By Gina Christian, OSV News
(OSV News) — The Knights of Columbus are inviting the faithful to take part in a novena to the Sacred Heart dedicated to the intentions of Pope Leo XIV.
The nine days of prayer will begin June 19, the anniversary of the pope’s priestly ordination as the former Augustinian Father Robert Prevost.
The novena will conclude on June 27, the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, devotion to which — with precedents in at least the 11th and 12th centuries — spread broadly among Catholics following private revelations and visions received from 1673 to 1675 by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a Visitation sister in France.
The novena also commemorates the 350th anniversary of the final revelation to St. Margaret Mary. Prayers for the novena can be obtained by visiting the novena’s website at https://www.kofc.org/un/en/campaigns/papal-novena.html.
Through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, a pontifical society tracing its roots to the 19th century, the faithful are asked to dedicate themselves to specific monthly intentions entrusted by the pope to the universal church.
During this month, Pope Leo’s intention is “that the world might grow in compassion,” according to the network’s website, which states, “Let us pray that each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and from his Heart, learn to have compassion on the world.”
Participants in the Knights’ novena are also welcome to submit their own intentions, which Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly will bring to Rome later in this Jubilee Year.
“Our Holy Father can count on the loyalty and prayers of the Knights of Columbus — now and always,” said Kelly in a June 17 statement. “In solidarity with him, I invite all Knights, their families, and people of goodwill to join in this special novena for the pope and his intentions, as we support the Church’s mission of evangelization through our works of charity and faith formation.”
The Knights are also encouraging the faithful to enthrone, or reverently install, an image of the Sacred Heart in their homes.
The organization has prepared a booklet for a home ceremony, based on a format promoted in the early 20th century by Chilean Father Mateo Crawley-Boevey, a priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and founder of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in the Home apostolate, which was approved by both his superior general and St. Pius X.
The enthronement is intended to honor the primacy of Christ in the daily life of the family and its members. Images and instructions are available from the Knights at shopcatholicinfo.com.
Earlier this year, the Knights unveiled a Pilgrim Icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus during a Eucharistic Holy Hour at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, where Blessed Michael McGivney founded the organization in 1882. The icon is a reproduction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as painted by Pompeo Batoni in 1767 and venerated in Rome’s Church of the Gesù.
The reproduction is one of more than 300 icons, all of which received the apostolic blessing of the late Pope Francis, now on tour throughout the world as part of the Knight’s pilgrim icon program.
Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.
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