Heart speaks to heart.

John Henry Cardinal Newman's personal motto: Cor ad cor loquitur highlights the reality that by revelation the Heart of God speaks to our hearts. 

Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God, speaks to us through his life, death, resurrection and ascension and in his presence with us by the grace of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament.

St. Thomas More, the Ordinariate mission in Toronto, meets in Sacré-Coeur Church in the inner city. Like its namesake, Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre in Paris, the Toronto parish is surrounded by the hard scrabble of humanity in all its manifestations. There are those in apartments, seniors' residences and houses along with those living on the street and those seeking shelter. There are hard-working immigrant labourers, students and professionals, stay-at-home mothers and working women. There are people of virtually every race, religion and culture on the planet. 

Montmartre, Paris

The little church of Sacré-Coeur, Toronto offers Mass weekly in two languages, English and French. The magnificent church of Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre hosts pilgrims from all over the world and Mass is offered in the crypt by priests from dozens of nations in any language the pilgrims speak.

Interior of Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre

Taking the lead from the great white church on the hill in Montmartre, we in Toronto are planning to do something that has been happening continuously in Paris 24/7 since 1885 when the church was opened.  Since that day, not one minute has passed without someone kneeling in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament night and day.

In times of war and in times of peace, in all weather and in all seasons a few people or many hundreds, but always someone has been present to adore the sacramental presence of Christ exposed to view in the huge monstrance above the high altar of Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre in the great city of Paris.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a witness to the promise of Jesus that he would be with us always. In light of this, the people of St. Thomas More at Sacré-Coeur, Toronto are considering the ministry of silent adoration for the local community and the world.  

We are planning to begin on Wednesdays from 11 AM to 1 PM to place the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance on the altar so that all who come or pass by may pray or just be silent in the sacramental presence of our Lord in the heart of the city at the church named for the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Those of every language may come to pray and those who do not stop will know that they are being prayed for.  A priest will be present for those who wish to draw close to Jesus in the Sacrament of Penance.

Following is an English version of a prayer that is offered in Paris adapted for our use in Toronto and titled with the motto of one of our patrons, Blessed John Henry Newman, who had a particular devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to our Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament.

Cor ad cor loquitur

O Eternal GOD, Our Lord

Jesus Christ wished to stay present

among us in Thy Holy Eucharist, the 

mystery of Thy love. We unite ourselves to 

all those who come to adore Thee in spirit 

and in truth; we offer our presence to Thy 

Presence. Allow us  to listen to Thee in 

silence. Reveal Thyself, we pray, in the 

secret place of our hearts. Help us to 

abandon ourselves to Thee. May 

the praise and supplication,

and the confident gift of

our lives rise up

from our

hearts.

May Thy Sacred

Heart, the source of all

mercy, establish our hearts

in peace and inner joy. By the

grace of Thy Holy Spirit,

strengthen our faith,

renew our love,

and sustain

our hope. 

Amen.