By David M. Carollo
Thirteen miles west of the Blue Army Shrine in New Jersey, at the town center of Easton, Pennsylvania, the Declaration of Independence was first read publicly in 1776. Each year the town commemorates this event on or around July 4th. This year as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation we should remember the emancipation of Catholicism in the United States. In the British Colonies our Faith was still illegal in 1776, as it had been since the mid-16th Century in England, and it was not until 1829 that the ban was lifted fully over there. We have always heard that our country was founded as a Christian nation, yet what is the foundation of all Christianity? There is no Protestantism without the Catholic Church from which they separated.
Though often deemphasized today, one cannot ignore the names of those Catholics who established this nation: Christopher Columbus, LaSalle, Junipero Serra, and the Most Reverend John Carroll, our first American Bishop, who consecrated this new nation to Our Lady in 1791. His cousin Charles Carroll was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Our Catholic roots became apparent well before the wave of immigration of the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought many Catholics from Ireland, Italy, Poland and many other countries to these shores and established Catholicism as the largest single religion in the land. What brought these immigrants, including my own four grandparents, was not only the chance for economic prosperity, but the desire to breathe the air of a society that called for participation in the work of perfection. Our American drive for self-correction and the belief that we are bound to strive for a higher ideal is directly aligned with the principles of Catholicism. The moral underpinnings of the formation of the Constitution have our Faith written all over it. Christianity in its earliest history has called for the continued perfection of its adherents, with the Sacraments instituted to aid us in this quest. Many criticize the imperfect circumstances of our founding, especially the tolerance for slavery, but I challenge anyone to name another country that went as far as to risk a civil war to bring itself more in line with Natural Law. Make no mistake about it, this nation was destined to find its fullest expression in Catholicism.
No disrespect is meant to those Founders who were not of the Catholic Faith but were for the most part Christians. They understood that without God (Who is mentioned numerous times in both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution) there could be no successful nation. George Washington’s quote that “it is impossible to justly govern a nation without God and the bible” testifies to this. Washington, known to be a friend of Archbishop John Carroll, experienced a famous vision near Valley Forge in 1777. He described seeing a “singularly beautiful female,” who is believed to be the Blessed Mother. In this vision, she conveyed a prophetic message regarding the future of the United States, recorded in the Library of Congress and easily found online.
Christianity exists because of our need for redemption. This need dates to the beginning of creation itself. In response to our fallenness, Christ came and established His church to be with Petrus, the rock, Simon renamed Peter, as its sure foundation. The Fatima message reinforces this foundation. In this message, Our Lady restates clearly what the Church has taught throughout history: we must be faithful to the laws of God. Our Apostolate was founded to promote the message of Fatima. It is the call for the world to renew itself in the Faith. Renewal starts at home. The Fatima message is one of hope. It reminds us of what we are called to be as Catholics. Likewise, the founding of this nation inspires a vision of hope for the future premised on the expectation that only God can lead us properly. The world is in a state of disarray. In fact, it has been that way for most of human history and this country is no exception. But our present sins and obstinance in institutionalizing sin require us to continue to strive for correction and self-perfection.
I have visited the American Military cemetery in Anzio, Italy south of Rome many times as well as the cemetery at Normandy in France. If you are not touched by these patriotic grounds and the sacrifice they represent, you need to reassess your values. However, I cannot help but believe that if Our Lady’s requests at Fatima had been adhered to more fully, these memorials would not exist.
As the United States passes this milestone of the semi-quincentennial, we must recall that Catholic influence preceded and continues to shape this nation. Catholics today hold positions of influence in our country which exceed our percentage of the population. The truth stands above everything else.
As we continue in this Extraordinary Marian Jubilee Year, pray that our country will be transformed into a holy nation worthy of the high ideals of our founding, and that Our Lady watch over her children as Archbishop Carroll’s consecration requested. We pray also for a just peace throughout the world. At Fatima, she told us that this is in our hands.
Eternal rest grant unto Father Paul Ruge
Last Thursday we received word that Fr. Paul Ruge passed away at the age of 96. Fr. Paul was a dear friend of mine. A lifetime member of the Blue Army and a late vocation, he was ordained after a career in the food retail industry. In the early 90’s he worked in Siberia with his Franciscan community and was later incardinated into the Diocese of Fargo where he served as a pastor on the Spirit Lake Tribal Nation Reservation. During that time, he was a member of the National Board of Trustees of the World Apostolate of Fatima USA during the time I served as the board’s president. Later he came to the Blue Army Shrine as chaplain after retiring from his North Dakota parish.
In 2012, when I assumed the role of Executive Director, as I commuted to New Jersey I stayed at the rectory with Fr. Paul, while my wife remained in Chicago until 2015. Father Paul and I spent a lot of time together, sharing meals and our thoughts for the future of the apostolate. In 2012, we endured Super Storm Sandy together and the 12-day power outage that followed. During that time his main concern was for the many pilgrims who were devoted to the shrine and the apostolate. At the priest’s retirement home in his last years, he sat most of the day in his chair in the hall, greeting residents and visitors alike with his newspaper and breviary in front of him. They referred to him as “the hall monitor!” To me, he was a dear friend whose passing leaves a void in my heart. Rest in peace Fr. Paul.
God bless you and Mary keep you in her Immaculate Heart!
If you would like to contact me, please do so at [email protected].
David M. Carollo is the Executive Director of the World Apostolate of Fatima USA/National Blue Army Shrine. He wrote this for his Voice of Fatima column.
If you would like to comment on this post, please contact him at [email protected].
