Mary's Meals and the Year of Jubilee 2025
Become a Pilgrim of Hope this year
“Hope does not disappoint,” says Pope Francis.
In the Year of Jubilee 2025, we are reaffirming our mission as one rooted in hope.
“Hope is a word that has informed and inspired the work of Mary’s Meals since the beginning,” says our Founder, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow.
He continues: “In the 1990s, we painted 'Delivering Hope' on the side of our truck carrying aid donations to people in Bosnia during the war there. Twenty years later, we began calling the young adults whose lives had been changed by receiving Mary's Meals at school 'Generation Hope'. And in our various daily tasks which enable this mission we like to describe ourselves as 'Servants of Hope'.”
As Pope Francis calls on the Church during the Jubilee to be: “... tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind,” Mary’s Meals continues to be a beacon of hope for children around the world, feeding 2.4 million children a nutritious daily school meal in 16 of the world’s poorest countries. In the spirit of the Jubilee’s theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, we are inviting our supporters to come together this Holy Year to help to bring hope into situations of hardship.
Magnus says: “It is a great joy to be invited to participate in this year of Jubilee as Pilgrims of Hope! We pray that by accepting the invitation we might be given new strength in our daily work for the world's poorest children – and that in learning to do this work with more love we become better at proclaiming hope to a world that is crying out for it.”
Dan McNally, Co-Lead for Supporter Engagement, says: “There are many ways that people can support Mary’s Meals in this special Year of Jubilee. This could be donating, fundraising, volunteering your time or praying for the children that we feed. Every act of love, no matter how small, makes a huge difference and helps us reach the next hungry child waiting for Mary’s Meals.”
Ways to bring hope this Jubilee year:
- Pray for the work of Mary's Meals.
- Give hope through setting up a regular gift, including payroll giving.
- Volunteer your time and become a Pilgrim of Hope in your local community.
- Fundraise for Mary’s Meals, perhaps through a sponsored walk with your church, or by sponsoring a school - contact info@marysmeals.org for support.
- Many volunteers and supporters take part in pilgrimage walks for Mary’s Meals. Please email info@marysmeals.org to make an enquiry about pilgrimage walks and keep an eye on our Jubilee 2025 page, which will have information about events as they are organised.
Mary’s Meals is named after Mary, the mother of Jesus, who brought up her own child in poverty. We consist of, respect, and reach out to people of all faiths and none.
