The Heart of Prayer

June 1, 2025

An interview with Jesuit Father Cristóbal Fones about the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

June 1, 2025

Archbishop William Lori celebrates Mass in the Church of the Gesù in Rome on Oct. 23, 2024. — Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori, joined by other Supreme Officers and K of C leaders, celebrates Mass in the Sacred Heart Chapel of the Church of the Gesù in Rome on Oct. 23, 2024. (Photo by Tamino Petelinšek)

“Devotion to Christ’s heart is essential for our Christian life to the extent that it expresses our openness in faith and adoration to the mystery of the Lord’s divine and human love,” Pope Francis wrote in his last encyclical, Dilexit Nos (“He loved us”), published Oct. 24, 2024.

One day earlier, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and other Supreme Officers gathered for a votive Mass of the Sacred Heart at Rome’s Church of the Gesù, celebrated by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori. The Order announced its sponsorship of the restoration of the church’s Sacred Heart Chapel and Pompeo Batoni’s 1767 painting of the Sacred Heart — a project that was completed in spring 2025.

The Batoni image also serves as the centerpiece of the current Knights of Columbus Pilgrim Icon Program, which officially launched in January 2025 with 300 blessed icons traveling through jurisdictions Orderwide.

These initiatives — together with the encyclical — coincide with the 350th anniversary of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque’s visions of the Sacred Heart, which culminated in June 1675 with Christ’s request for a feast in honor of his heart. They also reflect a shared mission with the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network — formerly the Apostleship of Prayer — which, since the late 19th century, has promoted devotion to the Heart of Jesus, prayer for the pope’s intentions, and the daily spiritual offering of one’s life in union with Christ.

In November 2024, Pope Francis appointed Jesuit Father Cristóbal Fones of Chile as the network’s new international director. Father Fones recently spoke with Columbia editor Alton Pelowski about the apostolate’s spiritual legacy and the significance of its mission today.

COLUMBIA: The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (formerly the Apostleship of Prayer) is the Church’s largest prayer group. Can you share a bit about the prayer apostolate’s scope and mission?

FATHER CRISTÓBAL FONES: It all began in 1844 in a Jesuit scholastic community in France that was excited about the work of missionaries, especially in India. Their spiritual director recommended offering their daily duties, studies and sacrifices as a way to collaborate in the missionary work of the Church. They called it the Apostleship of Prayer — praying for others, not just for one’s own needs or those close to me, but for the needs of the Church and the whole world.

It spread fast in France and then to other countries. In the late-19th century, Pope Leo XIII entrusted his own monthly intentions to the Apostleship of Prayer groups. By 1914, Pope Pius X was promoting the reception of Communion for children to foster a closer relationship with Christ. This connected very well with the Apostleship of Prayer, which was attached to the spirituality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus from the outset.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, in fact, belonged to the Apostleship of Prayer, as did her parents, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin. And she continued to pray for the pope’s intentions after entering the Carmelites. St. Thérèse and St. Francis Xavier are the co-patrons of our network because they are the patrons of missionaries around the world.

So Pope Pius X’s intention of promoting a closer intimacy with the Lord through daily, or at least weekly, Communion led in 1915 to the youth branch of the Apostleship of Prayer called the Eucharistic Crusade, which in 1962 became the Eucharistic Youth Movement.

Most recently, Pope Francis transformed the Apostleship of Prayer from a Jesuit apostolate to a papal initiative called the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. That’s why I was appointed by the Holy Father himself and not by the Father General of the Jesuits. So while it is still a pontifical work entrusted to the Jesuits, it’s now more universal, even as the original mission remains.

There are groups of the Apostleship of Prayer in many parishes, but the Prayer Network is not meant to be just another movement. Any prayer group — any baptized person, in fact — can participate, as long as they commit to praying for the pope’s monthly intentions and offering their daily lives to the Lord. We are recovering the essence of the original mission in a way that is more accessible and inclusive than ever.

