The Sacred Heart of Jesus: Consecrating the Nation

I love the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It’s a devotion that was instilled in me by my mother and grandmother soon after I made my first communion in 1994, with them helping me make my consecration to the Sacred Heart once I completed the Nine First Friday Mass Novena. I can still remember making my consecration in a country church located in a town of 60 people, my grandmother presenting me with a small plastic statue of the Sacred Heart in celebration of the moment. Twenty-four years later I would bury that now-chipped statue in the ground with my daughter — stillborn on the Feast of the Sacred Heart in 2018. The Sacred Heart has been, and will continue to be, a source of consolation for my family.

So, it brought me great joy when I discovered months ago that the U.S. Bishops planned to consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart this June, marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate! To mark this occasion, this issue of CRL is dedicated to the Sacred Heart and to promoting Eucharistic Adoration and Works of Mercy, which the bishops have encouraged the faithful to do. From stories about enthroning the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your home to how rural parishes are making adoration more accessible to their people to examples of feeding the hungry and ministering to those imprisoned, we hope this issue leaves you feeling uplifted and hopeful about Catholic America’s next 250 years. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!