A Catholic and American Moment!
Growing up Catholic in Philadelphia, there were a few realities that simply went with the territory! In our living room, there was always an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, hung there by my parents in accord with the promises of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. What memories I have of hearing my Dad whisper prayers to the Sacred Heart as he passed by that image! My folks instilled in us a deep love for Jesus and His Church! In the City of Brotherly Love and nearby, there was always the draw of historical places, and my parents made sure that early on we had an appreciation for history and a love for our country. What memories I have of my parents taking us on tours and visits to the Liberty Bell, to Independence Hall, and to Valley Forge. My folks instilled in us a deep love and respect for our country and for her citizenry.
On July 4th of this year, we will celebrate the 250th birthday of our nation, grateful for the blessings of this our “land of the free and the home of the brave.” And to mark this “semiquincentennial”, on June 11th, the eve of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Bishops of the United States gathered in prayer will consecrate our Nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This truly is a Catholic and American Moment!
It was two hundred and fifty years ago that a remarkable group of men, including several faithful Catholics, gathered in my hometown of Philadelphia. Their deliberations would change the course of history. The Declaration of Independence proclaimed that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” As an American, I have always found those words moving. As a bishop, I find them even more so, for they echo, however imperfectly, truths the Church has proclaimed from her very beginning: that every human person bears the image and likeness of God, and that human dignity is not a gift of government but a gift of God Himself; that our freedom has been won for us by the crucified and risen Lord, and that perfect happiness awaits us in heaven!
The Catholic Story of America
The story of the Catholic Church in America is as old as the nation itself, indeed, older. Long before the first shots of the Revolution were fired, Catholic missionaries were planting the Cross in American soil. Franciscan and Jesuit priests journeyed into the unknown wilderness, learning the languages of indigenous peoples and sharing the Gospel at great personal cost. The North American Martyrs, Saints Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brébeuf, and their companions, gave their lives for the faith on this very continent. Their blood, shed out of love, planted the first seeds of the Church in the New World.
When the Founders gathered in Philadelphia to declare independence and later to frame a Constitution, Catholics were present among them. Charles Carroll of Carrollton was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, and the last surviving signer to die. His cousin, Bishop John Carroll, became the first Catholic bishop in the United States, assigned to the newly established See of Baltimore in 1789, the very year George Washington took the oath of office as President. From those intertwined beginnings, the Church and the Country grew, a nation of sinners and saints.
Wave upon wave of Catholic immigrants, many settling right here in Northwest Ohio, came to these shores carrying with them their faith. They built parishes, schools, hospitals, and orphanages in every corner of this land. Catholic Religious Sisters staffed those schools and hospitals, often without pay, serving the uneducated, poor and sick with heroic generosity. Today, the Catholic Church operates the largest private school system in the country and one of the largest networks of hospitals and charitable organizations in the world. This is the Catholic contribution to America, not merely in words, but in works of mercy that have shaped this nation from its earliest days.
An Historic Act of Consecration
In preparation for the historic America 250 celebration, this June 11th will be the first time the United States has ever been formally consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, entrusting America to the merciful love of Christ.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart is among the most beloved and ancient devotions in the life of the Church. It deepened dramatically through the apparitions of Our Lord to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in the seventeenth century and has since been championed by pope after pope as a wellspring of grace for individuals, families, and nations.
To consecrate our nation to the Sacred Heart is not a political act. It is a profound act of prayer, an acknowledgment that we, the people of this nation, need the mercy, healing, and love that only Christ can give. In a time of deep division, fear, and uncertainty, what better gift could we offer our country than to place it, with open hands, into the Heart of Jesus?
An Invitation
I warmly invite every parish, school, family, and individual in the Diocese of Toledo to join in this moment of grace. The U.S. bishops are encouraging parishes around the country to join them in consecrating our nation to the Sacred Heart in June, praying together for the unity and healing of our beloved country. This is a moment for all of us — not just bishops — to lift our hearts and our nation to Christ.
In the weeks leading up to June 11th, the USCCB has prepared a novena and rich prayer resources to help the faithful prepare. We will pray not only for ourselves but for our neighbors, our communities, and for all Americans of every background and belief, that God's kingdom of justice, love, and peace may be more fully realized in our land.
250 Hours of Adoration & 250 Works of Mercy
The USCCB has also recommended two powerful ways for Catholics to witness and participate in the America 250 commemoration as a Church. I invite each of our parishes and families to consider taking part in both, together a unique expression of who we are:
250 Hours of Adoration Parishes are encouraged to host holy hours or a series of holy hours before the Blessed Sacrament, praying for the unity and healing of our nation. As Pope Francis reminded us in Dilexit Nos, we are to "nourish our lives with the strength of the Eucharist" so that we might understand and live Christ’s love more deeply. There is no better preparation for the consecration than time spent in silent prayer before the Lord, truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
250 Works of Mercy Rooted in the Gospel of Matthew, the Corporal Works of Mercy, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick and imprisoned, burying the dead, and giving alms to the poor, are central to our Catholic identity. As we celebrate 250 years of America, let us ask: how can our parish, our family, our school perform works of mercy that reflect the love of the Sacred Heart to those most in need in our community?
For resources on the consecration, the novena, 250 Hours of Adoration, 250 Works of Mercy, and more, I invite you to visit our diocesan page at toledodiocese.org/america250. There you will find everything you need to participate fully and prayerfully in this historic moment.
As I reflect on 250 years of American history, as a Catholic and as an American, I find myself grateful, grateful for the missionaries who carried the Gospel to this continent, for the immigrants who built our parishes with their sacrifices, and for every faithful Catholic who has lived the Gospel in this land. And I find myself hopeful, hopeful that by entrusting our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we renew our commitment to be, as a Church, a leaven of justice, love and peace in our society. As we entrust our Nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, may we whisper those familiar prayers: Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my hope in you; Sacred Heart of Jesus make my heart like unto thine; Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner.”
Most Reverend Daniel E. Thomas
Bishop of Toledo
May 8, 2026
PARISH PROMOTION: Toolkit
Posted May 8, 2026 at 6:13 pm