SAN DIEGO — The United States is about to celebrate its 250th birthday, and the nation’s Catholic bishops have the perfect gift.
On Thursday, June 11, the eve of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the U.S. bishops will consecrate our country to the Sacred Heart. The event will be livestreamed on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops YouTube channel at 1 PM (Pacific time) from the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando, Florida as a part of the bishops’ spring plenary assembly.
The USCCB has a dedicated section of its website at usccb.org/weholdthesetruths. It includes a Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to begin on June 3; a Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, written especially for this consecration; and a resource that dioceses and parishes can use on the day of the consecration either within a Mass or a Liturgy of the Word.
In the Diocese of San Diego, the faithful are encouraged to watch the livestream of the consecration, which can be viewed on June 11 at usccb.org, and to unite themselves in prayer with the bishops, either as individuals or in their own parish communities. Suggestions include making use of the USCCB’s novena and prayer to the Sacred Heart and by attending Mass on Friday, June 12, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In a video posted May 3 on Facebook, Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee for Religious Liberty, explained the reason for the consecration.
“Why consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart?” the archbishop of Portland asked rhetorically.
“Devotion to the Sacred Heart has developed over the centuries, following the experiences of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the apparitions she witnessed in the 17th century,” he said. “Popes have lauded the practice of consecration of the self, home and even whole nations to the Sacred Heart.
“This anniversary and consecration,” he added, “gives us a special opportunity to promote the beautiful devotion to the Sacred Heart and to encourage the laity to offer their lives in service to God and their country.”
In addition to the consecration, as part of the wider Catholic contribution to the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. bishops are inviting parishes and individuals to contribute to a collective 250 Hours of Adoration (usccb.org/250-hours-adoration) and 250 Works of Mercy (usccb.org/250-works-mercy).
The Diocese of San Diego will be taking part in the 250 Hours of Adoration. Special Holy Hours will be scheduled in each of the diocese’s seven deaneries, or geographical clusters of parishes. Dates, times and locations are expected to be announced soon on the diocesan website.
As the United States prepares to mark its semiquincentennial, the U.S. bishops aren’t the only ones offering a Catholic response.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States, will host the “Catholic Saints of America” exhibit, from July 1 to 9, on its grounds in Champion, Wisconsin. The exhibit will honor the holy men and women of America at various stages of the canonization process.
The shrine has contacted each of the over 70 shrines or guilds for the saints, blesseds, venerables and servants of God in the United States to invite them to participate. Some shrines are entrusting relics of their saints to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, allowing pilgrims a unique opportunity to venerate these holy men and women.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Champion is also encouraging the faithful to pray a special “Novena for Our Nation,” written by its rector, Father Anthony Stephens, CPM. Printable prayer cards and a sign-up for the novena, along with information about the “Catholic Saints of America” exhibit, can be found at championshrine.org/AmericanSaints.
“This spiritual initiative,” said Father Stephens, “invites all pilgrims to join in prayer for our country, to draw inspiration from those who have gone before us, and to renew our commitment to living lives of holiness – igniting a new generation of saints for America.”
