HOLY CROSS Church is to be made a Jubilee Church as part of a 12-month festival called by Pope Francis.

The Archbishop of Liverpool Malcolm McMahon will be at the Corporation Street church on Tuesday, December 8 to bless and open a door of mercy with a mass taking place at 12.15pm.

The Jubilee Holy Year of Mercy was announced by the Pope, beginning next Tuesday and lasting until November 20 2016.

Jubilee years are special celebrations called by the Catholic Church with the previous 'Great Jubilee’ held in 2000 during the papacy of Pope John Paul II.

Holy Cross is one of three churches across the archdiocese to be chosen as a Jubilee Church, along with the Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool and St Mary’s in Leyland.

It is the first time that outside of Rome and The Holy Land, the Pope is asking bishops to open doors of mercy at cathedrals and other diocesan shrines.

With its own holy door, Holy Cross will welcome pilgrims from far and wide to pray and experience God’s mercy in the Sacraments of Confession and the Holy Mass.

There will be a spiritual and cultural programme throughout the year.

"We feel so privileged as a parish and a school that the Holy Cross and Saint Helen Church, at the heart of St Helens, has been chosen to be a heart of mercy as a Jubilee Church," said Father Sean Riley, parish priest at Holy Cross.

This Sunday (December 6), a service takes place at the Liverpool cathedral to open its door of mercy and a coach will leave for Liverpool from Holy Cross at 1.30pm. Contact the parish office on 01744 22077 for availability.

Visit www.yearofmercyliverpool.org.uk for more information on events coming up throughout the jubilee.