Bishops Consecrate U.S. to Sacred Heart for America 250

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On the eve of the Catholic Church marking the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops honored America’s 250th birthday by consecrating the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

What Is the Sacred Heart and Why Consecrate?

As Louisville Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre shared, the Sacred Heart is meant to show Jesus’ “full humanity, even as he possesses a divine nature.”

“As our country is consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are all entrusted to his grace. We are also reminded that Jesus is one of us. He has won the victory over sin and death, and he longs for us to come to him. Jesus longs for the heartbeat of his love to resound in our world, in our country, and in our lives,” Fabre said.

Portland Archbishop Alexander K. Sample revealed that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops decided on Nov. 11 that the United States would be consecrated, pointing out that homes and even nations have been consecrated to the Sacred Heart before.

“By celebrating this important national anniversary with this devotion, we have the opportunity to encourage all Catholics to honor our Lord and to infuse the spirit of the Gospel into various communities and departments of life,” he explained. “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.”

TRENDING ARTICLES A Presidential Message

President Donald Trump released a message indicating that he and first lady Melania Trump were with the bishops “in prayer” as they met for the consecration in Orlando, Florida. Trump began by noting that the consecration was “a powerful moment in our national story and a poignant reminder that America has always been guided by the loving hand of God.”

Bishop John Carroll, the United States’ first Catholic bishop, also consecrated the nation to Mary, the Mother of God, following the Revolutionary War, Trump observed.

“Today, this grand legacy of faith in America reaches yet another historic milestone as America’s Catholic Bishops consecrate our Nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, during which they will prayerfully ‘celebrate the abundant gifts’ that God has ‘given this nation, founded on the self-evident truths that our Creator has endowed all people with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’” Trump continued.

June 12 has further significance. On that day in 1987, President Ronald Reagan told Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” as he spoke from Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany. Pope John Paul II also spoke in Poland.

“Today, nearly four decades later, our Nation and our culture confront a new set of menacing ideologies seeking once again to cast God out from our society. But today, as Catholic Bishops consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in this 250th year of our Independence, we recommit ourselves, like President Reagan and Pope Saint John Paul II, to defending our spiritual identity and great civilizational inheritance,” Trump wrote to conclude his message.

“Above all, we pray that America will continue for the next 250 years, and beyond, to be a land of faith, a country of miracles, and a light and glory to all nations.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops shared the statement on X, as did Winona-Rochester Bishop Robert Barron, a member of the Religious Liberty Council set up by Trump.

Thursday’s Homily: Giving Thanks for Blessings of 250 Years

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori gave Thursday’s homily, where he explained how “consecration is an act of faith.”

“It is an acknowledgment that history is not simply the story of what human beings accomplish; it is the story of God’s faithful love at work in the world. We give thanks for the blessings of these past 250 years, but we do so with humility, recognizing in faith that every nation stands in need of God’s mercy, wisdom, and guidance,” he shared. The archbishop also described consecration as “an act of hope,” as “the future belongs to God.”

He spoke of a message of hope for the future, focusing on “trust.”

“Today we place the Church in the United States, and this nation we love, into the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Not because we have everything figured out, but because we know the One whose love endures forever. In his Heart, we find gratitude for the past, strength for the present, and hope for the future,” Lori concluded.

Rob Bluey, president and executive editor of the Daily Signal, spoke about the significance of the consecration on Friday during a CNN appearance, regarding it as a “hopeful note … as this anniversary approaches.”

There have been other faith-centered events to celebrate America 250, including Rededicate 250 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., which took place on May 17, and the America Reads the Bible event in April.

On July 1, the Great American State Fair will celebrate “Faith, Values, and Inspiration.”