Diocese, cathedral parish are consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
By Emily Booker
The fire of Jesus’ love is burning brightly in East Tennessee.
On June 12, the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Father David Boettner, rector of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, consecrated the Diocese of Knoxville and the cathedral parish to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Concelebrating the Mass were cathedral associate pastors Father Danny Herman and Father Diego Rivera and Father Daniel Cooper, associate pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade. Deacons Walt Otey, Fredy Vargas, and Mike Mescall of the cathedral parish, and Deacon Bill Jacobs of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa, also served.
The bilingual Mass drew a large congregation, packing the cathedral as the faithful gathered to entrust their community and their lives to the love and mercy of Jesus’ Sacred Heart.
Father Boettner incenses an image of the Most Sacred Heart during the June 12 Mass. (Photo Emily Booker)
The consecration came a day after the U.S. bishops, including Bishop Mark Beckman, consecrated the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in recognition of the country’s 250th anniversary.
Inspired by the national consecration, Bishop Beckman encouraged parishes and individuals to seize this opportunity of prayer and unity focused on the Sacred Heart. Over the past month, parishes and individuals across East Tennessee have responded to this call, turning to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in novenas, prayers, and home enthronements.
As Bishop Beckman was traveling back to the diocese from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ gathering in Orlando, Fla., on June 12, Father Boettner had the privilege of celebrating the Mass.
“My dear brothers and sisters, we are here to celebrate the consecration of the United States of America to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and to consecrate our diocese and our parish. Let us imitate the love and mercy which Christ has made known to us through His Most Sacred Heart,” Father Boettner said.
“As we bow before the Lord, let us remember that in His own blood Christ has removed all divisions and out of the many nations created one people of God. As we venerate the Sacred Heart, let us reflect that we ourselves are Christ’s disciples and must therefore follow Him, loving not with stony hearts but with living hearts.”
In his homily, Father Boettner spoke on how love changes a person; it makes us willing to do difficult things and helps us to show love to others.
“With the love of God, even the love that we already have grows bigger, and it becomes so big that we can love even the most difficult things. We can love ‘the other.’ That’s the challenge. When Pope Francis wrote his encyclical on the Sacred Heart, one of the challenges he gave to us was to love people that we might consider ‘the other.’ Who is the other? Well, the other is anybody that’s not me, anybody that’s given to me, anybody that doesn’t think the way I think or act the way I act or believe what I believe. And Pope Francis challenged us to love the other.”
He then explained that the love of God is a fire that does not consume.
“The heart of Jesus can be on fire with love and never consume….The heart of Jesus can absolutely be on fire for us, and it doesn’t have to burn up. It doesn’t get exhausted. That’s why we come to the heart of Jesus today, because we come to an infinite source of love, and it’s in that infinite source of love that we have encounter.
Father Boettner offers blessings after Mass. Several parishioners brought images and sacramentals related to the Most Sacred Heart to be blessed at the solemnity Mass. (Photo Emily Booker)
“And when you have an encounter, you meet another. What the Church is inviting us to do today is to meet Christ in His heart, not just to think about Him, not just to admire Him, but to actually enter into the heart of Jesus.”
Father Boettner also noted that the cathedral was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
“The words written around the inside of this church are the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Those words are there to invite us to encounter the heart of Christ when we enter this church. Even if there’s nothing actively taking place, we still have the opportunity to encounter the heart of Jesus Christ. And it’s in that encounter with the heart of Christ that we start to ponder and reflect on these characteristics of the heart of Christ so that our hearts might be changed.
“So, today we pray for our country, for our diocese, for our parish. We pray for each other, that we might truly take on those characteristics of the heart of Christ, because our world needs it. Our country needs those characteristics of the heart of Christ. Our diocese needs those characteristics of the heart of Christ. We need those characteristics of the heart of Christ. And so today we come together so that we might encounter in our Lord and Savior His heart filled with love and mercy,” said Father Boettner, who as of July 1 is serving as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in South Pittsburg and Shepherd of the Valley Parish in Dunlap.
At the conclusion of the Mass, Father Boettner led the faithful in reciting the prayer of consecration:
The cathedral of the Diocese of Knoxville is named after the Sacred Heart of Jesus, honoring His boundless love, mercy, and compassion. (Photo Emily Booker)
“O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, you know the longings of our hearts, and you desire that we enjoy friendship with you.
“From your pierced side, you have poured out the wellspring of life, for which we thirst. Your heart burns with a love for all people to return to a right relationship with you.
“We celebrate the abundant gifts you have given this nation, founded on the self-evident truths that our Creator has endowed all people with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
“We make reparation for the offenses against you and against human dignity that have taken place in this nation.
“May our hearts be united to yours, so that our families and communities enjoy peace and happiness; may broken relationships be reconciled, injustices repaired, and the wounds of our land be healed.
“May your holy Catholic Church serve as a sign, pointing all people to your infinite love.
“O Desire of Nations and Center of History, we ask you to bless these United States of America. In the name of Christ, who lives and reigns with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit. God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
Following Mass, people received a limited-edition print of the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that is in the rose window of the cathedral along with resources on how to enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus in their homes. Some of the faithful brought their own images of the Sacred Heart or other Sacred Heart sacramentals to be blessed at the end of the Mass.
The Sacred Heart Apostolate, headquartered in the Diocese of Knoxville, works to share that love and mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to people all over the world through the enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in parishes, schools, workplaces, and households.
The apostolate worked with the diocese to make the special prints available and to encourage home enthronement in conjunction with the national and diocesan consecrations. Further resources on devotion to the Sacred Heart, including enthronement, can be found at www.dioknox.org/from-the-heart-of-christ.