MAY 26, 2026 • ARCHGH.ORG/TCH
HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Diocesan Services Fund 2025 Impact Report ▪ SEE CENTER SECTION
Meet the four men set to be the newest priests for the Archdiocese ▪ SEE PAGE 7
New statue honors Pope Leo XIV and his first anniversary as pope ▪ SEE PAGE 3
MAY 26, 2026
texas catholic herald 1
CALLED TO SERVE
ONE YEAR ON
Proclaiming the Good News to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston since 1964
VOL. 63, NO. 2
‘We Hold These Truths’
U.S. bishops to consecrate nation to Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11
HISTORY
Meet Catholics who made U.S. history
DEVOTION
SPIRITUALITY
Knowing the promises of Fostering devotion of the Sacred Heart the Sacred Heart at home
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A SHEPHERD’S MESSAGE † 2
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COLUMNISTS † 13 - 15
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ESPAÑOL † 19
HOUSTON — On June 11, Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez and Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, will join other U.S. bishops in consecrating the U.S. to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as part of a national celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence during a gathering in Orlando, Florida. Parishes in the Archdiocese and around the country are encouraged to join the bishops in celebrating the consecration of the nation to the Sacred Heart.The decision to mark the anniversary with the special consecration was voted on during the USCCB’s fall assembly Nov. 11 to 13, 2025, in Baltimore. “Devotion to the Sacred Heart has developed over LIVING the centuries following A LIFE OF the experiences of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque PRAYER and the apparitions she witnessed in the 17th century. Popes have lauded the practice of consecration of the self, home and even whole nations to the Sacred Heart,” said Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, chair of the committee for religious liberty, in a reflection on the upcoming consecration. Noting several encyclicals that emphasize a devotion to the Sacred Heart, including Haurietis Aquas by Pope Pius XII and Dilexit Nos by Pope Francis as well as the apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te by Pope Leo XIV, he continued: “As we reflect with gratitude on the blessings God has bestowed on our country, our devotion to the Sacred Heart demands that we consider how we might foster truth, justice and charity in American life.” “We are called to bring our faith into the actions we take and the lives we lead in our communities,” Archbishop Sample said. “We celebrate the ways the Church has contributed to a more just world, and we invite all in our society to see the face of Christ reflected in each sister and brother,” the archbishop concluded. “We welcome God’s ‘kingdom of justice, fraternity and solidarity,’ remembering that ‘God has a special place in His heart for those who are discriminated against and oppressed, and He asks us, His Church, to make a decisive and radical choice in favor of the weakest.’” “This anniversary and consecration will be a great opportunity to promote the beautiful devotion to the Sacred Heart and to encourage the laity to offer their lives in service to God and their country.” For more information about the upcoming consecration to the Sacred Heart and resources for prayer and how to get involved, visit www. archgh.org/sacredheart. †
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