Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

There are several saints with a special connection to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but Saint Margaret Mary, will forever be associated with devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the symbol of Christ’s love. The first liturgical feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated, with episcopal approval, on 31 August 1670, in the major seminary of Rennes, France, through the efforts of Saint John Eudes. In 1856, Pope Pius IX established the Feast of the Sacred Heart as obligatory for the whole Church, to be celebrated on the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi. In June 1889, Leo XIII raised the feast to the dignity of the first class. In 1928, Pope Pius XI raised the feast to the highest rank.  The Roman Missal published in 1970 provided three sets of prayers and readings, one for each year of the three-year liturgical cycle. Priests may use this Mass, celebrated with white vestments, as a Votive Mass on other days also, especially on the first Friday of each month (unless falling on a day of higher rank). On this first Friday it is also common to hold a Eucharistic adoration for a few hours. For more on these saints visit Saint of the Day < < < LINK > > >

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