The Holy Father has allowed the granting of plenary indulgences for the faithful during the Year of Faith at places and dates determined by the local bishop.
An indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment for sin the guilt of which is already forgiven, which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful obtains under certain conditions. (Canon 992) A Plenary indulgence totally frees the soul from temporal punishment due to sin. (Canon 993).
Between now and the end of the Year of Faith (Nov. 24, 2013), plenary indulgences can be obtained by members of the faithful in the Diocese of Phoenix by visiting one of the following historic Churches and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father (an Our Father and a Hail Mary).
Indulgences may also be obtained by attending Mass or the Liturgy of the Hours at any sacred place in the diocese and making a Profession of Faith on feast days of American saints listed below.
The person seeking the indulgence must have received sacramental confession and Holy Communion within a week of the visit. Further, in order for the indulgence to be plenary and not partial, the individual must be free from sin (even venial). Only one plenary indulgence may be gained on a day.
Indulgences may be gained by visits to these churches*:
- St. Mary’s Basilica (Phoenix)
- Old St. Mary’s (ASU Newman Center, Tempe)
- Immaculate Heart of Mary (Phoenix)
- Our Lady of Guadalupe (Flagstaff)
- San Xavier del Bac (Tucson)
- Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral (Phoenix)
Feast days for indulgences:
- Jan. 4 (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton)
- Jan. 5 (St. John Neumann)
- Jan. 23 (St. Marianne Cope)
- March 3 (St. Katherine Drexel)
- May 10 (St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai)
- July 1 (Blessed Junipero Serra)
- July 14 (St. Kateri Tekawitha)
- Oct. 3 (St. Mother Theodore Guerin)
- Oct. 19 (North American Martyrs)
- Oct. 22 (Blessed John Paul II)
- Oct. 28 (Sts. Simon and Jude)
- Nov. 6 (Blesseds Eduardo Farre and Lucas Tristany)
- Nov. 13 (St. Francis Cabrini)
- Nov. 18 (St. Rose Philippine Duschesne)
Granted on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 2012.
— Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted
*For maps to these locations: www.diocesephoenix.org/places.php.