A Message from Fr. Landenwitch on America's 250th Anniversary

As we celebrate the 250^th year of our nation’s independence, we thank God for our country and the blessing of being citizens of the United States of America! I am grateful to live in a country founded upon the belief “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

I am grateful for the freedom we enjoy, including the freedom to openly practice, live out, and speak about our Catholic faith. Many people throughout the world do not experience the freedom that we experience on a daily basis.

We also give thanks for the countless men and women who have sacrificed so much in the defense of our country and for the good of others throughout the world, especially our veterans and members of our armed forces. The freedom we enjoy has come at a great price.

Pope Leo XIII, in 1890, wrote the following: “The natural law enjoins us to love devotedly and to defend the country in which we had birth and in which we were reared, so that every good citizen hesitates not to face death for his native land.” Amidst the tensions we’ve experienced in our country in recent years, these words are an important reminder that love for our country is an obligation of justice in response to the abundant blessings we have received.

We pray for many blessings upon our nation on this 250^th anniversary, and that, going forward, our nation will continue to be a symbol to the world of justice and respect for individual rights. May we remain “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all!”