Toronto Catholics welcomed Cardinal Francis Leo back to Toronto following his journey to Rome earlier this month where he was elevated to the College of Cardinals.

His return was cemented by his presence at the Archdiocese of Toronto’s Solemn Opening Mass of the Jubilee Year, officially kicking off the Holy Year under the theme of "Pilgrims of Hope" with an evening Mass Dec. 29 at St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica.

“I think the Lord must be proud and happy that we are here to open this wonderful new Jubilee Year celebration together. This evening we embark together on a year-long journey of spiritual renewal, to replenish our souls with God’s sanctifying grace,” Leo said to the crowd gathered at the downtown cathedral.

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Following the Gospel reading of the Feast of the Holy Family in Luke 2: 41-52, Leo spoke through his homily about Pope Francis’ intentions to have the Jubilee Year act as a grace-filled opportunity to encounter our Lord in a more deep, personal way.

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“This is a moment of genuine and personal encounter with Lord Jesus who is the door to our salvation. That is what we do during a jubilee, we receive mercy from God and we give that mercy to others,” he said.

According to Leo, those opportunities are available to all Catholics and especially to those within the Archdiocese of Toronto. He spoke to the number of pilgrim churches throughout the Archdiocese tasked with bringing the faithful together over the next 12 months. These include Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, St. Paul’s Basilica, St. Mary’s and St. Edward the Confessor for the central region, Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Mary’s (Brampton) in the west, St. Barnabas and St. Gregory the Great in the east and St. Padre Pio and St. Mary’s (Barrie) in the north.

Additionally, tonight’s celebratory Mass marks the beginning of a multitude of different pilgrimages, initiatives and services that are set to take place over the course of next year for the Jubilee Year in Toronto. These include a pilgrimage led by Leo to Martyrs’ Shrine for its 100th anniversary in August, a Jubilee Day with Mary at St. Augustine's Seminary on May 31 and Office of Catholic Youth and archdiocesan pilgrimages to Rome on July 23 and Nov. 10 respectively.

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More than anything, Leo expressed his own hopes for 2025, calling on Catholics around the world to be attentive and receptive to the gifts available to us during the Jubilee Year.

“Hope is not the power of wishful and positive thinking, nor is it optimism or pessimism. Hope means to place your trust, to place your life and to place your future in God’s promises,” he said. “God has put aside so many personalized graces with our names on them this year, so we must open up the door of our hearts to receive what God wants to give us because He loves us.”