U.S.A. 250th!

Dear Parishioners,

We are celebrating our nation's 250^th anniversary as a country.  This is a tremendous accomplishment for a nation to survive the test of time.  Through this great struggle emerged a new nation that no longer made distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders.  As Patrick Henry noted, "I am not a Virginian, but an American!."  We continue to live in that unity of purpose and identity.  As a nation founded under God and directed by the Constitution of these United States of America.  The birth of our nation did not come without great sacrifice and suffering.  Our nation's founding fathers put everything on the line: property, wealth, security, family, and even their very lives.  They knew the cost of forwarding the American cause of liberty would be their very heads if they lost.  Benjamin Franklin stated, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."  At this critical junction in time, the Catholics population in the colonies was few in number but quickly gained momentum especially in the 1800s with the various immigrant waves. George Washington was a strong champion of religious liberty, who welcomed Catholic Irish soldiers into his Continental Army.

Washington socialized with prominent Catholics both at Mount Vernon and during his presidency. He attended a service at St. Mary’s Catholic Church while he was in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress. Washington also donated money toward the construction of a Catholic church in Baltimore.  He even expressed dismay over conflicts between Protestants and Catholics desiring old hatreds to be replaced with cordial dialogue.  One thing has been clear throughout the history of American Catholics, and that is the desire to be American.  This is fitting with every age of the Church as an ancient Christian text from 130 AD states, “Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign. And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives."

Christians are called to live in the places they have been planted and yet work with our eyes fixed on heaven.  We are therefore a part of the communities and are called to participate in the welfare of each nation.  St. Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 2:1-4 of the need for Christians to offer "supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.  This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth."  May this be a reminder that the Lord hears our prayers and applies to our community and nation our offered sufferings!

On a change of topic, I will be starting my eight-day Ignatian silent retreat this week at Broom tree Retreat Center in South Dakota from July 1^st - 9^th.  I have never taken an eight-day retreat before, so I am very excited to spend the time walking with the Lord.  I will be back for the Weekend masses of July 4-5 and then return to complete my retreat.  In the meantime, I pray you have a blessed fourth of July in celebrating our nations 250^th anniversary of Independence from Great Britain!  "Huzza for victory!"

In Christ,

Fr. Luke Fleck