Established by Saint John Paul II in 2002, the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests takes place every year on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 2026, it will be celebrated on Friday, June 12.
On the day, the Church encourages priests to prayerfully reflect upon the gift of their vocation and also invites the faithful to mark this celebration by praying for all priests that they may live lives of holiness and fidelity to Christ and his Church.
Speaking to priests on the day of prayer in 2025, Pope Leo XVI said that the solemnity “renews in our own hearts the call to be completely committed to the service of God’s holy people. This mission starts with prayer and is carried out in union with the Lord, who constantly revives in us the sacred gift of our vocation to the priesthood.”
Pope Leo urged priests to “let yourselves be shaped by grace and guard the fire of the Spirit received on that day, so that, in union with him, you may be a sacrament of Jesus’ love in the world.”
