On Friday, October 6, 2017, the students and faculty of Sacred Heart Academy gathered to celebrate the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Roman Catholic ceremony of profession of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This ceremony originated with Pope Pius XII’s declaration that recognizing and worshiping the Sacred Heart of Jesus is, “the foundation on which to build the kingdom of God in the hearts of individuals, families, and nations.”

Every October, the SHA community comes together to celebrate the Sacred Heart and its presence within each of our lives. The senior class and the faculty elect seniors who embody the qualities of an excelsior women; these seniors are given special roles in the Enthronement Mass. A single senior is elected as the consecrator of the Sacred Heart; this excelsior woman leads the consecration act and places an adorned crown upon the statue of Jesus. This year’s consecrator was Joelle Cote, ’18, who embodies the qualities of a Christian woman.

The liturgy of the Sacred Heart is full of flowers, jewels, and elaborate processions. This year, Eunji Lee, ’18, accompanied by Mrs. Vesna Mehinovic, played Franz Shubert’s Ave Maria on the violin. Her beautiful playing allowed one to reflect upon the presence of Jesus and the love of the Sacred Heart in each of their lives.

This ceremony in which one professes their devotion to the Sacred Heart is a key tradition among the SHA community. It recognizes Jesus’s love for each one of us and allows each of us to reflect on Jesus’s presence within our lives.