THE MONTH OF JUNE---A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE BISHOPS AND THE WHOLE NATION --- IN CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

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FROM THE ST, AUGUSTINE PARISH BULLETIN: All Catholics have a rare opportunity this June to join the bishops and the whole nation in dedicating ourselves to God. This summer will be a memorable celebration as Americans prepare to celebrate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. For the 50 million Catholics in the U.S. — one-fifth of the population — the 250th anniversary comes with a special and powerful move from the nation’s bishops. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will consecrate the entire nation to Jesus’ Sacred Heart on June 11, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart.

This act of consecration dedicates its people to God, asking a flood of God’s grace and mercy. Parishes around the country are encouraged to join the bishops in celebrating the consecration of our nation to the Sacred Heart.

Why consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Most Rev. Alexander K. Sample, Archbishop of Portland, explains why the bishops are consecrating the nation in a video. In the video, Archbishop Sample explains the history of this practice and the opportunity it offers for ordinary men and women to “offer their lives in service to God and their country.” He said: On November 11, the bishops of the United States voted to consecrate this nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The consecration will take place in 2026 to celebrate America's Semiquincentennial, that is, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

What does this mean? Why consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart? Devotion to the Sacred Heart has developed over the centuries following the experiences of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and the apparitions she witnessed in the seventeenth century. Popes have lauded the practice of consecration of the self, home, and even whole nations to the Sacred Heart. This anniversary and consecration 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.