ARCHDIOCESE OF NAIROBI MARKS THE CLOSURE OF THE JUBILEE YEAR OF HOPE
As the Catholic Church worldwide marked the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of Hope, His Grace Archbishop Philip A. Anyolo, the Local Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Nairobi, led the faithful in the solemn closure of the Holy Door at the Holy Family Minor Basilica, the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Nairobi.
The well-attended Eucharistic celebration, which coincided with the Feast of the Holy Family, was marked by vibrant Liturgy and deep reflection as Christians gathered to give thanks for a year dedicated to hope, renewal, and pilgrimage.
In the homily, Archbishop Anyolo reflected on the family as a beacon of hope in the world. Drawing from salvation history, he recalled the miraculous birth of Christ and the hardships surrounding His arrival during the reign of King Herod, describing it as a time when hope was both tested and nurtured.
“The Holy Family lived in hope without any guarantee of riches or comfort,” the Archbishop said. “They lived trusting that God would provide. Mary’s song, the Magnificat, expresses this clearly, only trust in God.”
Reflecting on the meaning of the Jubilee, Archbishop Anyolo emphasized that the Year of Hope does not conclude when life becomes easier, but when faith chooses to endure.
“This
Year of Hope is closing not when life is easy, but when faith refuses to die,”
he said.
“The Christian life is not a certainty of future success, but a certainty of
God’s presence in our history. It is not a promise of freedom from insecurity,
but the assurance of God’s nearness even when we feel insecure.”
He further urged families to remain schools of hope, encouraging them to be places where hope is taught, spoken, and lived.
During the Jubilee Year, the Archdiocese designated several local pilgrimage doors, enabling the faithful to experience the Jubilee graces without travelling to Rome. These included:
- Holy Family Minor Basilica
- Shrine of Mary Help of Christians Church (Don Bosco)
- St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Thika
- Divine Word Church, Kayole
- Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Kiambu
- Resurrection Garden
- St. Francis of Assisi Church, Limuru
- Kenyatta National Hospital, Chapel
- Kamiti Maximum Prison
- The Catholic University of Eastern and Central Africa (CUEA)
- National Youth Service Headquarters
In Rome, Pope Leo XIV led the universal Church in closing the Jubilee Year of Hope at St. Peter’s Basilica on 6th January 2026, during the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. The Holy Doors, first opened on 24th December 2024 by the late Pope Francis, were ceremonially closed officially bringing the Ordinary Jubilee to an end.
The Holy Father, encouraged the faithful to continue living as “pilgrims of hope,” urging the Church not to fear humanity’s search for meaning but to guide it toward God.
He called on the Church to resist becoming a monument and instead remain a living home, noting that guided by Mary, Star of the Morning, the Church can become “the generation of a new dawn,” shaped not by worldly power but by God who became flesh out of love.
As the Ordinary Jubilee concluded, the Dicastery for Evangelization, through its Pro-Prefect Archbishop Rino Fisichella, reported that approximately 33.5 million pilgrims from 185 countries visited Rome during the Holy Year, a powerful testimony to the global resonance of hope.
