One Nation, One Heart: Colorado Catholics Join National Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Mother Cabrini Shrine
- André Escaleira, Jr.
- 1 hour ago
- 5 min read
At Mother Cabrini Shrine, faithful from across the Archdiocese of Denver prayed for the United States and its future under the Heart of Christ.
From his perch a thousand feet above the city of Denver, Jesus and his Sacred Heart watch over God’s children on the very ground that St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, herself deeply devoted to that Heart, walked, prayed and served.
On Thursday, June 11, the day before the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that hallowed ground was the site of a local Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In union with Catholics nationwide, and the United States bishops gathered in Orlando, Florida, for their biannual meeting, Catholics from across the archdiocese came together at the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden to commend the nearly 250-year-old country to the Heart of God.
The consecration day began with morning Mass, Eucharistic Adoration and Confession in the shrine’s chapel, and continued with a noon prayer service, procession to the Sacred Heart statue and benediction overlooking the city of Denver.
The Sacred Heart Devotion
Born out of a time of rigid confusion in the Church, the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was God’s way of reminding people of Jesus’ mercy and love for his children, Father Eric Zegeer, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Denver, explained in his homily.
“It is not the rigid, harsh rules of God, of fire and condemnation, for those who have offended him, but this gentle, human heart pierced for our sins, pouring forth blood and water for our salvation. A human, gentle, loving heart. A heart for us. A Heart with us,” he said.
That love and mercy are especially extended to the most vulnerable among us, Father Zegeer emphasized.
“There is clear, preferential love in the heart of God throughout Scripture, Old and New Testament, for the widow, the orphan, the poor and the alien. The more vulnerable, the more God's love is intensified for you,” he explained. “And today, this is what we celebrate, this intense, incredible, all-consuming, human, gentle love of God revealed in the Heart of Christ.”
In fact, Father Zegeer noted, it is that very love, that very Heart, that we receive each time we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, a connection evidenced by Eucharistic miracles, which consistently find that the miraculous flesh came from a type-AB blooded man who suffered greatly.
In response to that zealous love of God for us, there is self-gift and reparation: a free, total and grateful surrender to God and a repentance for the times we’ve failed to do that.
“It’s a complete and total self-giving of one to Jesus as Lord and Savior. There is no other. We have no king and no God but Jesus,” he said. “Secondly, it’s an act of reparation for our sins. If I’m not a sinner, then we don’t need a savior. And if I am a sinner, my nation has sinned, too.
“I could not be more proud of being an American, especially as we celebrate our 250th anniversary and we begin to celebrate the World Cup on our own soil,” Father Zegeer continued. “But I also acknowledge that I am a sinner and my nation has sinned in its history. And so we turn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in reparation. Reparation for unjust wars, for abortion, for slavery, for discrimination. Reparation for the many ways in which we have not been faithful to the commandments of God.”
We do this all in a spirit of love for God and neighbor, Father Zegeer noted, recognizing Jesus’ call to “love one another” as his friends. Noting Jesus’ own words in John 15 — “you are my friends if you do what I command you” — he noted that this responsibility is “a great gift and a treasure that Christ gifts us and commands us: love one another as I have loved you.”
(Photos by Grant Whitty/Denver Catholic)
The Sacred Heart Today
For attendees, the Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart was a timely, beautiful reminder of Jesus’ role in our lives, families, communities, state and nation.
“The timing of this consecration is very profound, and it's so necessary for our world, for our country, for our nation, for the state of Colorado,” said JoAnn Seaman, executive director of the Mother Cabrini Shrine.” I think the world needs the Sacred Heart of Jesus more than ever.”
“I think it’s very important, because there’s so much darkness today, no matter where you look,” added Maribel, a parishioner of St. Augustine Parish in Brighton. “So I think this consecration is really important for that reason, especially so that there might be a little bit of light in all this darkness that we’re living.”
In many ways, Sacred Heart devotees carry with them a profound hope for the nation’s next 250 years, thanks to this consecration.
“I've been very devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for many years. I love him dearly, and I want him for my eternal life, and want to be close to him eternally. And the faith I have when I pray to the Sacred Heart brings me lots of peace. I feel that my healing, I'm doing so much better. As you can see, I came up 350 steps!” shared Maura Pascual, a parishioner of St. Thomas More Parish in Centennial, who credits some of her physical healing to the Sacred Heart and Mother Cabrini. “Through Mother Cabrini's devotion as well, I'm hoping that our nation gets that dedication and that we all can love one another like Jesus wants us to, without racism, discrimination, just truly for who we are.”
“It’s a blessing, and God gives us strength. We’re here with this mission, to pray that God continues to bless us like he always has,” added Susana, a parishioner of Queen of Peace Parish in Aurora. “This nation is one of immigrants, and we hope in God that it’ll always be that way, that there won’t be divisions between families. I’ve been praying for that.”
“We ask God's blessings and protection over us that we may be able to celebrate another 250 years of immigrants united together, free, democratic, and that uses its wealth and power to lift up the poor and vulnerable,” said Father Zegeer.
The Sacred Heart for the Next 250 Years
Through this consecration, the United States — and, indeed, each of us — is invited to draw near to the Heart of Jesus, burning with love for God’s children.
“He extends his heart to you and me now. May we unite our hearts with his and walk up those steps to the image of a sacred heart, to bless our diocese and our nation, and to thank God for the gift to be an American,” Father Zegeer concluded. “May the heart of Christ unite us all, and may he lead us up this mountain as he leads us to the heavenly Jerusalem, our home, of which we are all citizens. Praised be the heart of Jesus living in Mary. May his blood pour forth upon our nation, blessing, protecting and building it up to be a light to the nations and the glory of God here on earth.”
