Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
As part of the ongoing celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Diocese of Peoria, and after much prayer and reflection, we are consecrating our diocese to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
It is a simple but powerful act of trust, placing our people, our parishes, and our mission more intentionally into the Lord’s care. Providentially, this will take place alongside the bishops of the United States, who will also be consecrating our country to the Sacred Heart.
Our hope is that this will not be simply a single event, but something that shapes the life of our diocese moving forward by deepening prayer, renewing trust in the Lord, and strengthening our shared mission.
Join the Celebration
On June 12, 2026 - the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - there will be Mass at The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception at 5 p.m. This Mass will also be livestreamed.
First Friday Regional Masses
Following the consecration, regional Masses will be offered on First Fridays throughout the diocese, concluding with a final Mass at the Cathedral on March 5, 2027. The Office of Divine Worship will coordinate details with the Vicars Forane.
Sacred Heart Prayer Card
Taryn Watkins has created a beautiful image of the Sacred Heart specifically for our diocese. Prayer cards featuring this image will be available at your parish following the June 12 Mass; a downloadable version is offered here. A larger 9 × 12 print will be available for purchase at a later date.
Devotional Resources
The Office of Mission Support curated resources for your home and/or parish that are listed in the sections below. Contact the Office of Mission Support with questions: missionsupport@cdop.org.
Devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
In His revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Christ revealed His Heart as a symbol of His boundless love for humanity and emphasized the need for people to return His love through devotion and prayer. Between 1673 and 1675, St. Margaret Mary, a nun in the Visitation Convent at Paray-le-Monial, France, received several visions of Jesus.
During the second apparition, early in 1674, Margaret Mary saw Jesus’ Sacred Heart on a throne of flames, transparent as crystal, surrounded by a crown of thorns signifying the sins of mankind, with a cross above it. Again Jesus told her of His infinite love for mankind and His desire that He should be honored through the display of this image of His Heart, with the promise that all who did so would be especially blessed.
In 1675, during the octave of Corpus Christi, Margaret Mary received the vision known as the “great apparition” Jesus asked that the Feast of the Sacred Heart be celebrated each year on the Friday following Corpus Christi, in reparation for the ingratitude of men for the sacrifice which Christ had made for them.
The objective of this devotion is to make our Savior Jesus Christ ardently and perfectly known and loved, and to make reparation for the outrages offered to Him in the past, as well as for those which take place daily.
What the Image Means
The exposed Heart, often depicted with a crown of thorns, represents Jesus’ suffering and His immense love for humanity. The flames emanating from the Heart signify the transformative and purifying power of His love, while the cross above the Heart is a reminder of His redemptive sacrifice. The wound in the side of His Heart represents the wound inflicted on Him by both the Roman soldier and by all human beings through their sins.
When We Celebrate
In the United States, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on the Friday following the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. The Feast of the Sacred Heart in 2026 falls on June 12, and the entire month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
How to Live this Devotion
Nine First Fridays - One of the most popular practices is the First Friday Devotion, where Catholics receive Holy Communion on the first Friday of nine consecutive months, as Jesus requested of St. Margaret Mary. Find Masses in your region.
Pray a Weekly Holy Hour - Find an hour of Eucharistic adoration, especially on Thursdays, in union with Christ's agony in Gethsemane.
Prayers
Sacred Heart Retreat with Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart – find on Hallow
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart - Jesus promised St. Margaret Mary that He “will bless the home in which the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.” Through the enthronement ceremony families recognize Christ’s rule over their lives. They do this by placing an image of his Sacred Heart in a place of honor in their homes, renewing their commitment to be faithful disciples, and consecrating themselves to his Sacred Heart.
Book Recommendations - Bishop gifted all the priests of the diocese this simple but powerful book called The Sacred Heart. Join them in reading individually, as a small group or as a parish.
Other Resources
Pope’s Prayer Network - for more resources and images
Children and Families -
Katie Bogner – At Home VBS, coloring pages, five-day studies, Color-A-Novena and other resources
Sacred Heart for kids on Hallow – 10 days of short reflections leading up to the Solemnity
Prayer of Consecration
O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus:
You know the longings of our hearts,
and you desire that we enjoy friendship with you.
From your pierced side, you have poured out the
wellspring of life, for which we thirst.
Your heart burns with a love for all people to
return to a right relationship with you.
We celebrate the abundant gifts you have 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.
We make reparation for the offenses against
you and against human dignity
that have taken place in this nation.
May our hearts be united to yours,
so that our families and communities
enjoy peace and happiness;
may broken relationships be reconciled,
injustices repaired, and the wounds of our land be healed.
May your holy Catholic Church serve as a sign,
pointing all people to your infinite love.
O Desire of Nations and Center of History,
we ask you to bless the Diocese of Peoria
Who live and reign with God the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.