On the morning of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding July 4, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington.
Diocesan faithful, including families, women religious and members of law enforcement, united in prayer to give thanks to God for the gift of faith and freedom we enjoy as one nation under God.
The Mass was “the perfect way” to start the Independence Day celebration, Bishop Burbidge said in his homily. He highlighted the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” written in the Declaration of Independence signed July 4, 1776. “Today, just as in our earliest days, the goodness and strength of our country and the right exercise of our freedom depend upon our willingness as people of faith to live according to the Lord’s commands,” he said.
He encouraged the faithful to commemorate the momentous anniversary by drawing ever closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and striving to grow in virtue and unity, which Jesus prayed for in the Gospel proclaimed (Jn 17:20-26). “Only then, dear friends, will we truly be independent and free.”
Bishop Burbidge concluded his homily by reading a letter from Pope Leo XIV congratulating Americans: “May the spirit of 1776 continue to inspire hope and unity as the United States of America moves into the future. In assuring all of you of my prayers in your renewed efforts to strengthen the nation in the principles that guided its Founding Fathers, I entrust you to the intercession of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of this country, that she will continue to watch over the United States and protect all who dwell therein.”
Brodeur is the diocesan director of content and marketing strategy.
Find out more
For more resources on the 250th anniversary, go to arlingtondiocese.org/america-250.
