The Feast of the Sacred Heart always takes place exactly 68 days after Easter, which places it 19 days after Pentecost Sunday and immediately following the feast of Corpus Christi.
The modern devotion gained prominence in the 17th century through a series of visions reported by a French Visitation nun, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. Jesus appeared to her, revealing his heart as a symbol of boundless love and requesting that a feast be established to honor it.
Pope Pius IX officially instituted the Feast of the Sacred Heart for the universal Catholic Church in 1856.
The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is historically and liturgically celebrated on the very next day.
As a recognized Solemnity, it holds one of the highest ranks in liturgical observance, and many attend Mass or participate in Eucharistic Adoration.
Activities associated with the Sacred Heart:
♦ The faithful commonly recite the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and say special Acts of Reparation to atone for sins.
♦ First Fridays: attending Mass on the First Friday of nine consecutive months, a request traditionally tied to the visions of St. Margaret Mary.
♦ Priestly Sanctification: St. John Paul II also designated this date as the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.