- This Sunday, 14 December, Pope Leo XIV will preside at Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, to celebrate the Jubilee of Prisoners
Bishop Martin Hayes, in his capacity as the Bishops’ Liaison to the Irish Prison Service, and to the Northern Ireland Prison Service, has asked for prayers to be said at Masses this weekend, for prisoners and for their families.
Bishop Hayes said, “This year, throughout the world, Catholics have been celebrating the beauty of our faith and how it nourishes our life and community in what we call a Jubilee Year. The late Pope Francis gave the year the theme Pilgrims of Hope, memorably stating, ‘We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision.’ With this in mind, this weekend, the universal Church will mark the Jubilee for Prisoners with prayers.
“This Sunday, 14 December, we reach the third Sunday of Advent, called ‘Gaudete Sunday’ – a day marked by hope in this holy season of preparation for Christmas. In communion with Pope Leo celebrating Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica, I am inviting all Christians to pray for prisoners and for their families in a special way this Sunday, and for prisoners who may not have loved ones to support or pray for them – whether in Ireland or abroad.
“I know from my pastoral experience working with prisoners that they are vulnerable to suffering from acute mental health difficulties. However, it is also clear that faith is very precious to women and men who are incarcerated, and prayer and spirituality have been found to help manage prisoner stress and anxiety.
“While people who caused harm must take responsibility for their actions, express regret, make compensation and genuinely try to live a better life – at the same time – every person has an indelible dignity, and should always be treated as such. Equally, on 15 September, this Jubilee Year marked the hurt experienced by victims in the Jubilee of Consolation, and it was dedicated to those suffering pain and affliction due to illness, bereavement, violence or abuse, including those who have been victims of crime.”
Bishop Hayes concluded, “The Jubilee for Prisoners helps us find hope in God’s love for us, as both victims, and those convicted of crimes. In celebrating the Jubilee of Prisoners, we find hope in steadfast, faith-filled advocacy to improve prison conditions, support the rights of the victims of crime, and, to ensure rehabilitation of those in prison and reintegrate them into society. Please remember in prayer prisoners and their families this Sunday.”
ENDS
- Bishop Martin Hayes is Bishop of Kilmore and the Liaison Bishop to the Irish Prison Service, and the Northern Ireland Prison Service for the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
- Please see a 2021 survey of Irish prisoners abroad, undertaken during the Covid-19 Pandemic: https://www.catholicbishops.ie/2021/08/26/icpo-survey-60-of-irish-prisoners-abroad-experience-mental-health-difficulties/
- Homiletical and liturgical resources below:
- Homiletical Resource on the Jubilee of Prisoners – 14th Dec 2025 – 3rd Sun Advent Yr A
- Jubilee Year in Prisons – adapted version 2
- PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL – JUBILEE OF PRISONERS 2025