Philippines: Diocese of Cubao Closes Jubilee Year of Hope with Call to Become a “Home of Hope”

The Diocese of Cubao, located in the National Capital Region (NCR) of the Philippines, formally closed its Jubilee Year of Hope on December 28, 2025, with a solemn Eucharistic celebration at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao in Quezon City. Bishop Elias L. Ayuban Jr called the faithful to live hope not as a fleeting emotion but as a daily commitment rooted in family, community, and concrete service to the most vulnerable.

Speaking during the Christmas Octave, Bishop Ayuban reminded the congregation that Christmas does not end on December 25 but continues until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, a season that invites believers to reflect more deeply on God’s enduring presence in human history. Drawing from the book Praying Our Goodbyes by Sr. Joyce Rupp, a well-known American Catholic nun and spiritual writer, he described life as a continuous rhythm of “openings and closings,” situating the Jubilee Year within this spiritual journey of faith.

The Jubilee Year of Hope in the Diocese of Cubao was formally opened on December 29, 2024, with a solemn procession and Eucharistic celebration. Its conclusion, Bishop Ayuban said, was not an ending but a renewed invitation to embody hope beyond celebrations and symbolic events.

“If hope is to have a future, it must have a home,” the bishop emphasized. “And if hope is to endure, it must be nurtured.” Echoing the ancient Christian teaching that charity begins at home, he stressed that hope, too, must first be lived within families. Gratitude, forgiveness, unity, and patience, he said, are everyday practices that allow hope to take root amid divisions and hardships.

 Reflecting on the Gospel image of the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt, Bishop Ayuban highlighted a striking reality, Jesus Himself began life as a refugee. Far from a peaceful domestic scene, the Holy Family’s journey was marked by uncertainty, displacement, and trust in God. This reality, he noted, resonates deeply with the lived experience of Cubao, a diocese shaped by constant movement, labor migration, families displaced by poverty, and communities affected by typhoons and extreme weather. 

In this context, Bishop Ayuban drew particular attention to persons in street-dwelling situations, whom he described as among the most vulnerable members of society. “We cannot continue living as if they do not exist,” he said, urging the faithful not to turn away from their suffering.

He shared concrete signs of hope emerging from the Jubilee Year, including strengthened diocesan initiatives for the urban poor. A designated drop-in center now provides basic services, while the Social Services and Development Ministry (SSDM), led by Fr. Ronnie Santos, continues its outreach to the homeless. New parish-based leadership for urban poor ministries has also been installed, encouraging greater collaboration across vicariates. 

One of the most moving moments recalled by the bishop was witnessing former street dwellers actively participating in diocesan life, preparing food during meetings, joining Christmas caroling activities, and seeing children of homeless families enjoy an outing together. These, he said, are quiet but powerful signs that hope is becoming concrete.

In response to Pope Francis’ call to honor the elderly, Bishop Ayuban also announced the establishment of a diocesan ministry for grandparents and senior citizens, in line with the annual celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly every July 26. “A diocese that does not love its elderly has no future,” he said, encouraging parishes to appoint coordinators to ensure sustained pastoral care for older persons.

The bishop further emphasized that the Church’s mission must always be lived together – clergy, consecrated persons, and lay faithful walking side by side, never in isolation. He acknowledged the growing involvement of religious congregations in social apostolates, particularly with the recent formation of the Association of Consecrated Persons in Cubao. 

As the Jubilee Year concluded, Bishop Ayuban underscored that its greatest legacy would not be programs or milestones, but transformed lives, families who choose hope, communities that refuse despair, and a Church that walks gently with the poor, the displaced, and the forgotten.

“Hope is not loud or dramatic,” he said. “It is faithful and enduring.” Invoking the Holy Family of Nazareth, he called on the diocese to remain a true “Home of Hope,” where every person, regardless of circumstance, can find belonging, dignity, and the assurance that God journeys with them.