Father Mateo Crawley-Boevey and Home Enthronement to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Father Mateo Crawley-Boevey, was born in Peru to an English father and a Peruvian mother. He was a priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the same order to which Saint Damien was a member. It is only recently that I am discovering the beautiful writings of Father Mateo which are really enriching my spiritual life, especially when it comes to love of Jesus, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.

To those of you who have had your homes enthroned to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, you have Father Mateo to thank for this devotion.

Animated by the desire to make the promises of the St Margaret Mary better known, Fr. Mateo conceived the idea of drawing families closer to Jesus, the king of love, by placing the image of His Sacred Heart in a place of honor in the home, thus bringing the family's life into intimate relation with Him.

September 25, 1914
Act of Consecration at Paray-le-Monial

Sacred Heart of Jesus, supreme love of my life, I consecrate myself today in a spirit of perfect abandonment to your divine love. Through the most pure hands of Mary, and little Therese, I return to you the treasures of nature and grace which in Your infinite mercy You have given me in such abundance. I give back to You, well beloved Spouse, the supernatural merits of my Masses, of my sacrifices and of my apostolate. I offer them to You for the triumph of Your adorable Heart. Even more: if my friends or relatives pray for me after death, well beloved Jesus, accept these prayers and suffrages as Your own treasure to be given to souls; I am willing to stay in your Purgatory until the end of time if by this You would be glorified in Your Eucharist and in families consecrated to You. Grant, Jesus, that I no longer live, that my life be the glorification of your victorious Heart.

In your great mercy, deign to accept me as an oblation of love in order to enkindle in priests the fire of Your love and zeal for Your divine Heart. At the same time I place in that wound which must be my paradise in eternity, the solemn promise to carry on in every way and in every place the apostolate of Your divine Heart. Oh yes, I consecrate myself to glorify Him, to extend His reign, to enthrone Him in souls, in families and in all movements: and this, at the price of my blood, were it necessary. May the Virgin Mary, Margaret Mary, St. John and the little Therese make my poor offering worthy of acceptance.

Adveniat Regnum Tuum!

Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Home

Preliminary Steps before the Ceremony

1. Learn what it is and how important it is. See Founder of the Enthronement and Apostle of the Sacred Heart Father Mateo

2. Set a date for the Enthronement in agreement with the Pastor. It is desirable to have a priest preside at the ceremony, but it is not essential to gain the indulgences. For serious reasons, the father, or someone else may preside and lead the prayers. In any case, please consult the appropriate parish priest.

3. If possible, assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and offer it that morning for the reign of the Sacred Heart in your home, and as an act of love and reparation to the Sacred Heart. The entire family should try to receive Communion at this Mass, or at another Mass.

4. Obtain as beautiful a picture or statue of the Sacred Heart as possible. If you already have a picture, use that one. [Suitable pictures may be obtained reasonably at a local Catholic shop or on the web.]

5. Below the place of honor reserved for the statue or picture, prepare a "throne" or "altar," that is to say, a table [or perhaps the mantelpiece] covered with a white cloth, beautifully decorated with flowers and candles. The picture or statue should be placed on a small table near this "throne" before the ceremony.

6. Invite your relatives and friends to be present; thus you will already begin to be an "apostle of the Sacred Heart." Have a family party after the ceremony, with a special treat for the children, who, of, course, should be present at the ceremony ---- even the smallest.

7. Make this day one of the outstanding events of the family life ---- one long to be remembered. The greater the solemnity, the better and celebrate the anniversary of the Enthronement each year with a reaffirmation of your commitment to the Sacred Heart.

Note: Even though your home has been consecrated to the Sacred Heart, you may still have the Enthronement, as the two are not the same.

The rest of the Enthronement details can be found here. I encourage you to print it out and read it with your family and if you have not already done so, make every effort to have your home enthroned.

Lastly, to those of you who spend an hour in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, I highly recommend Father Mateo's books such as Holy Hour. You will surely gain much insight by using his meditations and reflections during Adoration.

To learn more about Father Mateo's life, please check out this Special Centennial Tribute to Father Mateo found here.