Caravaca Jubilee 2031 : Jubilee Pilgrimage to the Vera Cruz & the Cross of Christ

7 Days / 5 Nights | Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia, Lorca, Cartagena & More | Special Holy Year 2031 Pilgrimage

2031: A Holy Year in Caravaca de la Cruz

In 2031, the doors of Caravaca de la Cruz will once again welcome pilgrims for an extraordinary Jubilee Year.

For centuries, Christians have journeyed to this historic city in southeastern Spain to venerate the Santísima y Vera Cruz de Caravaca, whose distinctive double-armed reliquary preserves a Lignum Crucis, traditionally venerated as a fragment of the wood of the Cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified.

But 2031 will be different.

Caravaca possesses the extraordinary privilege of celebrating a Jubilee Year in perpetuity every seven years, making 2031 a particularly meaningful opportunity for Catholics from around the world to come as true pilgrims to the City of the Cross. The regular PGT program already presents this privilege as one of the defining elements of Caravaca’s spiritual identity.

For parishes, dioceses, Catholic organizations and families, the 2031 Jubilee is an invitation to pilgrimage not simply to Spain, but spiritually toward Calvary itself.

Come to the Cross in 2031

At the heart of Christianity stands the Cross.

It is where Christ offered Himself for us.

Where sin encountered mercy.

Where suffering became sacrifice.

Where death was defeated by love.

And where the road toward the Resurrection began.

In Caravaca, the Cross is not simply part of the pilgrimage.

The Cross is the reason for the pilgrimage.

High above the medieval city stands the Basilica-Sanctuary of the Vera Cruz, home of the sacred Lignum Crucis that has been venerated here for centuries. The existing pilgrimage program describes precisely this spiritual purpose: pilgrims do not come merely to admire the famous Cross of Caravaca as an object of history or art; they come to draw near to the mystery of Calvary.

And during the Jubilee Year 2031, that encounter takes on an additional dimension.

It becomes a journey of conversion, reconciliation and grace.

“We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.”

What Makes the 2031 Jubilee Special?

A Jubilee is not simply an anniversary or a festival.

For the Catholic Church, a Holy Year is above all a spiritual invitation to conversion.

Pilgrims are called to leave their ordinary lives for a time, turn their hearts more completely toward Christ, receive the Sacraments, pray for the intentions of the Church and rediscover the mercy of God.

In Caravaca, all of this takes place beneath the sign of the Vera Cruz.

For our 2031 groups, the pilgrimage will therefore be organized around the official Jubilee celebrations and spiritual requirements established by the competent ecclesiastical authorities.

According to the final provisions for the Holy Year, the pilgrimage may incorporate the Jubilee pilgrimage to the Basilica-Sanctuary, veneration of the Vera Cruz, Holy Mass, Confession, prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, Eucharistic Adoration, Stations of the Cross and opportunities to obtain the Jubilee indulgence under the conditions established by the Church.

This is important for PGT wording: we should not guarantee a plenary indulgence merely by participating in the trip. We facilitate the pilgrimage and its spiritual opportunities; each pilgrim must fulfill the conditions established by the Church.

The Vera Cruz: Why We Journey to Caravaca

Within the famous double-armed Cross of Caravaca is preserved its greatest treasure: the Lignum Crucis.

Traditionally held to be a fragment of the True Cross of Christ, the relic has shaped the identity of Caravaca for centuries.

According to the ancient tradition associated with Caravaca, its arrival is inseparably connected with the Holy Eucharist.

The tradition tells of the priest Ginés Pérez Chirinos, who was asked to demonstrate the Christian celebration of Mass. When he could not continue because a crucifix was missing from the altar, two angels miraculously appeared carrying the Cross.

The Eucharistic celebration could continue.

That ancient story has been transmitted through generations, and it gives the pilgrimage a beautiful spiritual connection:

The Cross leads us to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist leads us back to the sacrifice of the Cross.

This relationship between the traditional account of the Cross’s appearance and the celebration of Mass forms an important part of the devotional identity presented in our Caravaca pilgrimage.

Why Bring Your Parish to Caravaca in 2031?

A Jubilee pilgrimage offers something difficult to reproduce through an ordinary parish trip.

We leave home together.

We pray together.

We travel together.

We approach the Sacraments together.

We carry one another’s intentions.

And ultimately, we stand together before the Cross.

A parish pilgrimage to Caravaca can become an opportunity to bring before Christ the needs of the entire community: our families, marriages, children, illnesses, vocations, deceased loved ones, difficulties, thanksgiving and hopes for the future.

The journey asks every pilgrim the same questions:

What cross am I carrying?

What do I need to place into the hands of Christ?

Where do I need His forgiveness?

Whom do I need to forgive?

Where is God asking me to trust Him more?

And ultimately:

Am I willing to take up my cross and follow Him?

That spiritual examination is already at the heart of the regular Caravaca pilgrimage. In 2031, the Jubilee gives us a unique framework in which to live it.

Bring Your Parish to the Caravaca Jubilee 2031

2031 may seem distant, but Jubilee pilgrimages are best prepared well in advance.

Pilgrim Groups Travel can begin working with your parish, diocese, Catholic organization, school, ministry, Knights of Columbus council, family group or prayer community to create its own pilgrimage to Caravaca.

The program can be adapted around your group’s needs.

We can incorporate the Camino de la Cruz, additional days in Madrid, Toledo, Valencia or Andalusia, other Spanish shrines, daily Mass, spiritual conferences and additional opportunities for prayer and fellowship.

The existing PGT itinerary is already designed to be adaptable to parish needs, including Mass, Stations of the Cross, additional time at the Vera Cruz and walking stages of the Camino de la Cruz.

For 2031, I would make that flexibility even more important because different groups may want anything from a short 7-day Jubilee pilgrimage to a larger Spain & Caravaca Holy Year pilgrimage.

Begin Preparing for 2031

A Jubilee is an invitation.

An invitation to leave home.

An invitation to conversion.

An invitation to reconciliation.

An invitation to rediscover the Cross not as a symbol of defeat, but as the place where Christ revealed the immensity of God’s love.

In 2031, come to Caravaca.

Come to the Vera Cruz.

Come as a pilgrim.

And at the foot of the Cross, rediscover the words Christians have prayed for centuries:

“We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.”

Pilgrimage Highlights

• Caravaca Jubilee Year 2031 — participate in one of Spain’s great Catholic Holy Year traditions.
• Vera Cruz de Caravaca — venerate the sacred Lignum Crucis traditionally associated with the Cross of Our Lord.
• Basilica-Sanctuary of the Vera Cruz — enter the spiritual heart of the Jubilee pilgrimage.
• Jubilee Pilgrimage & Holy Mass — participate according to the official 2031 liturgical program and availability.
• Jubilee Indulgence — opportunity for pilgrims to fulfill the spiritual conditions established by the Church.
• Sacrament of Reconciliation — time can be incorporated for Confession according to local arrangements.
• Stations of the Cross & Prayer — optional spiritual activities can be arranged for parish groups.
• Camino de la Cruz — possibility of incorporating a walking pilgrimage stage before entering Caravaca.
• Murcia Cathedral and the extraordinary sacred art of Francisco Salzillo.
• Lorca & Totana — Catholic traditions and historic towns of southeastern Spain.
• Cartagena — discover ancient Carthago Nova and the Roman Mediterranean world in which early Christianity developed.
• Daily Holy Mass may be arranged according to priest participation, ecclesiastical availability and the group’s pastoral needs.

Important Information and Terms and Conditions