This year marks the 150th anniversary of The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (PWPN, formerly the Apostleship of Prayer), which operates directly under the Pope. At the same time, we also celebrate 350 years since the apparition of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St Margaret Mary Alacoque in Paray-le-Monial, France. This jubilee, proclaimed by Pope Francis on 27 December 2023, will conclude on 27 June 2025, coinciding with the joyous celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
It is especially meaningful that this celebration occurs within another holy year, the Jubilee of Hope, also proclaimed by Pope Francis, with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” The Jubilee of Hope began on 24 December 2024 and will conclude on 6 January 2026, the Feast of Epiphany, or the Manifestation of the Lord Jesus.
We are truly grateful for the convergence of these holy Jubilees, which we see as the Divine Work of God. We also remember with gratitude the late Pope Francis, whose deep faith, hope, and love for Jesus and His church inspired him to proclaim these two Jubilees before his passing. God’s work through the Holy Father—noble and timely—reminds us that God truly knows what is best for each of us.
Every two years, PWPN holds a gathering that brings together directors, national coordinators, and collaborators from each region or province to share faith experiences and reflect on how each has encountered Jesus through praying for the intentions of the Holy Father. At our recent Asia Pacific meeting, held in Chiang Mai from 5 to 9 May, delegates from Thailand, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Myanmar, Australia, and I, from Timor-Leste (only Micronesia and Cambodia were not represented), experienced profound grace and blessing.
Why do I say that? Because of the heartfelt encounters—true meetings of the heart—that strengthened and united us. Various activities, especially the Eucharistic celebration and adoration on the final night, made us deeply aware of Jesus’ presence among us. We were led into a liberating spiritual experience, one that enabled us to go deeper, to open our eyes to the complexities of life, while staying anchored in the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The sessions led by Fr Alberto Irenus SJ, continental coordinator, Fr Cristobal Fones SJ, international director, and Bettina Raed, deputy international director, provided valuable insights that helped us enter into personal prayer before we engaged in discussions. In my small group, we were diligent and faithful to the dynamics of spiritual conversation, which allowed us to sincerely listen to God’s voice and discern His will.
In both small and large group sharing, we genuinely felt free to express our feelings and thoughts. Nothing hindered us from actively participating and trusting one another. The regions and provinces had the opportunity to present the work of the apostolate in their country. Our discussions were marked by sincerity, openness, and mutual trust and support. It was truly the work of the Holy Spirit and a meeting of hearts. The source of our freedom, trust, and openness was none other than the Heart of Jesus himself.
During the meeting, we were reminded of the joyful news that the Lord Jesus Himself promised to all who believe in Him—that He is always with us—despite the challenges of our human experience. We truly felt together with the Lord Jesus, and his presence became the strength of our gathering. This is the joyful news—the liberating experience of being with the Lord in the work and life of the Apostleship of Prayer.
Looking back, we cannot separate our reflections and discussions from our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—the loving Heart and the forgiving Heart. We came to realise that a life of faith, if not anchored in the heart and its feelings, ultimately becomes just an expression of faith that is sensational or superficial. Faith in Jesus must be genuinely rooted in the heart, which is the centre of feeling, strength, conviction, and intimacy.
At the end of our meeting, we received another piece of joyous news that resonated around the world: the Church has a new pope, Pope Leo XIV, born in Chicago, USA, a former missionary in Peru and former General of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA). This is truly good news for all of us—a liberating experience of the heart.
