The bishop of Cartagena, José Manuel Lorca Planes, renewed the consecration of the diocese to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Saturday, October 31, one hundred years after it was first carried out in the same location of Monteagudo, in Murcia. The ceremony took place during a Eucharist celebrated at 11:00 a.m. in an open area next to the Alicante road, with the attendance of about fifty priests and, according to Murcia Actualidad, about 4,000 faithful.
Before the Blessed Sacrament, the prelate pronounced the renewal formula: “We are yours and we want to be yours. May your love reign in our hearts and be manifested in all our life,” according to the information published by the diocese of Cartagena. The diocese has also released the full text of the homily and the prayer of renewal.
The homily recalls the role of the Jesuits
In his homily, Lorca Planes recalled that the Jesuits contributed to spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart in the diocese. The bishop invited those present, and also those following the celebration via the regional broadcast, to offer their hearts to Christ, and emphasized that the encounter with the Lord does not lead to immediate perfection, but rather initiates a process of conversion.
During the Eucharistic adoration following Communion, a message from Leo XIV was read, sent on his behalf by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in which the Pope expressed his gratitude and encouraged the diocese to continue its evangelizing mission. For his part, the parish priest of Monteagudo, Carlos Casero, stated that the renewal was not merely a remembrance of the past: “Jesus continues to live among us in this Diocese.”
One hundred years since the 1926 consecration
The first consecration was celebrated on October 31, 1926, when the then bishop, Vicente Alonso Salgado, presided over the act by which the diocese and the entire Region of Murcia were consecrated to the Sacred Heart. That same day, the first diocesan monument to the Sacred Heart was blessed and inaugurated in Monteagudo, which explains the choice of location for the centenary.
For the anniversary, Lorca Planes granted a Jubilee Year to the parish of Our Lady of the Ancient in Monteagudo. Those who attended the Mass on October 31 were able to obtain the plenary indulgence by fulfilling the usual conditions: receiving Communion during the celebration, going to confession, and praying for the Pope’s intentions. The day before, the parish organized twenty-four hours of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament with groups from various ecclesial communities.
Radio María España will interview the bishop this Sunday at 9:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. in the Canary Islands), on its program “The voice of the bishops”, in which Lorca Planes will speak about the renewal of the consecration. After its broadcast, the interview will be available on the station’s website.