‘Conform Our Hearts to His’

June 16, 2026

Knights of Columbus leaders enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Supreme Council headquarters following the U.S. bishops’ consecration of the nation

By Columbia staff

June 16, 2026

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly unveils an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the lobby of Supreme Council headquarters in New Haven. — Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, accompanied by Supreme Officers and fraternal leaders, unveils an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus during an enthronement of the Sacred Heart in the lobby of Supreme Council headquarters in New Haven, Conn., on June 12. (Photo by Mike Ross)

The Supreme Officers, joined by fraternal leaders, Supreme Council staff members and their families, gathered in New Haven, Connecticut, on June 12 for the enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Supreme Council headquarters building.

The event, organized by Supreme Council staff members under the leadership of Supreme Master Michael McCusker, took place in the lobby of the Order’s international headquarters one day after the U.S. bishops’ consecration of the nation to the Sacred Heart as part of this year’s nationwide observance of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Following a Gospel reading and reflection by Dominican Father Jonathan Kalisch, director of chaplains and spiritual development, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly unveiled a framed image of the Sacred Heart and led those assembled in an act of consecration to the Sacred Heart prepared by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“To have the image of the Sacred Heart here will be a reminder when we walk in and walk out … it’s not simply another office here in the city,” Father Kalisch said in his reflection. “Seeing that image of our Lord is a reminder of why we do what we do, especially — more than what we do — what God does for us.”

Father Kalisch then led the assembly in praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart and blessed home enthronement kits that were distributed to Supreme Council staff and their families.

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly leads the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Supreme Council headquarters in New Haven. — Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly (second from left), accompanied by Supreme Officers and Dominican Father Jonathan Kalisch, director of chaplains and spiritual development, leads the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus following the enthronement of the Sacred Heart image in the lobby of Supreme Council headquarters in New Haven, Conn., on June 12. (Photo by Mike Ross)

“As we bless them, let us pray that our Lord may be praised, adored and loved in our homes,” he prayed. “We ask that we may be reminded of God’s love and mercy every time we see these images of the Sacred Heart.”

The ceremony was followed by Mass at St. Mary’s Church, the birthplace of the Order, for the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Father Michael Dolan, pastor of the citywide Blessed Michael McGivney Parish, celebrated the Mass.

In his homily, Father Dolan reflected on the spirituality of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the 17th-century French religious sister to whom Jesus revealed his Sacred Heart in a series of apparitions. A relic of the saint was present during the Mass.

In remarks at the conclusion of the liturgy, Supreme Knight Kelly noted, “Our enthronement of an image of the Sacred Heart today at our headquarters building should also lead us, as an Order, back to the heart of Christ — despite our shortcomings, our limitations, and our weaknesses.”

The supreme knight also reflected on Blessed Michael McGivney’s devotion to the Sacred Heart. Father McGivney grew up in a home with an image of the Sacred Heart on the wall, and as a seminarian he studied with the Vincentians, the Jesuits and the Sulpicians — all of whom promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart. Upon his death in 1890, he was buried with a cloth depiction of the Sacred Heart.

“The national consecration was especially meaningful to the Knights of Columbus,” the supreme knight said. “Devotion to the Sacred Heart has been with us since our very beginning, thanks to our founder.”

Supreme Officers, fraternal leaders, Supreme Council staff members, their families and Father Michael Dolan are pictured on the steps of St. Mary’s Church. — Supreme Officers, fraternal leaders, Supreme Council staff members, their families and Father Michael Dolan, pastor of the citywide Blessed Michael McGivney Parish, are pictured on the steps of St. Mary’s Church, the birthplace of the Order, in New Haven, Conn., following the enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Supreme Council headquarters on June 12. (Photo by Mike Ross)

Last year, the Order sponsored the restoration of the 325-year-old Sacred Heart Chapel of the Church of the Gesù in Rome, which houses the 18th-century image of the Sacred Heart by Italian artist Pompeo Batoni. The image is the centerpiece of the Order’s Pilgrim Icon Program, which began in 2025, and the chapel restoration coincided with the 350th anniversary of the apparitions of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary.

Earlier this month, the major relics of St. Margaret Mary were escorted from Paris to the United States by a delegation of French Knights led by Arnaud Bouthéon, territorial deputy of France. They were brought to Orlando, Florida, for the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart by the U.S. bishops on June 11 and will remain in the country through September. The relics will be available for public veneration at the Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center in New Haven from June 17-27.

“Let’s answer this spiritual call to action as the collective family of the Knights of Columbus,” Supreme Knight Kelly said on June 12. “And let’s do the same in our own individual families. If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to enthrone an image of the Sacred Heart in your home — and every day, let’s strive to make God’s love our own and to conform our hearts to his.”

After Mass, Supreme Council staff and their families were welcomed back to the Knights of Columbus headquarters for a celebratory lunch reception.

Deepak Devaraj speaks during the Conference on Mensuram Bonam at the Vatican.

‘Conform Our Hearts to His’

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