Montreal, January 6, 2026
Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,

A Blessed Year
The Jubilee Year—rooted in Scripture when God says to Moses, “You shall hallow the fiftieth year […] it shall be a jubilee for you; […] it shall be holy to you” (Leviticus 25:10–12), and proclaimed in the life of the Church every twenty-five years by the Pope—has drawn to a close, with the year 2025 now behind us.

Together with you, I wish to give thanks for the journey we have shared during this Holy Year, enlightened by hope, for “hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5; cf. Pope Francis, Spes non confundit, May 9, 2024).

A Call to Encounter Jesus Christ
Throughout this journey, each of us was invited to deepen our faith by nourishing a living encounter with Jesus Christ—through prayer and Sacred Scripture, the liturgy and the sacraments, community life, solidarity with those most in need, and the works of mercy.

Every baptized person is called to live in this way throughout the year and throughout life. Yet we need privileged moments such as this Jubilee to remember what is essential and to grow in ever greater love for God and for one another.

Many set out on pilgrimage to Rome, passing through the Holy Door. Others made a local pilgrimage from their parishes to Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, visiting a designated Jubilee site along the way. In one way or another, we were collectively invited to enter more deeply into the mystery of faith as an encounter with Jesus Christ—He who is the Door of Life and Happiness, of Love and Truth, of Justice and Peace (cf. John 10:1–17).

An Experience of God’s Presence
We have witnessed the blessings poured out upon our families, our parishes, our communities, and our diocesan Church as a whole, as well as upon each of us personally. Through our individual and communal commitments, we have grown in reverence and integrity, in kindness and a spirit of service, in solidarity and in the vitality of charity.

We are especially grateful for the grace of God’s Mercy and for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, through which so many rediscovered the Lord’s way or renewed their devotion and faithfulness to the Eucharist and to God’s commandments.

Marking the 1700th anniversary of the Creed of Nicaea-Constantinople, we prayed in communion with our Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world, giving thanks for the immeasurable gift of faith in Jesus Christ, true God and true man.

A Renewed Commitment
We have learned to walk together as the Church. We are the Church, yet we do not belong to ourselves. We are the Church of Jesus Christ: the People of the Father, Body of Christ, and Temple of the Holy Spirit. We are the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, called to bring to the world of our time the Light of the Gospel—the Light of the Word made flesh, the Light of Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

By grace, we have deepened our understanding that we can live each day in hope, for we believe and know that “[nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

Guided by this revelation of divine Love, we are continually called to make of our lives a path of spiritual renewal, conversion and penance, joy and gratitude. This treasure is not meant to be kept for ourselves, but proclaimed always and everywhere, to all people and across every generation: Jesus Christ, crucified and risen.

A Path of Hope
The year 2025 was a blessed year, but God’s blessing never ends. God is always at work. We believe in Jesus Christ, yesterday, today, and forever. We now enter the year of grace 2026.

Let us remember all those who are searching for meaning in their lives. Let us pray for them, that they may set out on the journey, like the Magi, and discover that God seeks them first, coming to knock at the door of their hearts.

Let us continue to walk together as pilgrims of hope. Let us gather once more at the foot of the Cross, contemplating Jesus whose side was pierced, from which flowed blood and water (cf. John 19:34)—divine Love poured out, the life-giving wellspring of Baptism and the Eucharist. By His grace, let us live and bear witness that life and love are worth giving ourselves to.

“Behold this Heart which has so loved the world…”
― Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, 1675, Paray-le-Monial

As we continue on the journey of faith, let us already lift our gaze toward the year 2033, when the Church will commemorate two millenia since the Redemption accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Pope Francis, Spes non confundit; Pope Leo XIV, Türkiye, Nov. 30, 2025)

May this vision inspire us from today onward: let us prepare by living each year as a time of grace—deepening our faith, loving more fully, becoming builders of peace, and serving our brothers and sisters with unwavering kindness.

Let us invoke Mary, Mother of God, standing at the foot of the Cross—our Mother. With her, let us rediscover and enter more fully into the Sacred Heart of Jesus, our Redeemer, whose Passion, Death, and Resurrection we shall commemorate in the 2,000^th anniversary. With our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, may our journey toward 2033 be a path of enduring conversion, faithful prayer, and growth in self-giving love.

As St. Thérèse of Lisieux reminds us: “All is grace.” May divine grace accompany us each day, strengthen us in hope, and guide us to be the salt of the earth, humble witnesses and bearers of light (cf. Matthew 5:13–14; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) to the Truth and Love of God for all people.

✠ Christian Lépine
Archbishop of Montreal

*Download the Archbishop's message (PDF)