The major relics of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who was known for receiving visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, will be displayed for veneration at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan on Sept. 27-29.
On June 11, 2026, as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops consecrated the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The relics were present with the bishops in Orlando, Fla., during their plenary assembly. They were flown from Paris to New York in early June and will remain on tour in the U.S. until late September. The Knights of Columbus are leading the tour.
Cathedral prepares to welcome pilgrims
“St. Patrick’s Cathedral is very excited to have the relics of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque come here for veneration. Not only is venerating relics a tremendous source of grace, the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which this great saint revealed, is very important for all Catholics. We hope the pilgrims who come here for veneration encounter the loving Heart of Jesus,” said Colin Nykaza, director of evangelization at the cathedral.
The veneration days and times at the cathedral: Sunday, Sept. 27, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Monday, Sept. 28, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Sept. 29, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Masses will be celebrated as normally scheduled.
Knights of Columbus carry relics on national tour
“The tour of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque’s major relics is especially timely since it began with the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart, undertaken by the U.S. bishops, in Orlando, on June 11, just ahead of America’s 250th anniversary,” Stephen Feiler, Knights of Columbus assistant supreme secretary, told The Good Newsroom via email Sept. 2. “It also follows the 350th anniversary of the apparitions, when Jesus revealed the mysteries of his heart to St. Margaret Mary at Paray-le-Monial in France.”
Feiler added, “Devotion to the Sacred Heart is a worldwide phenomenon, brought to these shores by immigrants and religious communities, including the Jesuits. The Archdiocese of New York is among the most diverse in the country, and devotion to the Sacred Heart is strong among many of the immigrant communities that make their home in New York City.
“The Sacred Heart also resonates in a profound way with the Knights of Columbus. Our founder, Blessed Michael McGivney, was devoted to the Sacred Heart, which was central to his priestly ministry … St. Patrick’s Cathedral is synonymous with Catholicism in this country, so the Knights of Columbus couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to bring St. Margaret Mary’s major relics on pilgrimage to ‘America’s Parish Church,'” he said.
Saint receives visions of Christ’s heart
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was a French Visitation nun who experienced major apparitions of Jesus Christ between 1673 and 1675. Jesus revealed His physical heart as a symbol of His immense love for humanity and asked for a feast of reparation, Holy Hours on Thursdays, and Communions on the first Friday of every month.
The nun’s spiritual director, St. Claude de la Colombière, helped document and spread her visions, leading to the official universal approval of the Sacred Heart devotion by the Church.
Sister Margaret Mary was born July 22, 1647, in L’Hautecour, Duchy of Burgundy, Kingdom of France. She died Oct. 17, 1690, at the age of 43 in Paray-le-Monial, Duchy of Burgundy, Kingdom of France. She was beatified in 1864 and canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.
In 1686, she made a vow of perfection, committing herself to live every rule and every suffering as a total offering to the Heart of Jesus. In October 1690, a severe fever confined her to bed. The doctors, powerless to help, said that the cause of her illness was “an excess of love,” according to Vatican News.