Saint Mary Cathedral is the Diocese of Lansing’s designated Sacred Jubilee Site for the Church’s Holy Year 2025. That means the Saint Mary, pictured, is the place of pilgrimage for all those within the diocese who wish to gain a special plenary indulgence during the Holy Year.
From tonight, the clergy at the cathedral are hosting an extra session of Eucharistic Adoration every Tuesday evening throughout the Holy Year. That’s from 6pm to 8pm with confessions available from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
“When people come on pilgrimage, there is usually one of two things that they're bringing with them,” explains Father Karl Pung, Rector of Saint Mary Cathedral, February 25.
“One, they are seeking an encounter with God or, two, they're carrying a burden for themselves or for somebody else that they want God to touch in some way.”
The cathedral already offers generous confession times: Thursday 11.30am to 12pm; Thursday evenings 7pm to 8pm; and Saturday 2pm to 3.30pm. The church is also open for private prayer throughout the day.
Meanwhile, Holy Mass is offered at 12.05pm from Monday to Friday as well as on Saturday at 8am and 8am on the first Friday of each month. As for Sunday Mass, the cathedral offers Holy Mass at 4pm on Saturday (the Vigil Mass of Sunday) as well as 8.30am and 11am on Sunday mornings.
So, what is an indulgence? An indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishment due to sins that have already been forgiven in confession.
And why do we need indulgences? Every sin, even venial sin, is unhealthy and needs to be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" due to sin. (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1472).
As for obtaining an indulgence, the usual conditions are detachment from all sin, sacramental confession, reception of Holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of our Holy Father must be met. (Usually, an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be).