Knights of Columbus Offers Veneration of Major Relics of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
17th century French Nun and Mystic Visionary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
New Haven, Connecticut — The Knights of Columbus have announced a veneration schedule for major relics of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690), a cloistered, contemplative nun known as the Apostle of the Sacred Heart. St. Margaret Mary’s relics traveled to the United States under the custody of the Knights of Columbus for the U.S. Catholic bishops’ June 11 consecration of the nation to the Sacred Heart in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The day following the consecration was the Catholic observance of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. Thousands of faithful venerated the relics at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, and later at Orlando's St. James Cathedral.
Enclosed in an ornate reliquary, the first-class relics will be available for public veneration at the Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center at 1 State Street in New Haven, Connecticut, from Wednesday, June 24 through Saturday, June 27. The McGivney Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free admission and parking.
During the week of Independence Day, the relics will visit two cities significant to America’s 250th anniversary. First, they will visit the nation’s capital, where they will be available for veneration Monday, June 29, through Wednesday, July 1, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and from Thursday, July 2 through Saturday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, 3900 Harewood Road NE, Washington, DC.
On July 5 and 6, the relics will visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (commonly known as the Baltimore Basilica), 409 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD, the nation’s first Catholic cathedral. Public veneration will begin on Sunday, July 5, beginning with a 10:30 a.m. Mass celebrated by Archbishop William Lori, and continuing until 7 p.m. On Monday, July 6, the relics will be available for veneration from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m at the Baltimore Basilica.
The relics will return to the McGivney Center for veneration in New Haven, July 8-11 and July 15-18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Relics are either the mortal remains or possessions of holy persons. From the earliest period in Christianity, such earthly remains have been venerated (prayerfully honored) in respect for the saintly people associated with them. The practice has continued for two millennia with people praying devoutly before relics for their own earthly needs or those of loved ones.
St. Margaret Mary was a member of a religious community known as the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary. Beginning in 1673, at her convent in France, she experienced multiple visions of Jesus during which he stressed his divine love for humanity and revealed devotion to his Sacred Heart. At Jesus’ instruction, and with the assistance of her priest spiritual director, the Jesuit priest St. Claude de la Colombiere, the nun introduced the series of spiritual practices to the world which continue to be observed today. She was canonized as a saint in 1920.
Additional opportunities for veneration will be announced once they are confirmed.