John Spratt was an Irish Jesuit who dedicated his life to working with the destitute in Dublin City. His work with the needy of Dublin ultimately led him to Rome where he undertook the delivery of a number of sermons, which gained him notoriety among his Jesuit colleagues who presented him with gifts of appreciation for his work. One of the most notable gifts that Spratt received was the heart of Saint Valentine from Pope Gregory XVI in 1835.
St. Valentine, the patron saint of love (and bees too), was beheaded in 270 AD due to his decision to ignore a ruling from Emperor Claudius banning the random pairing of couples for marriage. St. Valentine was executed as he continued to facilitate the weddings despite the emperor’s ruling.
Spratt brought the remains of St. Valentine to Whitefriar Street Church where they were a popular attraction until his death in 1871, when they were put into storage. It wasn’t until the church underwent renovations throughout the 1950s that the remains resurfaced and the story of John Spratt and St. Valentine was rediscovered and ultimately retold. Today, the heart of St. Valentine is held in a gold box in a shrine to the saint and is the site of pilgrimage and prayer for many people from many walks of life who may be looking for love or looking for their love to be blessed.

Whitefriar Street Church