Since the year 1300, the Catholic Church has regularly observed “Holy Years” and this week Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica to launch the church’s “Year of Mercy.”
It is the first time the Holy Door has been opened since the Great Jubilee in 2000.
During Catholic Holy Years the faithful can make a pilgrimage to Rome to pass through the Holy Door of the Basilica which evokes the passage from sin to grace.
For the first time, Pope Francis has instructed local churches to take part in the tradition to help Catholics mark the jubilee at home.
Robert Krebs, a spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington says Holy Doors will be observed in Delaware.
“Here in the Diocese of Wilmington because we are a large diocese geographically, we encompass the state of Delaware and the nine counties of Maryland's Eastern Shore, our Bishop has declared that we should have eight Holy Doors in our diocese as a symbol that God’s mercy is open to all of us," he says.
He adds the Holy Door will be observed in all three Delaware counties. More information is available at the Diocese of Wilmington’s website, cdow.org