As part of the Jubilee commemorating the 350th anniversary of the apparitions of the Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary in Paray-le-Monial, an important meeting was held from October 14 to 15 at the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart. This event, co-organized by the Sanctuary, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, and the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists), brought together major superiors and representatives from more than twenty religious congregations linked to the spirituality of the Heart of Jesus.
The International Director of the Prayer Network, Fr. Frederic Fornos SJ, and the Vice-Director, Fr. Cristobal Fones SJ, actively participated in the gathering. Fr. Fornos gave a presentation addressing the question: “How has the renewal of the spirituality of the Heart of Jesus, conceived as a mission of compassion for the world, contributed to the transformation of the Apostleship of Prayer into the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network?” Fr. Fones presided over the Eucharist in the Chapel of the Visitation, where the Visitation sister Margaret Mary Alacoque received most of her revelations in the 17th century, confirmed by her spiritual companion, Father Claude La Colombière, a Jesuit.
In her last vision in 1688, recognized by the Church, the Lord entrusted the Sisters of the Visitation and the Fathers of the Society of Jesus with the mission of promoting the spirituality of the Heart of Jesus. This task was later entrusted to the Apostleship of Prayer in 1915, with a recommendation that the Jesuits develop and spread it.
As part of the Jubilee celebrations, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is organizing an international pilgrimage to the same Sanctuary for July 22, 2025. This event promises to be a significant milestone in the commemoration of the Jubilee of the Heart of Jesus.
