On May 9, 2024, the Holy Father officially declared 2025 as a Jubilee Year with the Bull of
Indiction, SPES NON CONFUNDIT “Hope does not disappoint,” a familiar phrase taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans 5:5. To officially begin the Jubilee Year, the Holy Father then opened the doors of St Peter’s Basilica on December 24ᵗʰ and our own Bishop Fernandes joined him by opening the doors of St.
Joseph’s Cathedral on December 29ᵗʰ. Thousands will make the pilgrimage in Ohio, and millions across the globe to participate in the holy year, where all are called to be “Pilgrims of Hope.”
Hope is the topic of this article, and I would like to explore hope through three questions: why hope, why pilgrimage, and why together?
Why hope?
For nearly 20 years, I have had the privilege of serving some of our most vulnerable neighbors inneed across three states. I recall a time when I was asked to teach a class for men recently
released from jail and were staying in a homeless shelter until they found employment. This was the first time I truly witnessed the power of hope. The weekly class was called “Owning our Struggles,” and focused on
unpacking the anger and emotions that come with failure. Yes, failure is a harsh word and elicited some emotional responses from many on their first night in class. If we are to heal, we must first own the reality that we need healing. We all struggle with something, and these challenges vie to become “lesser gods” in our lives. Lesser gods always disappoint and ultimately strip away our purpose and
possibilities. I learned much from these men, as they began to leave their struggles behind in the hands of Christ who alone could offer them mercy and healing. Here I witnessed the power of hope transform lives and futures, as these men journeyed together.
Why pilgrimage?
A pilgrimage is more than a journey, it is an intentional journey of faith. Our Jubilee Year is
rooted in the phrase “hope does not disappoint” from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. For full context, the preceding verse describes the journey in more detail as one where we should “boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint.” (Rom 5:3-5). For many, the pilgrimage toward hope begins with
an understanding that we cannot get there on our own. Our struggles way us down, yet we build endurance through the sacraments, and trust in God’s mercy. It is this endurance that reinforcesour need for the Holy Spirit as our traveling companion. Our confidence in God’s complete love for us, no matter what, gives us the nudge we need to hope again. For most, the journey to hope may happen in subtle ways. We may not find ourselves facing the violence of poverty or loss of freedom on the journey, like those we serve each day at Catholic Social Services, but our personal journey
can be a pilgrimage of faith none-the-less, where we leave behind the heavy baggage of past hurts and disappointments along the way, and begin to hope again.
Why together?
A pilgrimage has two primary goals, to help the pilgrim grow in faith and to unite all the faithful
together in common purpose. We live in a time of division, polarization, and economic hardship, experienced together as neighbors. In SPES NON CONFUNDIT, we are reminded that “in addition to finding hope in God’s grace, we are also called to discover hope in the signs of the times that the Lord gives us…The signs of the times, which include the yearning of human hearts in need of God’s saving presence, ought to become signs of hope” (SNC 7). As we journey on a pilgrimage of hope in
the Jubilee Year, perhaps we could reflect on the reality of division as a sign of the times. A sign that calls us to respond faithfully and to build bridges where hope can be shared. We can choose to journey together with the poor, as neighbors toward a future where things are a little better for everyone, and where we experience the yearning of the heart to hope together as a people on a common
pilgrimage.
I pray that the faithful of the Diocese of Columbus, spanning 23 counties across Central and Southern Ohio, experience hope during the Jubilee Year 2025. At your Catholic Social Services, we are prepared to journey with you, your parish, your school, as neighbors serving neighbors. St. Paul’s words still resonate today, “hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has poured out into our heart through the Holy Spirit, that has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). This total gift of self, shared with each of us so that we could share with others, ensures that we never journey alone.
Learn more about getting involved with Catholic Social Services at www.colscss.org
Kelley Henderson is a Third Order Carmelite who serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Social Services in Columbus Ohio, helping vulnerable seniors, families, and persons living with disabilities in Central and Southern Ohio. He is a regular speaker for days of recollection, retreats, and faith groups interested in exploring the intersection of prayer, discipleship, and service in the modern world. Kelley is a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in German Village and serves in volunteer leadership roles with Catholic Charities USA (Alexandria, VA), Inter-Provincial Lay Carmelite Commission (PCM and SEL Provinces), Mission and Culture Committee at Mt. Carmel Health System in Ohio.
Published January 12, 2025 in The Catholic Times, the official newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus, Ohio. Copyright © 2025 The Catholic Times.
