Madrid: The Iberian Province of the Discalced Carmelites is preparing to launch a major jubilee year dedicated to St. John of the Cross, commemorating 300 years since his canonization and 100 years since he was declared a Doctor of the Church. The year-long celebration, approved by the Apostolic Penitentiary, is being organized jointly with the dioceses of Ăvila, JaĂŠn, and Segovia, regions closely connected to the saintâs life, mission, and collaboration with St. Teresa of Ăvila in reforming the Carmelite Order.
Announcing the jubilee, Friar Francisco SĂĄnchez Oreja, Provincial Superior of the Discalced Carmelites, reflected on the enduring relevance of the saintâs mystical teachings.
âAnniversaries remind us that St. John of the Cross is still alive through the word he continues to offer,â SĂĄnchez said. âHis message draws us into the divine mystery, calling believers to deepen their interior life and cultivate a mature, intimate faith in God.â
He emphasized that the jubilee is an invitation not only to honour a historical figure, but to rediscover a spiritual master whose writings and example continue to shape Christian contemplation.
âSt. John of the Cross is not just a founder or a teacher his very life embodies the Carmelite vocation,â he added.
The jubilee message highlights the saintâs profound simplicity and virtue. Known as the patron of Spanish poets, St. John of the Cross is remembered for his humility, his refusal of worldly honours, and his unwavering devotion to prayer.
SĂĄnchez noted that the saintâs spiritual detachment was born from early hardship:
âHe experienced poverty from childhood and even witnessed his father and brother die of hunger. This suffering shaped him, teaching him humility and preparing him for a life of evangelical poverty.â
Throughout his ministry, St. John of the Cross embraced a lifestyle rooted in work, sobriety, and detachment from riches, becoming a model of contemplative living grounded in service and sacrifice.
The superior described three foundational attitudes that characterize the saintâs path to holiness:
⢠Firm faith in the living God revealed in Jesus Christ
⢠Hope that points beyond earthly life toward eternal communion
⢠Charity, which gives meaning and strength to all Christian actions
âHis example is an ideal for living,â SĂĄnchez said. âHis writings remain a treasure for all who seek God, and his doctrine speaks powerfully even today.â
The Jubilee of St. John of the Cross will formally begin on Dec. 13, 2025, with the opening of the holy door at the Church of the Sepulchre of the saint in Segovia, where his tomb is preserved. The jubilee year will conclude on Dec. 26, 2026, in Ăbeda, the city where he died.
Pilgrims will be able to visit designated jubilee churches across three dioceses:
Ăvila:
⢠St. Cyprian Parish in Fontiveros, birthplace of the saint
⢠St. Teresa of Jesus Basilica in Ăvila
⢠Convent church of the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Duruelo
JaĂŠn:
⢠Church-oratory of the Discalced Carmelite convent in Ăbeda
Segovia:
⢠Church of the Discalced Carmelites in Segovia, home to the saintâs tomb
The jubilee year aims to renew devotion to one of the Churchâs greatest mystics inviting the faithful to walk the same path of interior transformation that St. John of the Cross so profoundly lived and taught.