The Universal Church celebrated an Ordinary Jubilee Year in 2025, commemorating the 2,025th anniversary of the Incarnation of our Lord. +Pope Francis declared the theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” urging the faithful to fan the flame of hope. To highlight one characteristic of a Jubilee Year, making pilgrimages to holy sites, the Diocese of San Bernardino designated 28 parishes to which that the faithful could make a Jubilee pilgrimage. Many Catholics from the diocese and surrounding dioceses took this opportunity to make a pilgrimage to multiple parishes, and some even made a pilgrimage to all 28 sites. Through their journeys these pilgrims say they experienced reconciliation, a rekindling of hope and drew closer to their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Uvaldo “Lalo” Limon, St Adelaide, Highland:
Uvaldo “Lalo” Limon made Jubilee pilgrimages to 11 parishes in the diocese. Limon made these pilgrimages after being away from the Church for 43 years.
“My return to the Church is recent,” Limon said, adding that it began in August 2023. “God has gifted and entrusted me with a life completely different than I had ever even imagined. I now know not only who I am, but whose I am. I’ve found myself transformed into the Spanish Ushers Coordinator, a catechist, lector and now beginning to work with Deacon Humberto [Rocha] as a sacristan at St. John Bosco.”
Limon found the most joy in connecting with his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ during his pilgrimage journey.
“More than anything I am drawn to the connections, knowing we are all the body of Christ,” Limon said. “I was only able to celebrate Mass at a few locations but was able to pray, adore, and connect with a few people along the way. Most times I found myself exploring empty parishes but enjoyed the imagery and essence, nonetheless. Most times I met with at least one person and these intimate connections are valuable to me.”
Moving forward, Limon says that his Jubilee experience will stay with him as he continues to connect with others.
“The fruits from the Jubilee will surely stay with me forever,” Limon said. “The suggestion to explore other parishes fell in line with my exuberance to connect. I find that the essence of our relationship with God is about his radiant appearance in us all. I am His and He’s turned my mess into a message.”
Jonathan and Jeannie Lorenzo, St. John of God, Norwalk:
In November 2025, the married couple was preparing to celebrate Jeannie’s birthday. She wanted to do something meaningful, related to Catholic faith, and something fun that they could experience together.
“She did some research online and noticed that the Diocese of San Bernardino has a lot of Jubilee pilgrimage sites,” Jonathan said. “We initially visited 15 Jubilee sites on her birthday weekend and then ended up deciding to visit all of them in the next few weeks! We thought we were almost halfway in completing all of them so we might as well do them all and receive the much-needed graces and indulgences for ourselves and our loved ones.”
The couple, who live in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, noted that the Diocese of San Bernardino is vast and spread out and that the farthest parish site from their home was St. Ann Church in Needles, a four-hour, 256-mile drive.
The couple recalled receiving Reconciliation at Sacred Heart Church in Palm Desert, praying during Adoration at various churches and saying the Jubilee prayer and praying the pope’s monthly intention at each parish site they visited.
“Afterwards, we walked around to marvel at the unique beauty and character of each site and, of course, took photos as our souvenir,” the couple said in a written message. “It was also very impressive and inspiring to see fully packed churches and filled parking lots in the middle of the afternoon. This one particular church even had security personnel inside and outside to protect its parishioners. Despite a possible danger, their faith is stronger than fear. The courageous hearts of this parish community is a living testimony that our Church is alive and will continue to thrive.”
Jonathan and Jeannie enjoyed talking about the Jubilee with the people they encountered along their Jubilee pilgrimage journeys and they say their personal experience showed both of them that their spiritual journey starts with their hearts to the heart of Jesus and has prepared them for the future.
“In the heart of Jesus, there is always hope and mercy,” their message stated. “In the heart of Jesus, there is always joy and peace. In the cross of Christ, we are strengthened and redeemed. The Jubilee Year of 2025 will always be extra special for us because of the many unforgettable Jubilee experiences we had as a couple. It laid out some spiritual groundwork for our next adventure: chaperoning our parish group at World Youth Day in South Korea in 2027. To God be the glory!”
Marc Candelaria, The Holy Name of Jesus, Redlands:
A combination of Pope Francis’s call to action, excitement for participation in the life of the Church, and good old fashioned Christian hope encouraged Marc Candelaria to visit six designated Jubilee parishes in the diocese. Candelaria says his Jubilee pilgrimage journey encapsulated the highs and lows of our journeys here in this life.
“I had only attended Mass at two Jubilee parishes before 2025, one of which was Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Bernardino, where my father’s funeral Mass was celebrated in April,” Candelaria shared. “He died on March 21, 2025. Passing under the Jubilee-themed pagoda, hearing from the celebrant that he was in a place ‘where he no longer needed faith,’ alit a flame in my soul.”
During his pilgrimages, Candelaria was able to take moments to pray in various chapels that remained graciously unlocked, such as at St. Mary of the Valley in Yucca Valley, where he says that the glassy pyramidical tabernacle within the dark, cool Sanctuary and the Lord’s Candles in bloom mirroring their wax counterparts at the altar were all very moving.
Candelaria also recalled participating in the Diocesan Pilgrimage of Hope for the Care of Creation from Mecca to the Salton Sea.
“During the Salton Sea Pilgrimage, I was elated by how the communities we visited were truly living lives inspired by the Gospel, especially by the faithful in Thermal, Mecca, Coachella, Desert Shores, and throughout Cahuilla lands,” Candelaria said. “Breaking bread with them as they shared their struggles with ecological deterioration, immigration raids, and specific issues affecting the tribal nations. Hope was found here instead of resignation, as every story ended with a smile… Everywhere we went, we were met with open arms, great food, and some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. The faith is alive and passionate in all corners of our Diocese, and world, but only if we continue to embrace one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Candelaria says the Jubilee year’s theme of hope was greatly rekindled in him and he will continue to be a pilgrim of hope with those he meets.
“The fruit at the center of this last year, hope, specifically that Christian hope which flows from our understanding that death has already been defeated by the Resurrection and that evil will not prevail. What ounce of it I had before the Jubilee, I feel has been replenished. The physical distance I traveled to pilgrimage sites, however easy or grueling, always lead to Christ. May our lives reflect this, uplifting those we meet on our ways.”