Jubilee year opens at Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe on 12 October
Published on 09/27/2026 at 11:32 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe) will host the opening of the Guadalupan Jubilee Year in Mexico City on 12 October 2026. The programme marks the fiftieth anniversary of the new basilica's dedication and the transfer of the sacred image to the present sanctuary.
The year-long celebration follows an announcement by Pope Leo XIV through the Apostolic Penitentiary. It will run from 12 October 2026 to 12 October 2027.
Guadalupan Jubilee Year opens at the basilica on 12 October
The Archdiocese of Mexico has announced the opening ceremony for Monday 12 October. Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes will preside over the Mass of the Roses at noon, when the Holy Door will also be opened. The date coincides with the 131st anniversary of the pontifical coronation of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The programme begins at 8.30am with solemn Lauds and a capitular Mass. A commemorative video about the dedication and the transfer of the image is scheduled for 11am. The afternoon programme includes a priestly gathering at 2pm, an archdiocesan rosary at 5pm, a commemorative concert at 6pm and the Rosary of Guadalupan Love at 7pm. The official jubilee announcement confirms the period from 12 October 2026 to 12 October 2027.
Preparatory events are planned for Sunday 11 October. They include solemn Lauds and a capitular Mass at 8.30am, Sunday Mass at noon and solemn Vespers for the dedication at 5pm. A priestly gathering is listed for 6pm in the Main Sacristy.
The 1976 dedication links the jubilee to the present shrine
The jubilee looks back to 12 October 1976, when the new basilica was dedicated and the sacred image was moved from the older church. The anniversary therefore connects the current sanctuary's main altar with the programme's video remembrance and the Holy Door ceremony. The Vatican account of the jubilee records the anniversary and the scheduled celebrations.
The Guadalupe complex also contains the older church, now known as the Cristo Rey Expiatory Temple. Construction began on 25 March 1695 and was finally completed in April 1709. Pedro de Arrieta is identified as its principal architect. After a bomb damaged about 95 per cent of the building in 1921, the structure suffered further problems and stood close to collapse by 1976. It reopened in 2000 after restoration, as the Mexico City heritage page explains.
That history gives the October programme a specific setting: visitors will encounter a modern sanctuary used for the jubilee beside a restored historic church shaped by the transfer of the image in 1976.
Visiting Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The opening takes place on 12 October 2026, with the Mass of the Roses and Holy Door opening at noon. Events on 11 October form the preceding programme.
- The published schedule places the celebrations inside the basilica precinct, including the video, archdiocesan rosary, concert and evening rosary. The programme does not announce a closure of the main sanctuary.
- The site is in the Gustavo A. Madero district of Mexico City, within the historic Villa complex. The older Cristo Rey Expiatory Temple stands close to the new basilica.
- Visitors should expect a religious complex with churches, a main sanctuary and open plazas. The October programme includes activities in the basilica, the Main Sacristy and Plaza Mariana.
- Spanish is the official language of Mexico, and the national currency is the Mexican peso.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
When does the Guadalupan Jubilee Year begin at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe?
The jubilee begins on 12 October 2026 and continues until 12 October 2027. The Mass of the Roses and Holy Door opening are scheduled for noon on 12 October 2026.
What is the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe?
It is the modern sanctuary dedicated in 1976 in the Guadalupe complex in Mexico City. The sacred image was transferred there on 12 October 1976.
Where is the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and how do you get there?
The complex is in Gustavo A. Madero in Mexico City. The historic Cristo Rey Expiatory Temple is located close to the modern basilica.
