WHITESTONE — Singer, songwriter, and recording artist Michael Zabrocki has released seven albums of devotional music and has performed in concert halls and churches throughout the Diocese of Brooklyn. 

He also serves as director of music ministries at Holy Trinity Church in Whitestone, where he is currently preparing for a concert on June 27 for the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the close of the Jubilee celebration on the 350th anniversary of his apparition.

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The seed was planted for the concert when Zabrocki first decided to record his recent album of devotional music, “Consecration: Hymns and Prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” which was inspired by the Sisters of the Visitation in Bay Ridge. 

The project began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Zabrocki and Father Joseph Gibino, then the pastor at Holy Trinity, worked together to help the Sisters of the Visitation create videos and post their Masses and novenas online. 

Father Gibino, who is the current pastor at St. Charles Borromeo in Brooklyn Heights and the vicar for evangelization and catechesis in the Diocese of Brooklyn, said that he was very excited about the project. 

“I’m thrilled that it worked out so well for everyone — the sisters and for Michael and for the larger Catholic community — because there is so little quality music that’s available on the Sacred Heart,” he said. “We have older music but nothing really contemporary, so Michael has been able to really fill in the niche very nicely.”

Zabrocki explained that he was moved to learn more about the history and devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus while working on the album. 

“The Sacred Heart is relatable because it’s the human heart of Jesus, and as a musician, the best thing that ever happened to music was a broken heart,” explained Zabrocki. “And there’s also a lot of love and struggling with my own broken heart with the recent loss of my brother Ron, the Sacred Heart really touched me.” 

So for Zabrocki the 350th anniversary celebration of the Sacred Heart, which began in May 2024, was the perfect time to undertake this concert with the late Pope Francis’ encyclical marking the anniversary of the apparitions to St. Margaret Mary Alacogue, through whom Jesus used to bring this devotion to world and emphasizing the importance of the heart in understanding God’s love.

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The album features selections of hymns, including “Heart of Christ” and “To Jesus Heart All Burning.” Zabrocki brought a fresh approach to the classic hymns by rewriting the music to make them more appealing to a contemporary audience. In addition, he added some more familiar hymns, such as “What Wondrous Love Is This,” to flesh out the album.

And just when he thought he had it all finished, he received a call from songwriter Lenny Smith, who wrote the popular hymn “Our God Reigns.” In fact, Smith changed the lyric to “One God Reigns” to make it a true worship song to God. Zabrocki was the first to record Smith’s updated version of the song.

Along with hymns, the album also features spoken-word prayers to the Sacred Heart, reintroducing prayers that have been around for centuries to a new audience. The concert will include a selection of these prayers and reflections, sharing the actual spoken words of the apparition and the words that Jesus spoke to St. Margaret Mary.

“We’ve had a wonderful response to the album, especially the ‘Consecration’ song that was based on St. Margaret Mary’s personal consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” said Zabrocki. “And I don’t really think this is the end of the story, but in some ways this concert will be the closing chapter with this year’s celebration of that 350th year.”

Father James King, the pastor at Holy Trinity Church, encouraged Zabrocki to present this concert in his parish. 

“Michael is a very talented and dedicated musician, and he’s been here with us at Holy Trinity for a number of years,” explained Father King. “He’s able to allow the people to participate in the Liturgy in terms of the way he chooses his songs and how he responds to the people. And this upcoming concert is an opportunity for him to express his thanks, dedication, and understanding of the prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus through his music.”

Zabrocki welcomed the opportunity to present the “Consecration” at his home parish.

“We could have done it in a bigger Church but this journey of mine began at Holy Trinity when I was making those videos with Father Joe so it was only fitting that the closing of the Jubilee and the celebration of these apparitions happen on the feast of the Sacred Heart at my parish,” recalled Zabrocki. 

“And I hope by planting the seed, that whatever people are going through, good or bad, by the end of that night, they will find their way and consider consecrating their lives to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” he added.