The Sacred Heart
Preserved but no longer current.
The "Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus" owes its origin to a French nun of the 17th century, St. Mary ^ Margaret Alacoque, of Burgundy, who practised devo- tion to the Saviour's heart in consequence of a vision. The devotion was sanctioned by Pope Clement XII in 1732, and extended to the whole Church by Pius IX in 1856. It is observed on the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Sacred Heart” mean?
The "Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus" owes its origin to a French nun of the 17th century, St. Mary ^ Margaret Alacoque, of Burgundy, who practised devo- tion to the Saviour's heart in consequence of a vision. The devotion was sanctioned by Pope Clement XII in 1732, and extended to the whole Church by Pius IX in 1856. It is observed on the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi.
Is “The Sacred Heart” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.