Begging the Virgin's Aid: Tuesday, June 28, 2016 (The Holy Year of Mercy)


J.M.J. We ask Our Blessed Lady to help us to gain the Plenary Indulgence during this Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy



Indulgences (From the Gift of the Indulgences)


1. “An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church.” (Code of Canon Law; Catechism of the Catholic Church)
2. The gaining of Indulgences requires certain prescribed conditions and the performance of certain prescribed works.
3. To gain indulgences, whether plenary or partial, it is necessary that a Catholic be in the State of Grace (meaning that he or she has no Mortal Sins) at the time that the indulgenced work is completed. 
4. A Plenary Indulgence is a full remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. It may be obtained only once a day and may be applied to oneself or to a Soul in Purgatory.
5. A Partial Indulgence is a partial remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. It may be obtained many times a day and may be applied to oneself or to a Soul in Purgatory.

The prescribed works to gain an Indulgence are many. One such prescribed work to gain a Plenary Indulgence during this Extraordinary Jubilee (Holy Year) of Mercy is to walk through The Holy Door (Porta Sancta) or “Door of Mercy” in the Cathedral of Saint Joseph.

The prescribed conditions to gain a Plenary Indulgence are: 1. to go to Holy Communion (usually received during Holy Mass); 2. to go to Confession; 3. to pray for the intentions of the Holy Father the Pope; 4. to intend to obtain the Plenary Indulgence; 5. to be completely detached from all sin, including Venial Sin.

It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act. Prayer for the Pope’s intentions is left to the choice of the Faithful, but an “Our Father” and a “Hail Mary” are suggested. One sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions are required for each Plenary Indulgence.

Please consult your Pastor or Parish Priest if you have any questions regarding Indulgences, whether Plenary or Partial.


Walking Through The Holy Door (Porta Sancta)
or “Door of Mercy”
in the Cathedral of Saint Joseph
during this Extraordinary Jubilee (Holy Year) of Mercy


The Most Reverend Paul J. Swain, the Bishop of Sioux Falls, at the behest of Pope Francis, has established The Holy Door (Porta Sancta) or “Door of Mercy” in the Cathedral of Saint Joseph. It is located in the front of the Cathedral on the north side (near the Baptistry).

In the December 2015 issue of The Bishops Bulletin, Bishop Swain explained: “Our Door of Mercy will be a site of pilgrimage and a sign of the vastness of God’s love and mercy through Christ.”

Walking through the Door of Mercy in the Cathedral of Saint Joseph during this Holy Year of Mercy is one of the prescribed works to obtain a Plenary Indulgence. If the prescribed conditions (listed above) are met, then one gains a Plenary Indulgence, which is “a full remission of the temporal punishment due to sin.”


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