On June 11, 2026, as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. bishops will consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Parishes around the country are encouraged to join the bishops in celebrating the consecration of our nation to the Sacred Heart.
Consecration Resources for Parishes
Why Are the Bishops Consecrating the United States to the Sacred Heart?
This June 11 the Catholic Bishops of the United States are consecrating our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They are doing this as a means of commemorating the 250thanniversary of the founding of the US. But what does a consecration mean? And why is it important?
To consecrate oneself, a person, or a group of people to the Sacred Heart of Jesus means to formally and intentionally dedicate their entire lives, actions and souls to Jesus Christ. Consecration is an act of surrendering all to His unconditional love and of seeking His protection and guidance. It also proclaims the intention to follow Christ’s teaching of love and mercy.
The idea of “consecration” may sound foreign and archaic to some people. Yet, the concept and reality is deeply biblical and very human. The very word “consecration” connotes the “setting of something (or someone) apart for God and to make it holy.” We hear of consecrations in the Old Testament. Moses consecrated Aaron and his sons to serve as priests (Exodus 28:41). Solomon consecrated the Temple in Jerusalem for God to inhabit (1Kings 8). Joel the Prophet told the people to “consecrate a fast” and to assemble the nation before the Lord God (Joel 1:14). For the Church, consecration speaks of setting people, places or things apart so that they may become holy for God’s service and not for worldly pursuits.
The consecration of our nation to the Sacred Heart is really an act of entrusting the people of the United States to the protection, care and guidance of the Lord Jesus. It is a highlighting of the relationship between the Heart of the Savior and every person living here. Because the Sacred Heart represents the entire Person of Jesus, human and divine, it emphasizes the power that God has over us. Because the Heart of Jesus represents His desire to be with us in this relationship, it tells us that this consecration is a response to the infinite, unconditional love that Jesus bears for all of us and for each one of us. The consecration calls us to conversion and reparation. It is for us a recognition of the Sacred Heart’s unimaginable love for us and of our desire to love Him in return, and our resolution to grow in holiness and make reparation for the sins committed against Him.
We come to understand that this consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is all about love and our growing in holiness and intimacy with Him so that we may live for the reality for which we have been created—to love God above all things with our whole heart, mind and soul and to love one another as the Lord Jesus has taught us by going to the Cross for us.
The consecration of our nation to the Sacred Heart will be a solemn moment of great cosmic importance. It is also a time of intimate relationship for all the faithful who are seeking the reality of Christ’s love in their lives. It is only the beginning of a deeper relationship of people with their Savior. This consecration is an impetus for us all to deepen our communion with Jesus who opens His Sacred Heart to us. He who is the King of Kings and the Lord of all is also our intimate Friend and the Beloved of our souls. He is the remedy of all that ails our nation, our families, and ourselves. By this consecration we give all to Him and trust that by His love and mercy, He will heal and restore all we have entrusted to Him. His Heart burning with love for us is our hope and the hope of our nation for the future.
Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh
