President Trump prays in statement for USCCB for 250th birthday of nation

Considering how anti-Christian the Communists in the U.S. are (colluding with the Democrat Party who were booing God 3 decades ago) and how anti-Catholic the far Right and some Evangelicals in the U,S. are, I suppose I can understand how difficult this story was to find in the news, even with the help of AI. But here it is. A revolutionary action by the current President.

"Members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops — which is currently gathered in Orlando, Florida, for its spring assembly — came together for the consecration service on Thursday (June 11) in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The occasion, marked by a presidential statement, is seen as a high point in acceptance of the Catholic Church in the historically Protestant country.

"Today, Melania and I join in prayer with Catholic Bishops gathered in Orlando, Florida, as they consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the occasion of our 250th year of American Independence — a powerful moment in our national story and a poignant reminder that America has always been guided by the loving hand of God,” the president said in a statement from the White House."

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/4605151/catholic-bishops-consecrate-us-trump-melania-prayer/

Trump highlighted the role of faith in shaping the nation’s identity, from Christian missionaries and settlers to chaplains and churchgoers throughout history. He linked the consecration (by the Bishops) to the nation’s founding principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and noted that the Sacred Heart of Jesus would bless the U.S., protect families, strengthen the Church, and guide the nation for generations.

Even so, 8 states opted out of participating in the 16-day “Great American State Fair” in Washington, D.C., which celebrates the United States’ 250th birthday. They just wanted to thumb their noses at Trump. Those governors denied their own citizens the right to tell the others how great their people and products are (which is what state fairs have been doing since 1841).

I see it as just one more way President Trump has brought warring sides together--the far Left and the far Right--not since the Founding Fathers has a leader managed to so clearly make a shout out to our First Amendment--he didn't establish a religion and he didn't prohibit its exercise and he honored a religious group the right to peaceably assemble.

A prayer for our country from 1791 for our 250th celebration

This prayer was composed by John Carroll, the first American Archbishop, in November 1791 and is often used at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but is surely heartfelt as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation. Perhaps the wording sounds a bit formal given our modern-day church services, but it contains what many of us have heard and prayed for all our lives--pleading that the Gospel be spread throughout the world, for the church, for the President, The Congress, for the state governors, for our fellow citizens, our departed loved ones and those who have been the benefactors.

"We pray, O almighty and eternal God, who through Jesus Christ has revealed thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of your name.

We pray Thee, who alone are good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, the pope, the vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, all other bishops, prelates and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise among us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct your people into the ways of salvation.

We pray O God of might, wisdom and justice, through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with your Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the president of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness and be eminently useful to your people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality.

Let the light of your divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.

We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state, for the members of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by your powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.

We recommend likewise, to your unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of your most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.

Finally, we pray to you, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of your servants departed, who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace; the souls of our parents, relatives and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech you, a place of refreshment, light and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior."
Amen.

Note: The U.S. Constitution became the official framework of the federal government on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it, meeting the requirement under Article VII that nine of the thirteen states approve the document for it to take effect. The Constitution had been signed earlier on September 17, 1787, at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, but it required state ratification to become binding. After ratification, the Constitution officially replaced the Articles of Confederation, and the new federal government began operations on March 4, 1789. All states had ratified it by May 29, 1790. So, the country was still very young and fragile--one year old--when this prayer was written, And now it is welcoming Islamists and Communists into the Congress.

Interesting that NH is participating in the Great American State Fair, and it was the State that got the Constitution ratified, yet the Governor of Pennsylvania the state where it was signed is pouting and being disrespectful to its own citizens and all U,S. citizens.