The Archdiocese of Guayaquil in Ecuador is inviting all the faithful to participate on Friday, June 12, in a Mass during which Cardinal Luis Cabrera will renew the consecration of Ecuador to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was done for the first time on March 25, 1874.
The Mass, which the cardinal will celebrate on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, will take place at noon at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Guayaquil.
Pablo Moysam, spokesman for the event's organizing committee, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that "it is evident that in the hearts of ordinary Catholics there is a need to renew our country's consecration to the heart of Jesus to ask for his protection and mercy and as a people to make an act of faith and hope in union with the whole Church on the feast of the Sacred Heart."
"It will take place in Guayaquil because it is the city hardest hit by insecurity and the one most in need of this renewal," he noted.
According to official figures from Ecuador's Ministry of the Interior, the country recorded 2,778 first-degree murders from January to April. In the area comprising Guayaquil, Durán, and Samborondón, there were 674 homicides during the first three months of 2026. Many of these crimes are linked to disputes between drug-trafficking gangs.
Moysam also told ACI Prensa that Ecuador was the "first nation in the world officially consecrated to the heart of Jesus, on March 25, 1874." The renewal, he continued, seeks to "place our families, authorities, and communities under his protection once again."
"This is an open invitation to the entire Church as well as to civil and military authorities. Beyond the numbers, the spirit of this celebration is to call together all Ecuadorians who wish to join in prayer for the country," he noted.
Moysam also highlighted that this renewal of the consecration serves as a reminder that "God's love is a source of hope, reconciliation, and commitment to the common good."
"In a context marked by social challenges, violence, and uncertainty, this act helps renew confidence that the country can build paths of peace, justice, and fraternity through personal conversion and solidarity among all."
The last time Ecuador renewed its consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was on March 25, 2024, during the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress held in Quito.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
