World Day of the Sick 2025
World Day of the Sick, established by St John Paul II, is held each year on February 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Date Posted:
11-Feb-2025
This year marks the 33rd celebration of World Day of the Sick, honouring those who are sick and those who care for them whether in health care institutions or within families and communities .
In his message for today, Pope Francis invites us to become “pilgrims of hope” He then addresses three particular ways in which God remains close to those who are suffering: through encounter, gift and sharing and invites reflection on each of these.
Pope Francis' message highlights both the ministry of healing and the witness given by the sick, saying:
Dear brothers and sisters who are ill or who care for the suffering, in this Jubilee you play an especially important part. Your journey together is a sign for everyone: “a hymn to human dignity, a song of hope” (Spes Non Confundit, 11). Its strains are heard far beyond the rooms and beds of health facilities, and serve to elicit in charity “the choral participation of society as a whole” (ibid.) in a harmony that is at times difficult to achieve, but for that very reason is so comforting and powerful, capable of bringing light and warmth wherever they are most needed.
Let us give thanks today for all engaged in the healing ministry and keep the sick in our thoughts and prayers