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October 20, 2021The devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a traditional family devotion that is open to all family structures, traditional, single-parent families and multi-generational families, to name a few. This devotion has been promoted by many saints throughout the history of the Church.
The most famous one is Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a nun who received apparitions of Jesus. Others are Saint Gertrude the Great, Saint Veronica Giuliani and Saint Lutgardis of Aywieres. They all knew the importance of having the Sacred Heart the center of their spiritual life.
This devotion has been ongoing for decades within the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. According to Alex Schimpf, Ph.D., director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life for the archdiocese, the late Father George Pupius was a chaplain at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Oklahoma City and led the devotion the first Friday of each month in the Saint Frances de Sales chapel. After his death in 2018, he passed the obligation to Father Tarasisio Tumuhereze.
“It is a spiritual devotion, an act of faith,” explained Francisco Lozano, facilitator for the First Friday Masses. “This devotion is very powerful and healing as well.”
He added the devotion is world-wide, and many people share how it has been helping them, with circumstances, in healing of an ailment, and just to help them in their day-to-day lives.
“People from around the world have some amazing things happening. There are a lot of testimonies. We just know of some in Oklahoma. It helps us to be more united. It fixes so many things in our life, our struggles, even marriages,” Lozano said.
The devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is an ongoing loyalty, and is continual.
“It is not something you can go to once and it’s over,” Lozano said. “It’s like when you have a house, you fix something, but you have to keep maintaining it. It’s like that with the devotion. You receive a grace, God helps you, and you fix it; you have to maintain it. The more you go the more you fall in love with it. That is the beauty of the devotion.”
Having the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in households also helps with the devotion.
“When we bring the image to our house, we don’t just bring the picture, we bring the light of Christ. And that is what we see in our home. We spend time praying with the family and renewing it daily,” he explained.
He said after speaking with Father Tarasisio, their goal is to continue the devotion at the Catholic Pastoral Center and promote it to other parishes.
Jolene Schonchin is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
First Friday Mass in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Nov. 5, 7 p.m.
Catholic Pastoral Center
Confessions 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Learn more about starting a Sacred Heart of Jesus Devotion at a parish
Contact Alex Schimpf at (405) 721-8944, aschimpf@archokc.org
