For more than 45 years, the Knights of Columbus Pilgrim Icon Program has brought sacred images to Catholic parishes around the world for prayer and devotion. On January 3, Knights launched a new Pilgrim Icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus program during a Holy Hour at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, United States.
During the Holy Hour, an icon depicting the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus painted by Pompeo Batoni in 1767 was displayed. This reproduction of the original image is one of more than 300 icons, each with the apostolic blessing of Pope Francis, who now travel around the world as part of the Knights’ Pilgrim Icon Program.
Receive the main news from ACI Prensa by WhatsApp and Telegram
It is increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channels today:
The original image is currently venerated in the Church of the Gesu in Rome.
The prayer service to launch the new icon included scripture readings and reflections by Pope Francis on the Sacred Heart, as well as the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, prayers to the Sacred Heart, and time for prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
The launch of the new icon program coincides with the publication of Pope Francis’ fourth encyclical, He chose usdedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
“In many ways, He loved us can serve as a mission statement for the Knights of Columbus in the world today,” Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly said in a news release. “The Pope observes that we live in a fragmented and divided society, but the heart of Christ is a unifying center. It is the source of truth and goodness that we all need.”
Kelly met with Pope Francis in a private audience on December 20, 2024. During their meeting, Kelly presented the Holy Father with an icon and brochure for the Holy Hour of the Sacred Heart and shared updates on important activities of the Knights of Columbus in the last year.
Both the new Knights Pilgrim Icon Program and the Holy Father’s encyclical coincide with the Catholic Church’s commemoration of the 350th anniversary of the visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, the French nun who received the 12 promises of the Sacred Heart and First Friday devotions.
The founder of the Knights of Columbus, Blessed Michael McGivney, had a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart. The McGivney family had a Sacred Heart devotional plaque in their home that is still in the Knights’ possession. Additionally, it was discovered that McGivney was buried with a cloth image of the Sacred Heart when his body was exhumed in 1981.
The Knights Pilgrim Icon Program has enabled more than 23 million people to honor Our Lord, Our Lady and the saints through 191,000 prayer services featuring icons such as Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Holy Family and Saint Joseph. The icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the 20th venerated through the program since 1979.
Kelly has asked Knights to “take reproductions of this beloved image to parishes around the world and invite their families—and all families—to consecrate their homes and themselves to the Sacred Heart.”
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.
Francesca Pollio Fenton
Francesca Pollio Fenton is the Social Media Manager at Catholic News Agency. He received his bachelor’s degree in Communications with an emphasis in Digital Media from the University of Colorado, Denver (United States).