. The observance began as

Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjívar.During Hispanic Heritage Month, commemorated from Sept. 15

at the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated Sept. 15-Oct.

in school assemblies celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month,

Sue Sheehan, the principal of St. Andrew Apostle School in Silver Spring, Maryland, has been named as the 2024-25 Distinguished Principal of the Year for The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. Kelly Branaman, the archdiocese’s Secretary for Catholic Schools and Superintendent of Schools, made the surprise announcement at St. Andrew Apostle Church on Oct. 4, where the school’s students, teachers and staff had gathered before an All-School Adoration of the Eucharist. After the announcement, the school community responded with cheers and a long standing ovation for their principal.

said. The group celebrated national Hispanic Heritage Month, African American History Month,

this year's annual National Hispanic Heritage Month, highlighting Hispanics' contributions to

are jobs. About one month before his July 2

archbishop of Philadelphia of Hispanic heritage; his parents emigrated from

as we begin this month of May dedicated to

When he announced the Jubilee Year that would begin Dec. 24, 2024 and continue until Jan. 6, 2026, the late Pope Francis chose “Pilgrims of Hope” as the theme for the Holy Year. “The pilgrimage expresses a fundamental element of every Jubilee event,” he said, adding that “in the coming year the pilgrims of hope will not fail to travel ancient and modern routes to live intensely the Jubilee experience.” Making a pilgrimage, going to Confession, receiving Communion and offering prayers to receive an indulgence are key parts of the Holy Year observance. Unlike a pleasure trip or a vacation, a pilgrimage has a spiritual purpose. It mirrors our own life’s journey toward heaven. It motivates us to think more about our obligation to our faith and to our fellow human beings. It helps us remember to call on God and to trust in His mercy. Pilgrimages remind us of our call, our vocation, to holiness. Those who make a Holy Year pilgrimage may obtain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions: sacramental Confession, reception of Holy Communion, prayer for the intentions of the pope and full detachment from sin. The Church teaches that a plenary indulgence removes all temporal punishment due to sin when these conditions are met in connection with an indulgenced act, such as pilgrimage and prayer. After the Jubilee Year 2025 was announced, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, then the archbishop of Washington and now the archbishop emeritus, named Jubilee churches for sacred pilgrimages at nine local parishes within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. He also designated as pilgrimage sites the University of Maryland Catholic Student Center in College Park, Maryland and the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., was designated as a special place of pilgrimage for Jubilee Year 2025 by the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The following are the Jubilee Churches within the Archdiocese of Washington: • Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington D.C. • Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington D.C. • Holy Comforter - Saint Cyprian Catholic Church, Washington D.C. • Shrine of Saint Jude, Rockville, Maryland • Saint John Neumann Catholic Church, Gaithersburg, Maryland • Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bowie, Maryland • Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church, Riverdale, Maryland • Saint Anthony Catholic Church, North Beach, Maryland • Sacred Heart Catholic Church, La Plata, Maryland • Saint Aloysius Catholic Church, Leonardtown, Maryland • Saint John Paul II National Shrine, Washington D.C. • University of Maryland Catholic Student Center, College Park, Maryland The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s website at adw.org has a special web page related to the Jubilee Year and the local Jubilee Churches: https://adw.org/the-year-of-the-jubilee-2025-pilgrims-of-hope/