The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been a long-standing tradition in the Catholic Church for centuries. Revealed through private revelation to St. Margaret Mary in 1670s France, the Sacred Heart devotion deepened further with the words of Jesus shared through visions: “I will bless every place in which an image of my Heart is exposed and honored.”
The 15th annual Sacred Heart Congress, One Nation for His Heart, on Saturday, Nov. 7, hosted by the Sacred Heart Enthronement Network, will offer individuals and families an opportunity to encounter Christ’s heart and bring the devotion home with them.
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Held at Westerville St. Paul the Apostle parish from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., the congress will feature talks by Annie Mitchell of EWTN’s Son Rise Morning Show, airing weekday mornings from 6 to 8 a.m., and Bishop Donald Hying of Madison, Wisconsin.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Earl Fernandes. For young families with elementary-age children, a youth program is offered, hosted by the Daughters of Holy Mary of the Heart of Jesus, who serve at St. Paul the Apostle.
Father Jonathon Wilson, pastor at St. Paul the Apostle, shared a personal invitation for this year’s event.
“The Sacred Heart Congress is a great annual half day of spiritual renewal,” he said. “Through Mass, Adoration and inspiring speakers, as well as wonderful fellowship around coffee breaks, it is a day of great renewal and community.
“Don’t let the title, ‘congress,’ scare you. It is a half-day retreat inviting us to a deeper relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Emily Jaminet, national director of the Sacred Heart Enthronement Network, explained that the event will serve as a retreat-like experience and a chance for those devoted to the Sacred Heart to come together, “bringing (their) intentions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” and be representatives of the Sacred Heart Congress in their families, homes and communities.
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She shared how the devotion has been at the heart of her family. The mom-of-seven also has a passion for sharing the devotion with others.
Since becoming director in 2018, Jaminet has worked to expand the mission apostolate from being local to the Columbus diocese to ministering to Catholics across the United States and beyond.
She shared that her family has been devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for many years, dating back to her grandparents. Her grandfather demonstrated his devotion by working with the Men of the Sacred Heart and sending images of the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart of Mary to missions supporting St. Teresa of Calcutta’s work in the early 1990s.
When raising their family, Jaminet and her husband continued the devotion in their home.
“This is a devotion that needs to be brought back to the forefront of the Christian Catholic experience,” she said, “that (all) encounter the love of Christ. For me, as a mom of seven, (my husband and I) discovered those personal challenges of raising children in the world that we are living in, and so, we needed Christ’s love very evidently in our home.”
At the congress, in addition to talks and Mass, participants can expect time for prayer and reflection in front of the Blessed Sacrament and learn more about the ministry of the Sacred Heart Enthronement Network.
Those interested in attending can register for the 15th Annual Sacred Heart Congress: One Nation for His Heart at wesharegiving.org/App/Form/0402830e-d4c7-4ada-b55f-01eb9fecf40a.
Registration is $20 for individuals and $30 for families, with a suggested donation of $5 per child participating in the youth program. Complimentary registration is also available to livestream the event online remotely.
Faithful can explore more on the Sacred Heart of Jesus devotion in advance of the event on the Sacred Heart Enthronement Network’s website, Welcome His Heart | Sacred Heart Enthronement.