When she was 18 years old, Alexandra made the long, terrifying trip from Honduras to the United States with her 16 year old sister and her uncle. Her parents had come to the United States a few years prior, leaving Alexandra and her younger sister completely alone. Because they had very little money, their journey was extremely difficult, but the thought of the United States, which they considered a dreamland, kept them going.
Years later, Alexandra was talking to her daughter about the importance education when her daughter asked why she had to study if her mother did not finish school. Alexandra took up her daughter’s challenge and began attending English classes at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Center. The classes were tough, and it was difficult to learn a new language, but Alexandra refused to give up. She was determined to show her daughter what it took to succeed, and to make her understand the importance of education.
One day, Alexandra hopes to get her GED and attend college so that she can get a better job and support her family independently. Her goal is to build a life for her family here, and to watch her children grow up in a society that will allow them to truly succeed.
One Sunday morning, Jackie was sitting in her home drinking tea when someone knocked on the door. Her daughter went to answer it and, when she returned, told her mother, “We have ten minutes to be out of the house.”
This was the first shocking revelation Jackie received in what turned out to be the longest day of her life. By the end of the day, she had lost everything she had worked her whole life for.
Jackie is a retired nurse who had always had a good income and was able to retire comfortably. When she had a stroke that made it difficult for her to walk, her daughter moved in with her to help her manage her life, including her finances. It wasn’t until the morning Jackie was kicked out of her home that she realized her daughter had been taking her money to buy drugs.
Jackie’s daughter did more than steal Jackie’s hard-earned income. She also sold Jackie’s pain pills, replacing them with similar-looking pills to fool Jackie. She pretended to lose Jackie’s cell phone, isolating her from the outside world with only her dogs for company.
Upon her daughter’s pronouncement that she had to be out of the house in ten minutes, Jackie, completely taken off guard, had a panic attack so severe she had to be transported to the hospital. By the time she was released from the hospital, her daughter had taken all her money and personal belongings. Jackie found herself alone, without her beloved dogs, holding her few possessions in a garbage bag. In Jackie’s words, “51 years I was a nurse, and I came out with a little garbage bag of stuff.”
Starting over was an uphill battle for Jackie. She faced what she calls the “virtual endless circle” of bureaucracy, which was exacerbated by having lost all her personal documents, as she tried to reclaim her Social Security check. She had closed her bank account so her daughter couldn’t keep stealing, so she needed an ID to get her check. Her daughter had taken all her possessions, including her ID. She could get a new ID by showing her birth certificate or Social Security card—but of course, she didn’t have those, either.
On top of all this, the compounded stressors were taking a serious toll on Jackie’s mental health. She said, “At that point I was broken down and didn’t know what to do—I was ready to commit suicide.” It was while she was in this desperate state that Jackie’s doctor referred her to Catholic Social Services’ Payee Program for help.
Jackie’s Payee Specialist, Ann Marie, set a goal that Jackie would be settled in a new apartment within two months—something Jackie didn’t think was possible. But Ann Marie gently guided Jackie to make decisions, and they met the goal.
Now, Jackie is settled into her new home and is thriving. Through the Payee Program, CSS uses Jackie’s money to pay her necessary bills, then gives her the remaining money. This takes the responsibility—and stress—off of Jackie’s shoulders. Jackie has built up over $2,500 in savings, and lives comfortably. She is active in her community and tells anyone who will listen what CSS has done for her. She says, “CSS helped me remain independent by managing my money so I have money in the bank to make choices for myself; I don’t have to have other people make the choices for me.”
She acknowledges that most people can’t imagine giving over control of their money to anyone else, but says that, “People could use this program if they understood it. You get peace of mind, and can relax and smile.”
Jane was forced to flee her home, due to domestic violence. She found her way to Portsmouth, with the hope of starting a new life, but she soon discovered that basic, everyday, activities were difficult without a second income. But Jane refused to give up. She was unable to afford a car, but this did not stop her from striving to create a better life for her children. Each day, she walked two miles with her children so that they would not miss school.
During their first Christmas in Portsmouth, Jane had nothing extra for her children, and no money to make Christmas special. Through a referral to Catholic Social Services, volunteers were alerted to Jane’s situation, and a few days before Chrsitmas, they delivered gifts and a food basket to the family. The children, usually shy around strangers, catapulted themselves into the volunteers’ arms at the sight of the gifts. Jane told the volunteers that this was the first time she felt they were truly going to have a Christmas, and she hugged each volunteer for making it such a special holiday for her family.
Although Jane and her family received a true Christmas blessing, they were not the only ones to receive gifts this past Christmas. The volunteers at the St. Francis Center were able to share in this family’s joy, and it renewed and strengthened their faith in the work of the St. Francis Center.
