Guild of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Guild of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is a community of the faithful that seeks to promote and foster the expression of Beauty in public worship and contemporary culture, through pastoral, spiritual and theological accompaniment and programs centered around the pillars of Sacred Art, Sacred Music, Architecture, Literature, Pilgrimage, Eucharistic Adoration and Retreats.
Our Spiritual Mission
The Guild of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus exists to promote and foster the expression of Beauty in public worship and contemporary culture, enabling an encounter with the Lord Jesus the author of beauty.
Our Commitments
Interested in Becoming a Member?
Continue reading below to learn about member requirements, aspirancy, and the member application process.
Spiritual Requirements of Guild Members
Being a member of the Guild of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus means bringing the world into an encounter with Christ through Beauty and its many expressions. Guild members will accompany each other in faith while supporting the mission of the Guild through its seven pillars of: Sacred Art, Sacred Music, Literature, Architecture, Pilgrimage, Retreats & Eucharistic Adoration.
Each Guild member is expected to prayer the Guild Prayer daily; attend the annual Guild Retreat & Guild Mass; attend two annual formation evenings which includes dinner; and to attend periodic, open Guild gatherings as their schedule permits.
What is Aspirancy?
Aspirancy is a period of time whereas a non-Guild member will discern God’s call to join the Guild of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Those who aspire to join the Guild but are not ready to enter will be invited to attend all Guild events, even those designed for initiated members, until they make a final decision on Guild membership.
What does Aspirancy entail?
- Meeting with the Diocesan Guild Director
- Formation Opportunities
- Attending Encounter opportunities with members and non-members alike
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Guild of the Most Blessed Sacrament Application
Prayer of the Guild of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
(Modified from St. John Paul II’s Letter to Artists, #16)
O Beauty Incarnate May the beauty which we engender and pass on to generations still to come be such that it will stir them to wonder so that when humanity loses its way, it will be able to lift itself up and set out again on the right path.
Beauty is a key to the mystery and a call to transcendence. It is an invitation to savour life and to dream of the future. May Beauty stir that hidden nostalgia for God which a lover of beauty like Saint Augustine could express in incomparable terms: “Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you!”
May our many different paths all lead to that infinite Ocean of beauty where wonder becomes awe, exhilaration, unspeakable joy.
May we be guided and inspired by the mystery of the Risen Christ, whom the Church in these days contemplates with joy.
May the Blessed Virgin Mary be with us always: she who is the “tota pulchra” portrayed by countless artists, and is the “beauty that was joy in the eyes of all the other saints.”
And may our efforts give the Church hope and affirm that true beauty which, as a glimmer of the Spirit of God, will transfigure matter, opening the human soul to the sense of the eternal.
We ask all this through Christ Our Lord. Amen
Upcoming Events
- We gather every year for our annual Retreat and Guild Mass for members, celebrated by the bishop.
- We gather twice a year for formation evenings, hosted by the bishop. This will include dinner, followed by prayer and a presentation and discussion with a guest speaker.
- We host periodic gatherings of prayer, formation and fellowship for new and prospective members.
The Diocese of Bridgeport, Sacred Heart University, and the St. John Paul II Center for Communications are thrilled to offer “The Literary Catholic,” a groundbreaking program dedicated to exploring life-changing stories from centuries of Catholic literature.
This innovative initiative aims to connect participants to God, inspire their faith, and ignite their imagination through Catholic literary works’ profound beauty and depth.
Questions? Comments? We want to hear from you!
Please contact [email protected]