This Forgotten Nun Was Behind a Major Sacred Heart Devotion

I thought I knew the history of the Sacred Heart Devotion fairly well, but I'd never heard of Bld Mary of the Divine Heart. You learn something new every day (or you're dead)!

From Aleteia

By Philip Kosloski

Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart influenced Pope Leo XIII when he was planning to consecrate the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Catholic Church in the 19th century was punctuated with a widespread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This was in large part due to the insistence of French bishops, resulting in a decree from the Sacred Congregation of Rites on August 23, 1856, where Pope Pius IX established the feast of the Sacred Heart for the universal Church.

Yet, that was only the beginning, as Pope Leo XIII would go on to approve a number of popular devotions to the Sacred Heart near the end of the 19th century.

He elevated the feast of the Sacred Heart to a higher rank on June 28, 1889, and approved the Litany of the Sacred Heart for public use in 1899.

While these acts greatly influenced popular piety, Pope Leo XIII would say that the Consecration of the World to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was the "the great act of his pontificate."

Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart

In the middle of the 19th century there was talk among the bishops of a desire to make an official consecration of the Church to the Sacred Heart. This was not realized until Pope Leo XIII performed a worldwide consecration on June 11, 1899.

His decision was highly influenced by letters he received from Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart, a nun who was part of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Porto, Portugal.

She wrote to him, describing a vision she had while in prayer:

"On the eve of the Immaculate Conception," she wrote, "Our Lord made me understand that by this new development of the devotion to His Divine Heart, He will illuminate the entire world with fresh light. The words of the third Mass of Christmas day penetrated my heart, 'For this day a great light hath descended upon earth.' I seemed (interiorly) to behold rays streaming down from this light, this adorable Sun, the Heart of Jesus. Its rays were shed upon the earth in a faint manner at first, then more and more brightly, until the world was illuminated. And He said, 'People all nations shall be enlightened with the brightness of this light and warmed by the intense heat of its rays.' I understood the ardent desire He had that His Adorable Heart should be glorified ever and more and better known and that Its gifts and blessings should be spread over all the world."

She even went so far as to say, "He has chosen your Holiness, and prolonged your days in order that you may now give Him this honor."

Specifically she mentioned that Pope Leo XIII was to consecrate the whole world to the Sacred Heart.

That same year

This letter arrived on January 15, 1899, and after reading it, Pope Leo XIII set the consecration date to a year later in 1900, but after some health complications, he did not want to delay it any longer. He performed the consecration on June 11, 1899.

Various popes have renewed this consecration, most recently St. John Paul II, who renewed it in 1999.

Pope Leo XIII's consecration of the world proved to play a major role in popular devotion and further encouraged individuals and parishes to make similar consecrations at the local level.

Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart's influence helped encourage Pope Leo XIII to surround the world with the love of the Sacred Heart.