The 2025 Jubilee Year “Pilgrims of Hope” has prompted record-breaking numbers of faithful Catholics from all over the world to flock to the Eternal City. Add to those numbers 42 people from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati who were led there recently by Archbishop-Emeritus Dennis M. Schnurr. The 11-day Holy Year pilgrimage to Italy began October 22 and included visits to Assisi, Florence, Siena,

Orvieto, and of course, Rome.

Archbishop Schnurr is very familiar with Rome, having travelled there countless times, but he said he always finds something new to experience and more to see and learn.

“That is what a pilgrimage is all about,” he said, “to continue to learn and grow in the Faith so that we appreciate the gifts that the Lord has given us in the Church.”

A jubilee year is rooted in the Old Testament tradition of a holy year set aside, dedicated to grace, forgiveness, and spiritual renewal. In ancient times, a “year of jubilee” meant that debts were to be forgiven and the oppressed set free. The Catholic Church calls a Jubilee every 25 years for the faithful to experience a time focused on repentance, reconciliation, and works of mercy.

Archbishop Schnurr said the idea is to change the way we live for the better, and all of this is meant to go well beyond one year.

“I think the holy year wants to instill in each one of us the realization that we live in a fast-paced and, quite honestly, noisy world,” he said. “We don’t take time to converse with our Lord and find time for silence. We must allow ourselves time to listen to our Lord, who can be very hard to hear when we are surrounded by noise and the fast pace.”

Archbishop Schnurr said that one of the highlights of the pilgrimage for him was seeing the “depth of faith” in the other pilgrims.

“When I see people of such deep faith, it is reason to hope for our archdiocese and for the entire Church,” he said.

Steve and Rose Bird have been on six pilgrimages with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, beginning in 2010 when Archbishop Schnurr received his pallium from Pope Benedict XVI.

Rose said the pilgrimages enable her and her husband to get away from the world and grow closer to the Lord.

“We want to increase in holiness, and we are seeking an indulgence in this Jubilee Year,” she said.

Rose said she also hopes and prays “for the conversion of some of my family members to the faith—some have fallen away.”

Both Rose and Steve received great hope from their fellow pilgrims.

“Sometimes you feel like you are alone, especially when not surrounded by people of faith,” said Rose, “but every … pilgrimage, the whole world is joining you, and it’s really beautiful to experience that.”

“The people we [meet] become friends,” said Steve. “All these shared experiences forge friendships … and to be on these trips with faith-filled Catholic people really touches your heart. That’s why we keep coming back.”

This was Joe and Christelle Middendorf’s first pilgrimage, prompted by a serious health scare in 2023.

“I had a stroke, and it got us thinking about how short life is and that you must do things when you can,” Joe said. “The Year of Hope pilgrimage was perfect timing—Jubilee years don’t come up very often, so it was a no-brainer for us to go.”

Because of his stroke, Joe believes he has a unique perspective.

“I don’t think we are seeking hope as much as we are recognizing hope,” he said. “Hope is all around us. Hope is everlasting. It is something we are experiencing.”

“We are celebrating a lot of things,” said Christelle, “one of them is our 40th wedding anniversary. We originally planned a Marian pilgrimage because of Joe’s devotion to the Blessed Mother. But, when we heard about everything … with the Jubilee Year, we felt like this is what we needed to do.”

The pilgrims from Cincinnati were privileged to attend an audience with Pope Leo XIV, and Archbishop Schnurr personally greeted the Holy Father.

“There were probably 50 or 60 other bishops there, so my message to the Holy Father had to be very short,” said Archbishop Schnurr. “I said to him, ‘The people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati send their greetings and their prayers.’ Pope Leo said, ‘Thank you. Assure the people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati that I return their prayers.’” ✣

This article appeared in the December 2025 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.