I invite you to join me to do a pilgrimage to the Schoenstatt Shrine in Lamar, Rockport, one of the Holy Sites designated by our Shepherd Mulvey, Bishop of Corpus Christi, on Thursday, March 13. We will leave St. Paul at 8:00 AM, and we will leave the Shrine at 4:00 PM. During this time at the Holy Site, we will listen to a talk on the Virtue of Hope and have a chance to go to Confession. Following is the Holy Mass and lunch will be provided after Mass. After lunch, we will have time for Adoration, Holy Rosary, and Divine Chaplet with a conclusion of the Benediction to conclude the day to receive a Plenary Indulgence during this Jubilee Year of Hope. What is a pilgrimage? Why pilgrimage? What is a plenary indulgence? Who will receive it? How to obtain it?

According to Pope Francis, pilgrimage is a fundamental element of every Jubilee event, as setting out on a journey is commonly associated with searching for meaning in our lives. A pilgrimage allows us to escape from our routine and daily life. The sacrifice that we make—taking on a journey and spending some time with the Lord—allows us to grow in faith and in our relationship with the Eucharist. Since not everyone can go on a pilgrimage to Rome or the Holy Land, Bishop Mulvey has chosen six jubilee churches (one from each deanery) as Jubilee Pilgrimage Churches for the Holy Year in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. Schoenstatt Shrine Lamar, Rockport, is one of them. The need for conversion and reconciliation is central to every pilgrimage. The Jubilee Indulgence is one of the “special signs” of the Jubilee Year, known as “a priceless gift of divine mercy” and “a Jubilee grace.” A plenary indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, offered by the Church through the merits of Jesus Christ. The faithful Christian can gain these indulgences under certain conditions through the action of the Church, which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1471. To obtain these indulgences, along with the specified requirements for the Jubilee indulgences, the faithful are called to:

Visit a Holy Site for the Jubilee Year designated by the Holy Father or the Local Ordinary within his diocese. When you go to a Holy Site, you do not have to stay for Mass.

Have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin.

Have sacramentally confessed your sins 20 days before or after receiving the indulgence.

Receive the Holy Eucharist within 7 days after visiting a Holy Site.

Pray for the intentions of the pope. Recite the Apostles Creed and offer one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.

There are Sign-Up Sheets at the entrance of the Church. Please, call the office (361)937-3864 for any concern or question.