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November 9, 2008

Archdiocese announces indulgence opportunities

By Joyce Duriga

EDITOR

From now until June 29, 2009, Chicago-area Catholics can receive purgatory time off for good behavior.

OK, not exactly (See “What are indulgences?” at right).

The Catholic Church has a long and merciful tradition of offering indulgences for years of special spiritual significance, such as the Jubilee Year in 2000. The Year of St. Paul, which our church is currently celebrating, is one such year. Granting of indulgences for this year came directly by decree from the pope in May.

The Archdiocese of Chicago recently released a list of local sites where the faithful can visit to gain a special indulgence — or remission of temporal punishment from sins that have been forgiven in the sacrament of reconciliation — during this year honoring St. Paul.

To obtain this indulgence, the Office for Divine Worship explained that a Catholic is required to make sacramental confession, receive the Eucharist at Mass and offer prayers for the pope’s intentions. “In addition to and in conjunction with fulfilling these conditions, one then takes part in any sacred function, celebration or public devotion in honor of St. Paul,” the office states.

An example of these functions or celebrations is making a pilgrimage to any of the Pauline churches in the archdiocese for prayer, reflection or reading of Pauline scriptures. This can be done alone or as a group.

Local sites

There are five parishes that bear or share the patronage of the apostle:

  • St. Paul the Apostle, Gurnee
  • St. Paul, 22nd Place and Hoyne
  • Ss. Peter and Paul, 37th and Paulina streets (Part of Blessed Sacrament Parish)
  • St. Paul, Chicago Heights
  • Ss. Peter and Paul, 124th and Halsted streets

If none of these parishes is convenient, then any visit to a parish that has an image or shrine of St. Paul and prayer before that image will suffice.

The faithful can also attend a special liturgy in honor of St. Paul, for example, a votive Mass in honor of him or a holy hour devoted to him. (The Catholic New World frequently lists these events in Around the Archdiocese and with stories for the Year of St. Paul.)

For Catholics visiting Rome between now and June 29, an indulgence is offered to those who visit the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in the form of a pilgrimage and offer personal prayers before the Altar of the Most Blessed Sacrament; they must also recite the Our Father and the Creed in front of the Altar of the Confession, adding invocations to honor Mary and St. Paul.

Catholics impeded by sickness or other serious cause, as long as they have the intention of fulfilling the other conditions as soon as possible, can obtain a plenary indulgence by joining spiritually in a jubilee celebration in honor of St. Paul and offering their prayers and suffering for Christian unity.

The papal decree said individuals can obtain more than one plenary indulgence during the jubilee year, but not more than one per day. The indulgence can be granted on behalf of the individual petitioner or on behalf of departed souls.

CNS contributed to this story.