The U.S. Bishops to Consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11, 2026

In a historic moment, the U.S. bishops will consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11, 2026, and will invite all parishes to join in this consecration. The consecration takes place this year to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial — the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Why consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart? 

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. Popes have encouraged the practice of consecration of the self, home, and even whole nations to the Sacred Heart as a way to honor our Lord by infusing the spirit of the Gospel into the world.

With his encyclical, Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis brought devotion to the Sacred Heart to the forefront of our contemporary Catholic life and culture. He noted: “In contemplating the pierced heart of the Lord, who ‘took our infirmities and bore our diseases,’ we too are inspired to be more attentive to the sufferings and needs of others and confirmed in our efforts to share in his work of liberation as instruments for the spread of his love. As we meditate on Christ’s self-offering for the sake of all, we are naturally led to ask why we too should not be ready to give our lives for others.”

Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about Jesus’ Sacred Heart: “Jesus knew and loved us each and all during His life, His agony and His Passion, and gave Himself up for each one of us: ‘The Son of God. . . loved me and gave Himself for me.’ He has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation, ‘is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that. . . love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings’ without exception.”