If a visit to Spain is in your summer travel plans, the basilica is a can’t-miss UNESCO World Heritage site that offers a variety of tours. If you are staying closer to home, there are virtual and photographic tours on the basilica’s website of this breathtaking landmark whose towers to Mary and the four evangelists reach up to the heavens. Educational resources for students and schools can also be found on the site.
On June 11, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will formally consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Devotion to the Sacred Heart grew from 17th century revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in France, during which Jesus proclaimed His desire for the institution of a feast to honor His Heart. Pope Pius IX instituted the solemnity in 1865.