As he approached the threshold of St. Peter’s Basilica, joining with thousands of other pilgrims who had made their way to Rome for Jubilee 2025, Wilfredo Aguirre paused and placed his hand on the bronze Holy Door before passing through it.
This moment of prayer and reverence was deeply emotional, said Aguirre, a parishioner of The Holy Name of Jesus in Redlands and the Director of Advocacy and Justice for Immigrants for the Diocese.
“It was very tall and wide, and it was framed with a beautiful garland with fresh flowers,” Aguirre said of the Holy Door. “There was such a feeling of gratitude to be there.”
Aguirre made his pilgrimage to Rome with his parents, his wife and her parents. The trip was in the works before details of the Jubilee opening were public, but they quickly adjusted their itinerary to begin their visit to Italy with the opening celebration.
“We started planning around the Jubilee,” he said. “It was very exciting to know that we’d be there at the beginning.”
The Jubilee Year officially started with opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on December 24. Aguirre and his family were at the Basilica a day later, on Christmas Day.
Some pilgrims simply walked through the door of St. Peter’s as if on their way to Mass, Aguirre said, but many fell to their knees at the threshold and went through the door that way. Once inside, he and his family immediately went to Confession and then spent some time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament before participating in Mass. By following this sequence and meeting other requirements, they received a Plenary Indulgence, which removes temporal punishment for sins that have been confessed and forgiven.
The beauty and majesty of St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church on earth, brought an intense feeling of holy presence for Aguirre and his family. “It’s hard to hold back the tears when you’re there, with all the emotions you’re feeling.”
That same day Aguirre and his family had front row seats in St. Peter’s Square as they prayed the Angelus with Pope Francis. They said the Holy Father bore signs of his 88 years of life but also reflected the light of holiness. “We were all discussing how blessed we were to see him.”
Aguirre carried with him special Jubilee Rosaries that were blessed by the Holy Father during the prayer service. He gifted the Rosaries to his colleagues in the Diocesan Department of Life, Dignity and Justice.
Reflecting on his pilgrimage, Aguirre said he was inspired by the huge and diverse crowds in Rome.
“It reminded me that I’m not alone in this journey,” he said. “We’re all pulling each other forward.”