At St Anthony’s, we offer two very special First Friday devotions. The first is devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is comprised of Mass and Holy Eucharist at 5pm on the First Friday of each month Secondly, during the months of September through October there is 24 hour Eucharistic Adoration. On the FIRST Thursday of the month adoration begins at 5:00 pm concluding at 5:00 pm Friday.
This devotion is ages old, beginning in the later part of the 17th century when St. Margaret Mary Alacoque made it widespread. Our Lord appeared to her in 1675 and delivered 12 promises of His unfathomable mercy; the last of which concerns the grace of final repentance at the hour of death. To receive this grace, the devotee must make a novena by attending Mass and receiving communion in reparation for sins on nine consecutive First Fridays.
According to this devotion, the First Friday of each month was designated by Jesus himself as consecrated to honoring his Sacred Heart, to increase our love for him and to make reparations for past and present offenses against his love.