Knights carry the Sacred Heart pilgrim icon into St. Mary’s Church — Iaian Blamey (left), a member of St. John XXIII Council 5987 in Monroe, Conn., and Grand Knight Drew Dillingham of San Salvador Council 1 in New Haven, carry the Sacred Heart pilgrim icon during a Mass and Holy Hour at St. Mary’s Church on Jan. 3. (Photo by Paul Haring)

COLUMBIA: You noted that the Prayer Network’s mission has been rooted in devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus since its founding. Can you tell us more about this and the Prayer Network’s “Way of the Heart” formation program introduced in 2019?

FATHER FONES: Devotion to the Sacred Heart is much older than the Apostleship of Prayer. As Pope Francis explained in Dilexit Nos, this devotion has biblical roots and began in the early Church and developed through the Middle Ages.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart is ultimately about a relationship — not just a pious practice, but a spirituality rooted in the person of Jesus. This spirituality has developed over centuries and includes many expressions, but Pope Francis entrusted the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network with a specific path to help people grow in this relationship. It’s called “The Way of the Heart,” and it’s based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

The Way of the Heart is a nine-step spiritual itinerary. The first three steps focus on the heart — the heart of God who loves us; our own hearts, with all our desires and distractions; and the heart of the world, with its suffering and longing. Steps four to six focus on the heart of Christ — how he loves, how he preaches, how he calls us his friends and sends us forth. And the final three steps center on the mission — how we are called to participate in Christ’s own mission of compassion.

This path can be lived out in retreat form or as a daily rhythm. It’s about uniting our hearts to his and recognizing that we are all invited to be apostles of prayer — collaborators in his mission. The monthly intentions of the pope also support this path.

Through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, we are trying to renew the spiritual lives of all the baptized, across all spiritualities and charisms. That’s why we speak of a network, not a movement. We want to draw everyone into this path of relationship with the risen Lord, who still bears his wounds and offers his heart to us.

COLUMBIA: The pope’s monthly prayer intentions have been part of the Church’s life since 1890, the same year Blessed Michael McGivney died. How are the intentions chosen, and how are they affected during a change in pontificate?

FATHER FONES: The monthly intentions are proposed by the Holy Father himself. They reflect the challenges he sees in the world and in the Church, and our role is to help Catholics everywhere pray for those intentions — not just with the pope, but for him. This tradition began when Pope Leo XIII first entrusted his personal intentions to the Apostleship of Prayer, and it continues today.

In 2025, we are still praying with the intentions that Pope Francis chose, and I’ve written to Pope Leo XIV asking him to confirm them as his own. But the important thing is that the pope’s intentions are not just ideas — they are part of a spiritual discernment about where God is calling the Church to focus its prayer and compassion.

Finally, I would ask all your readers to pray for and support Pope Leo XIV. There will always be debate about whether a new pope is “too liberal” or “too conservative,” but that’s not what matters. He is the successor of Peter. Let’s receive him with faith, support him in his ministry, and help him be a true shepherd for our time.

College Knights pray during a Pilgrim Icon prayer service at Providence College — College Knights and other students pray during a Pilgrim Icon prayer service at Providence College, organized by Friar Council 5787. (Photo by Bryce Vickmark)

COLUMBIA: The Prayer Network emphasizes that praying for the pope’s intentions isn’t just about words — it should move us to concrete action. How do you encourage Catholics to put their prayers into practice and their faith into action?

FATHER FONES: If we pray sincerely and integrate the monthly intention, something will move inside of us that will transform the world, because these are real challenges.

Every month, we propose some attitudes to accompany the intention — spiritual dispositions we can ask for as a grace. These are available through our “Click To Pray” app. But we don’t want to be overly directive. It’s not our role to say, “You have to go feed the homeless.” Rather, our hope is that your heart is moved to act in some way, big or small.

The important thing is not to multiply activities for the sake of doing more, but to live our ordinary lives as a mission of compassion. When our hearts are connected to the Heart of Christ, we treat others differently. We become more attentive to the needs of our families, our neighbors, even strangers at the supermarket. That’s how transformation begins.

