Recently, we heard back from a chaplain who wrote:
“On behalf of the many troops who benefitted from your generosity, I would like to say Thank You! You have helped many men and women some of whom have been in very dangerous situations and environments. Sometimes I encounter troops who have seen a priest for many months.”
For those unfamiliar with the origins of the Sacred heart badge, Our Lord Jesus Himself introduced the devotion to His flaming Heart to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun of the Visitation.
He promised, “I will bless every house in which an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.” He also revealed His wish that people not only have a picture to venerate in their homes, but also carry a small picture with them.
When the Sacred Heart Badge was first presented to Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1870, he exclaimed, “this is an inspiration from Heaven. Yes, from Heaven,” and proceeded to grant the badge a blessing for all time so that subsequent badges need never be re-blessed by a priest. He then added, “and I want Satan to be unable to cause any harm to those who wear this badge.”
(The front and back of the Sacred Heart badges we distribute.)
The badge was adopted by the great Catholic resistance movements, such as that of the Chouans against the French Revolution, Andreas Hoffer’s Tyroleans against Napoleon, the Cristeros against the anti-Catholic Mexican government in the beginning of the twentieth century, and the Carlists against the Communist Revolution of 1936–1939 in Spain. The Cuban Catholics facing Castro’s firing squads also had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and died crying, “Long live Christ the King!”
We are enthusiastic about spreading this devotion to our troops who are in so in need of divine aid. May Our Lady help us to continue this effort.
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