Pastoral Letter from Bishop Provost
June 12, 2026
The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
“Heart Speaks to Heart”
My dear People of God,
On the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I could turn to many sources to examine the rich significance of this Catholic devotion. I think of the encyclical of Pope Pius XII, Haurietis Aquas [Athirst for the Waters] (May 15th, 1956), written to commemorate the centennial of the feast’s institution, or Annum Sacrum [the Holy Year] (May 25th, 1899) of Pope Leo XIII which spoke of consecrating the human race to the Sacred Heart. We could also stretch back to St. Bonaventure’s (1217-1274) Lignum Vitae or St. John Eudes who wrote the prayers for the first office honoring the Sacred Heart, for which reason Pope Leo XIII, in proclaiming his virtues heroic in 1903, gave him the title of "Author of the Liturgical Worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Holy Heart of Mary."