COLUMBIA: Do you find that the Knights’ recent restoration of the Sacred Heart Chapel at the Gesù in Rome and its Sacred Heart Pilgrim Icon Program — not to mention the Cor initiative — resonate with the Prayer Network’s mission?

FATHER FONES: I didn’t know much about the Knights of Columbus until recently, but what I’ve discovered brings me real joy. We can talk and talk, but love must be concrete — not just words, but actions. And that’s what I see in the Knights: concrete deeds centered on Christ.

The restoration of the Sacred Heart Chapel, especially the Batoni painting of Christ offering his heart, is a powerful witness. It’s an image of the risen Lord — still bearing his wounds — offering his heart to others. Some people might focus on the symbol of the heart without focusing on the person of Jesus. But in this image, it’s clearly Jesus himself offering us his heart — the core of who he is.

I’m very glad that the Knights are taking this seriously and helping to pass on not just a religious image or set of practices, but a living relationship with the risen Christ. From what I’ve seen, your organization is well-rooted in Christ and focused on what truly matters. It’s been enriching for me personally to get to know the Knights of Columbus and to see your commitment to Christ and the Church. You’re helping me grow spiritually as well.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart is ultimately about a relationship — not just a pious practice, but a spirituality rooted in the person of Jesus. ... When our hearts are connected to the Heart of Christ, we treat others differently.

COLUMBIA: What insights from Pope Francis’ final encyclical, Dilexit Nos, might you highlight for Knights and their families seeking spiritual renewal through devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus?

FATHER FONES: First, the encyclical shows clearly that devotion to the Sacred Heart is really about devotion to the person of Christ. It’s not limited to one apparition or time period. Pope Francis draws from many saints and mystics — from St. Margaret Mary to St. Thérèse to St. Charles de Foucauld — to show how this spirituality has shaped the Church through history.

Second, Dilexit Nos gives a renewed understanding of reparation. Historically, reparation was often understood as offering up our sufferings to console the Lord. That’s good and true, but the encyclical goes further. Pope Francis reminds us that the sufferings of Jesus today are found in those who are poor, hungry, imprisoned. He links reparation with the words of Jesus in Matthew 25: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

So, reparation is not only about sharing in Christ’s passion, but also about collaborating in his mission. I’m offering my daily works, my daily efforts, and serving and loving those in need, with whom he identifies today. This theological approach, as Pope Francis presents it, is deeply enriching.

Archbishop Wacław Depo of Częstochowa addresses Knights at Jasna Góra Monastery. — Archbishop Wacław Depo of Częstochowa, state chaplain of Poland, addresses Knights gathered at Jasna Góra Monastery for a Mass welcoming the Sacred Heart pilgrim icon. (Photo by Karol Porwich)

COLUMBIA: How can Knights and their families more intentionally join the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network — in their homes, councils, and parishes?

FATHER FONES: First, begin with the daily offering. That’s the core. Offer your day — your prayers, works, joys and sufferings — to God in union with Christ’s heart. Our Click to Pray app includes a simple morning prayer and Gospel reflection to help with that. We also encourage a five-minute pause at midday and, in particular, an evening examen, which is a very important opportunity to reflect on how God has worked in and through us during the day.

Second, gather in community. If Knights’ councils could come together on First Fridays to pray for the monthly intention and share a short reflection or moment of fraternity, that would be beautiful. These moments of shared prayer create unity and deepen our understanding of the intention.

Third, support the Prayer Network’s mission. Many local offices around the world — especially in poorer regions — need help with formation, retreats and outreach. Financial support, when possible, is a real help in spreading this mission globally.

Finally, I encourage retreats on the Way of the Heart. The Prayer Network’s national director in your country would be happy to support local councils and parishes with retreats or presentations. This spirituality can truly enrich what you already live as Knights of Columbus

Left: A photographic negative of the Shroud of Turin. • Right: A bronze sculpture titled “The Sign” at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C.

The Heart of Prayer

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