U.S. bishops vote to consecrate America to Sacred Heart in 2026, tying to 250th anniversary. Prep includes novena, multilingual resources.
Newsroom (12/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) In a historic act of faith amid national milestone, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has approved the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 2026, coinciding with the nation’s 250th anniversary. The vote, taken during the USCCB Fall Plenary Assembly here, entrusts “our nation to the love and care of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” as articulated in the bishops’ resolution.
Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, who presented the initiative, described the consecration as a profound opportunity “to remind everyone of our task to serve our nation by perfecting the temporal order with the spirit of the Gospel as taught by the Second Vatican Council.” Rhoades, a member of an advisory board for President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission and former chair of the USCCB Committee on Religious Liberty, underscored the devotion’s deep roots in Catholic tradition.
Drawing from papal teachings, Rhoades noted that a century ago, in 1925, Pope Pius XI’s encyclical Quas Primas, instituting the feast of Christ the King, referenced Pope Leo XIII’s encouragement of consecrating individuals, families, and nations to the Sacred Heart as a recognition of Christ’s kingship.
The consecration gains renewed urgency from recent pontiffs. “In his fourth and last encyclical, Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis brought devotion to the Sacred Heart to the forefront of Catholic life as the ultimate symbol of both human and divine love, calling it a wellspring of peace and unity,” Rhoades explained. He added that Pope Francis wrote of how the Sacred Heart instructs believers “to build up in this world God’s kingdom of love and justice.” Building on this, Rhoades cited Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te, which invites contemplation of Christ’s love as a impetus for mission in a suffering world.
To prepare the faithful, the bishops will develop comprehensive prayer resources, including a novena. Rhoades announced that materials are already in preparation for dioceses, parishes, and groups to foster engagement. Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle inquired about catechetical aids, noting the devotion’s richness and complexity, as it “is ultimately inviting people into a deeper relationship with the very person of Jesus himself.” Rhoades affirmed that catechetical materials will be included, given the “abundance of beautiful teaching.”
At Bishop Arturo Cepeda of San Antonio’s request, resources will be multilingual “to have as many of our people involved as possible.” Individuals and families may also perform personal consecrations concurrently with the national act.
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski proposed a celebratory event at the bishops’ spring meeting in Orlando, Florida, in June, on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, suggesting invitations to President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other officials.
Historical Roots of the Devotion
The devotion traces to 1673, when St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a Visitation nun in Paray-le-Monial, France, experienced visions of the Sacred Heart over 18 months. Jesus revealed practices including Thursday Holy Hours, a feast following Corpus Christi, and First Friday Communion.
On June 16, 1675, He instructed her to promote a feast honoring His Heart and promised 12 graces to devotees. Initially cautious, the Vatican approved it for France in 1765 amid growing popularity. In 1856, Blessed Pius IX extended the feast—observed the Friday after the Corpus Christi octave—to the universal Church.
This consecration echoes these origins, inviting America to Christ’s merciful Heart as it marks a semiquincentennial of independence under divine providence.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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