The Early Days of the Sacred Heart Auto League
The Sacred Heart Auto League was established in 1955 by Fr. Gregory Bezy, SCJ at a time in which the United States was becoming more aware of the dangers of increased traffic and speed on our nation’s highways. Fr. Gregory knew of those dangers firsthand his niece and nephew had been involved in a very serious automobile accident.
Fr. Gregory had a great love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and knew well the promises made to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. To encourage American drivers to give the Sacred Heart a place of honor in their cars, the Auto League sent small statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to be attached to their dashboards.
Members of the Sacred Heart Auto League committed themselves to “prayerful careful driving” and were encouraged to make the routine activity of driving a moment of prayer and increased awareness of God’s love and mercy. Fr. Gregory was convinced that this prayerful awareness would make people better drivers and more aware of those around them.
Although a donation has never been required for membership, members of the Sacred Heart Auto League have helped support the establishment of churches, schools, social services and housing in northern Mississippi.