Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Each year, the Church’s liturgical calendar gives us the beautiful gift of the “Easter season,” 50 days, from the celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday to the great feast of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. On the two Sundays following Pentecost, we celebrate the mystery of the Trinity and the feast of our Lord’s Body and Blood, Corpus Christi.
On the Friday after the feast of Corpus Christi, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The last encyclical written by our beloved Holy Father Pope Francis, of happy memory, entitled Dilexit Nos (He loved us), is a reflection on the development and the importance for us today of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
As we look forward to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of our Nation, the 250th anniversary of our Independence Day on July Fourth, the bishops of our country (USCCB) will consecrate our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In a Reflection on the Consecration to the Sacred Heart, Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, chairman of the USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty, tells of the bishops’ decision to offer this Consecration:
“… 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…”
Reflection on the Consecration to the Sacred Heart
The consecration will take place on Thursday, June 11, the vigil of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, when all the bishops of the country will be gathered in Orlando, Florida, at their semi-annual meeting.
I have asked all the parishes of our diocese to offer the opportunity and encourage all parishioners to consecrate themselves, their families, and their parish to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Mass on Friday, June 12, 2026, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
We are blessed with three parishes in our diocese that are named in honor of the Sacred Heart, where there will be special Masses and an opportunity to participate in the consecration. For more information, see Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In preparation for the solemnity and consecration, there will be a “National Novena to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” from June 3 to 11. For more information, see: USCCB Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
We will also be blessed in our diocese by some sacred moments and opportunities on the days following the Feast of the Sacred Heart. On Saturday, June 13, Deacon Lucas Folan and Deacon Jender Medina will be ordained to the priesthood at our Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. On Sunday and Monday, June 14 and 15, our Diocese will host the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage:
“In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is journeying through the East Coast to 18 dioceses, including our Diocese of Paterson!
The 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s theme is ‘One Nation Under God.’ … It is a nationwide call to renewal, unity, and mission rooted in the Eucharist.
Centered on encounter and mission as we walk with Jesus truly present in the Eucharist, the pilgrimage invites the faithful to renewal of faith, one person at a time…”
2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage
For more information, details, and a schedule of the events that will be taking place in our Diocese on June 14 and 15, please click on the link above or go to our Diocesan website.
I was six years old when our nation celebrated her bicentennial on July 4, 1976. Although I couldn’t fully appreciate what we were celebrating at that time, I do have memories of parades, celebrations, and fireworks. July 4, 2026, is an opportunity for all of us to pause, remember, and give thanks. Our nation continues to face challenges today, as we have over the past 250 years. Celebrating the anniversary of our independence, especially as people of faith, reminds us that, despite the challenges, we need to give thanks for the blessings and freedoms we share and for those who have sacrificed even by laying down their lives, so that we may enjoy those blessings and freedoms.
As we give thanks, we are also reminded of our responsibility as Catholic Christians to contribute to the common good as faithful citizens. Archbishop Sample reminds us of this responsibility in his reflection on the consecration:
“… As we reflect with gratitude on the blessings God has bestowed on our country, our devotion to the Sacred Heart demands that we consider how we might foster truth, justice, and charity in American life. We are called to bring our faith into the actions we take and the lives we lead in our communities…”
Let us all hope, pray, and do our part as we give thanks and ask God to continue to bless us and the United States of America. I hope and pray that you will respond to this invitation, especially by participating in the consecration to the Sacred Heart, by praying for our men who will be ordained priests – and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life – and by participating in the Eucharistic Pilgrimage on June 14 or 15.
Asking the help and intercession of Mary, the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States, I am
Faithfully yours in Christ,
 |
Most Reverend Kevin J. Sweeney, D.D.
Bishop of Paterson
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
