Wildly Popular Sacred Heart Film Is a Revival of Hope

On 9 June, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, the Bishops of these United States will consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May He have mercy on our country!

From Aleteia

By Caitlin Bootsma

Theatrical release in the United States timed to coincide with the consecration of the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Find tickets before June 9.

Directors and producers Steven and Sabrina Gunnell were as shocked as everyone else when their docudrama Sacred Heart: His Reign has no End (KREA Film-Makers, Saje Distribution, and Fathom Entertainment) became a runaway hit, first in France, and then around the world.

Now, this cinematic exploration of the 17th-century revelations of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque -- already credited with reversions and conversions to the faith -- is set to come to theaters in the United States (dubbed in English) starting June 9.

A miracle in the box office

Sacred Heart is the Gunnells' 10th movie, a film they hoped would sell about 20,000 tickets in France on a limited run in October 2025. They compare what happened next to the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes.

Reports started to come in that theaters were full to overflowing and that theaters would extend their runs. In France alone, a half million tickets were sold. To date, nearly one million people have seen the film in Europe and abroad.

When asked why she thought the film has been so popular, Sabrina replied,

“In our world, everything is sad; there’s bad news on the TV, the world is terrible. I think the Heart of Jesus is searching for people who want to love Him. It’s a film in the middle of all of this mess that is a revival of hope.”

Society is longing for something that endures

Along with the box office numbers, the Gunnells have been flooded with stories of the impact of the film after the credits finished rolling.

They’ve heard stories of confessional lines that have wrapped around the block, of penitents who have returned to the Sacrament after 40 years. There have even been stories of people entering the Church.

One fellow countryman wrote to them angrily about media attention on the film, saying he was going to watch it only to discredit it. After seeing it, however, the man wrote back to relay that he found the first priest he could to hear his confession.

Sabrina explains that the style of the documentary is that of a meditation, made not only for the faithful, but for people who are far from the Church, who never hear about the faith. Steven adds that there are moments of silence, where the viewer is “heart-to-heart with Jesus.” At times, the viewer can hear the sound of a heart beating, “It beats for us.”

In short, he says, it is a simple message: “it is love,” responding – as the film says – to a “society that is longing for something that endures.”

U.S. release timed with Consecration to the Sacred Heart

This June, in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the United States, U.S. bishops will consecrate the entire nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Especially with the timing of the film, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco calls it a “must see.”

There are two lines from the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that capture the essence of this inspirational docudrama: ‘Heart of Jesus, in whom there dwells the fullness of God …Heart of Jesus, from whose fullness we have all received.’ This awesome reality is beautifully captured by the film as it combines testimonials from people who have had personal encounters with Jesus during Eucharistic adoration and historical re-enactments of the mystical experiences of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque with Jesus.

Steven emphasizes that this movie is not just for the people of France, but for everyone. The film not only tells the story of the 18 months of revelations received by St. Margaret Mary, but also prominently features real life testimonies of modern-day people whose lives were transformed by the Heart of Jesus.

An invitation to draw closer to the Sacred Heart

Throughout the film there are references to the town of Paray-le-Monial, the town where St. Margaret Mary received the revelations, which is now a pilgrimage destination.

While it is a special place, Steven emphasizes that because the Eucharist is in tabernacles every where, the experience of the Lord is accessible anywhere in the world, not only in Paray-le-Monial. The film, the Gunnels say, is an invitation not only for the devout, but also those who wonder about the faith.

Information about the film, including a 9-day novena leading up to the film’s release in the United States, can be found at SacredHeartFilm.Us.