By CatholicVote | Created at 2025-01-10 21:26:22 | Updated at 2025-01-11 00:43:19
3 hours ago
CV NEWS FEED // The Knights of Columbus recently unveiled its latest Pilgrim Icon Program, an initiative centered on devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The program launched at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, the birthplace of the Knights of Columbus, with a Sacred Heart Holy Hour Jan. 3.
At the core of the Knights’ initiative is a reproduction of the iconic 1767 painting of the Sacred Heart by Italian artist Pompeo Batoni. This image is featured on more than 300 replicas of the icon, each blessed by Pope Francis, that will be brought by the Knights to parishes worldwide, encouraging Catholics to grow closer to Christ’s love and mercy.
“As my brother Knights of Columbus bring reproductions of this beloved image to parishes around the world, I hope that they will invite their families — and all families — to consecrate their homes and themselves to the Sacred Heart,” said Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly. “In the heart of Christ, we see the heart of the Father. And we ask Our Lord to help us make his heart our own, so that we may see and love in others what he sees and loves in us.”
The program’s launch began with a Mass for the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, celebrated by Father Ryan Lerner of Blessed Michael McGivney Parish. During his homily, Fr. Lerner urged attendees to draw closer to Jesus and His Sacred Heart.
“The name of Jesus casts out fear, anxiety and distress; reminds us of our need for a Savior; instills trust, brings peace, and unites our hearts more closely to his Most Sacred Heart,” Fr. Lerner said in his homily.
Following the Mass, a Holy Hour featured prayers, Scripture readings, and reflections from Pope Francis’ new encyclical Dilexit Nos (“He Loved Us”). The prayer service also included the Divine Mercy Chaplet, time for silent adoration, and excerpts from the Knights’ Sacred Heart holy hour booklet, also blessed by the Pope.
“In many ways, Dilexit Nos can serve as a mission statement for the Knights of Columbus in today’s world,” Kelly wrote in his introduction to the Holy Hour booklet. “The pope observes that we live in a fragmented and divided society, but the heart of Christ is a unifying center. It is the source of truth and goodness that we all need.”
The program’s release coincides with the 350th anniversary of the Sacred Heart visions experienced by French nun St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. These revelations introduced the First Friday devotion and the 12 promises of Christ’s Sacred Heart tied to it.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the 20th icon in the Knights’ Pilgrim Icon Program, which began in 1979 and has previously featured subjects like Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Joseph.
