Munyonyo Faithful Welcome 2026 in Prayer as Pope Leo XIV Closes the Jubilee Year of Hope

Singing, dancing, spiritual reflections, fireworks, and deep prayer filled the Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine Gardens as the faithful bade farewell to 2025 and ushered in the New Year 2026.

The overnight event, which began at 7:00 p.m., drew thousands of pilgrims who first received the Sacrament of Reconciliation before participating in a rich programme of spiritual talks, praise and worship, and the celebration of Holy Mass.

The night, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, featured spiritually uplifting reflections from members of the Divine Mercy Devotion and OLSG. The speakers reminded the faithful of God’s boundless mercy and the powerful intercession of Mother Mary, which sustained them throughout the year.

The prayer vigil was led by Fr. Martin Ssemanda, alongside the Shrine Rector Fr Male, as pilgrims prayed for thanksgiving, forgiveness, and renewed hope in the year ahead. In his preaching, Fr Ssemanda reminded the faithful to look to the Cross whenever their hope fades.

Pope’s End-of-Year Message

In his end-of-year message, Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful to give thanks for the past year, seek forgiveness, and entrust the future to God’s mercy.

Speaking during his final General Audience of the year on Wednesday, the Holy Father reflected on the months gone by, noting that they were marked by events of contrasting significance.

“Some of them joyful,” he said, “such as the pilgrimage of so many of the faithful on the occasion of the Holy Year; others painful, such as the passing of the late Pope Francis, and the scenarios of war that continue to convulse the planet.”

For this reason, the Pope explained, the Church invites believers to bring both joys and sufferings before God, asking Him “to renew, in us and around us, in the coming days, the wonders of His grace and mercy.”

Reflecting on the ancient tradition of the solemn Te Deum sung on the evening of 31 December, Pope Leo said it is a moment to thank the Lord for the blessings received throughout the year.

Quoting Pope Francis, he contrasted this prayerful gratitude with a worldly mindset, noting that while worldly gratitude is often self-centred, the liturgy invites believers into an atmosphere of praise, wonder, and thanksgiving.

This spirit of gratitude, the Pope added, also calls for honesty of heart—an examination of conscience and a sincere plea for forgiveness for failing to fully respond to God’s inspirations.

Closing the Jubilee Year of Hope

At St Peter’s Basilica, before the recitation of the Te Deum, Pope Leo XIV thanked God for the gift of the Jubilee, describing it as a powerful sign of hope for humanity and the world.

He also expressed gratitude to all who served pilgrims throughout 2025, making Rome a welcoming place—an aspiration, he recalled, that Pope Francis had expressed the previous year.

The Holy Father highlighted the Jubilee’s strong symbolism of pilgrimage, noting that countless faithful journeyed from across the world to pray at the Tomb of St Peter. This physical journey, he said, reflects the deeper reality of human life as a pilgrimage toward eternal communion with God.

Another powerful sign of the Jubilee, Pope Leo observed, was the passage through the Holy Door—a gesture symbolising repentance, forgiveness, and the acceptance of a new life shaped by grace and the Gospel.

Quoting Pope Paul VI, the Pope emphasised that such a life must be animated by love of neighbour, recognising in every person the dignity of a brother or sister, regardless of familiarity or difference.

Recalling the Jubilee of 1975, Pope Leo noted that Pope Paul VI summed up its message in a single word: love.

“God is Love! God is mercy! God is forgiveness! God is salvation! God is life!” Pope Paul VI had declared.

“May these reflections,” Pope Leo XIV concluded, “accompany us as we pass from the old year to the new, and remain with us always throughout our lives.”