Sacred Heart of Jesus church, Catholic church in Rakovski, Bulgaria

Sacred Heart of Jesus church is a three-nave basilica in Rakovski, 73 metres long and 24 metres wide, with two square bell towers. It was designed by architect Kamen Petkov and built in 1930–1931 together with the twin church of St Michael the Archangel in the Baltadzhi quarter. The interior holds about 2,000 worshippers, with 750 seats.

The present church was begun in 1930, when Bishop Vinkenti Peev blessed the foundation stone on 4 May and about 4,000 residents of Kalachlii carried building materials by ox and horse cart. It was designed by architect Kamen Petkov, who won a competition judged in the Vatican, and consecrated on 20 December 1931 by Bishop Peev. It replaced an 1892 church by the Italian Viseti, wrecked in the 1928 Chirpan earthquake.

This place serves as the spiritual center for Rakovski's Catholic community and hosts regular masses and religious celebrations. It represents an important presence of Catholic faith in a region where this denomination is uncommon.

The church is located near the town center and can be reached on foot by following the main streets through Rakovski. It is best to check opening times in advance, as the building is only open during specific hours for visitors.

The parish is the birthplace of Father Mihail Dobromirov and Bishop Samuil Dzundrin. In the early 19th century it was the seat of the bishop of the Sofia-Plovdiv eparchy. A local legend holds that a procession with the icon "Mother of Good Counsel" ended a plague epidemic; brides donated their jewellery for the icon's crowns.