The Feast of the Sacred Heart
June 12
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM
Consecrated Religious, Mystic, Beloved Disciple
and Apostle of the Sacred Heart
Who is St. Margaret Mary Alacoque?
Canonization: May 13, 1920
Feast day: October 16
In Christian history, focus on the Heart of Jesus originates with the Gospels and is subsequently developed by the Church Fathers, mystics, and spiritual writers, including the founders of the Salesian spiritual tradition—St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) and St. Jane Frances de Chantal (1572-1641). Margaret Mary Alacoque was the heir to this rich spiritual heritage. However, the revelations of the Sacred Heart, made between December 1673 and June 1675, to this young Visitandine nun ushered in a new—liturgical—phase of devotion to the Lord’s Heart, and was also the catalyst for its spread on a global scale.
Margaret Mary belongs to a long ecclesial tradition of women mystics-apostles, whom the Lord calls upon to expand humanity’s knowledge of His plan for salvation history…
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque’s Relics on Tour in the US
The relics of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque are in the United States as part of the nation’s 250th celebration. They will remain in the U.S. until September. As part of their plenary assembly in Orlando from June 10-12, the U.S. bishops will consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the eve of this special feast day. Four reliquaries allow St. Margaret Mary's relics to be taken around the world for veneration. The American pilgrimage coincides with the U.S. release of a French documentary on the Sacred Heart. Released in France in October 2025, the documentary film depicts the apparitions of Christ and the revelations received by St. Margaret Mary. You can read full story from National Catholic Reporter here.
The Visitation Sisters & The Oblates…
The Oblates have a special relationship with the Visitation Sisters. The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary was founded by St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal in 1610. Approximately 250 years later Bl. Louis Brisson, OSFS, was formed and nurtured in the Salesian spirit by a Visitandine, Venerable Mother Mary de Sales Chappuis, VHM. Together they dedicated themselves to revitalizing French Catholicism and later founded the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.— St. Jane de Chantal.
Salesian Reflections on the Sacred Heart:
Quotes from St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
"Keep your heart in peace and let nothing trouble you, not even your faults. You must humble yourself and amend them peacefully, without being discouraged or cast down, for God's dwelling is in peace."
"I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of God."
"But above all preserve peace of heart. This is more valuable than any treasure."
"All for the Eucharist; nothing for me."
"If you feel yourself frail and weak, lapsing into faults at every moment, go to the Sacred Heart and draw from it the strength which will invigorate and revive you."
"Let us begin in earnest to work out our salvation, for no one will do it for us."
"Let every knee bend before Thee, O greatness of my God, so supremely humbled in the Sacred Host. May every heart love Thee, every spirit adore Thee and every will be subject to Thee!"
"Lord Jesus, let my heart never rest until it finds Thee, who are its source, its love and its happiness."
The Visitation Sisters are largely responsible for the existence of the Oblates. It was a Visitation Sister, Mother Marie de Sales Chappuis, who strongly urged and supported Bl. Louis Brisson in founding the Oblates. Just as Saints Jane de Chantal and Francis de Sales worked closely together, the Oblates and Visitation Sisters continue the tradition with close collaboration.
Reflections on the Visitation Order:
