Meet at Holy Comforter Saint Cyprian (HCSC) Church at 9:15 AM. Msgr. Pope will hopefully speak to us at 9:30 AM. We will then walk to the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle for the 12:10 PM Mass.

I strongly recommend Metro for this and all pilgrimages. HCSC is located at 1357 East Capitol St SE, Washington, DC 20003. Good options for arriving are:

• A short walk from Stadium/Armory Metro station. I will be leaving from the north exit of the Stadium/Armory stop at 9:00 AM. If you transferred from the Red Line at Metro Center, then the Stadium/Armory north exit will be the exit that is toward the front of the train that you came in on.

• A medium walk up 14th St SE from the Potomac Ave Metro station

• Take the Red Line to Union Station, then take the C51 bus to Massachusetts Ave SE & 13th St SE. The church is on the northeast corner of the block northeast of you.

The Jubilee Prayer

Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally. May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven.

May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.

Amen

Listen to the official Jubilee hymn “Pilgrims of Hope” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uXO8lUcEZI

“Now the time has come for a new Jubilee, when once more the Holy Door will be flung open to invite everyone to an intense experience of the love of God that awakens in hearts the sure hope of salvation in Christ.” – Pope Francis

Holy Comforter/St Cyprian to Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle

Closest Metro to start: Stadium/Armory. Other acceptable options: Potomac Ave, Union Station. https://hcscchurch.org/

St. Cyprian was a bishop of Carthage in the 3rd century and a theologian. About the Our Father, he wrote: “We say, ‘Hallowed be thy name’ not that we want God to be made holy by our prayers, but because we seek from the Lord that His name be made holy in us. As He Himself said, “Be holy, as I too am holy.” We ask and seek that very thing, so that we who have been made holy in baptism may persevere in what we have begun to be....We continue and say, ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ not as if praying that God may do as he wills, but that we may do what God wills...[For] the devil would prevent our thoughts and deeds from being devoted in all things to obedience to God. We have need of God’s will, that is, of His help and protection.”

Walk options:

1)       Scenic route: Walk west along East Capitol Street until you reach the Capitol and National Mall. Walk through the Mall area toward the White House. Walk north past the White House into Lafayette Square. From the northwest corner of Lafayette Square, start walking northwest along Connecticut Ave. At the intersection of Connecticut Ave, M St, and Rhode Island Ave, turn right onto Rhode Island Avenue and find St. Matthew right in front of you. About 4.2 miles.

2)       Direct route: Walk west to Lincoln Park and exit onto Massachusetts Avenue from the northwest corner of Lincoln Park. Take Massachusetts Avenue the entire way to M St or Rhode Island Ave. St. Matthew’s is on Rhode Island just before the intersection of M St, Rhode Island Ave, and Connecticut Ave. About 3.5 miles.

The Cathedral church and parish is named for Saint Matthew the Apostle, the patron saint of civil servants, recognizing all those who serve in the municipal, state, and national governments and the many international organizations located in the metropolitan area. The church is the seat or cathedra of the Archbishop of Washington. As the Mother Church of the archdiocese, it plays a major role in the Catholic life of the nation’s capital.

St. Matthew the Apostle was a tax collector. He may have been given the name Matthew (translated from the Hebrew to mean “gift of Yahweh”) when he became a follower of Jesus. Matthew's life is changed when Jesus comes upon him carrying out his tax collection duties in the custom house. Jesus calls out to Matthew: “Follow me.” Matthew, without hesitation, left all his interests and becomes a disciple of Jesus, embracing his teachings. It is possible that Matthew had already been aware of Jesus and his teachings, since he was probably from the same territory (Galilee) in which Jesus had been teaching.

His deep awareness and belief in Jesus was the impetus for his later undertaking to author the sacred and inspired book that we know as the gospel according to Matthew. He is known as evangelist from the Greek word evangelion, meaning good news. (Note: most modern scholars do not believe that Matthew the Apostle was also the author of the Gospel of Matthew.)

Printed materials are available from the Rectory office: https://www.stmatthewscathedral.org/about/gifts.  There is also a free brochure available on the publication racks just inside the main entrance to the Cathedral, with much information about the architecture, art and history of St. Matthew’s. 

https://www.stmatthewscathedral.org/

I plan to read a selection from the message on the World Day of Peace, paragraphs 9, 10, and 15, to you: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace/documents/20241208-messaggio-58giornatamondiale-pace2025.html

Read about the life of St Cyprian at https://hcscchurch.org/the-life-of-saint-cyprian/