One Nation Under God? Catholic Perspectives on America at 250

What the Church celebrates — and challenges — in the American story

(Photo: Lightstock, created with AI)

By Austin Mernagh

Theology and Social Studies Teacher

Arrupe Jesuit High School, Denver

Growing up in the Midwestern United States, I have fond memories as a kid on the 4th of July. Fireworks going off on every street, family and friends gathering around and enjoying homemade dishes and barbecue.

The one thing that stood out the most was the presence everyone gave each other. We all understood the significance and history of the holiday, but we made more of an effort to be there for one another, to ask how life is going and to enjoy one another's company. Going down to the park pool, playing wiffleball in the front yard, and ending the night with fireworks, all surrounded by the people who cared for and loved me the most, nothing could top it.

This love of neighbor, as I saw it exemplified among my friends and family in a simple way, is what I think Catholics in America need most today and into the United States’ next 250 years.

The Start

When the founding fathers began the American experiment two and a half centuries ago, they did so with the vision that all human beings possess inherent dignity, an uncoercible conscience, and the power to come together to form a government for the people and by the people, as Abraham Lincoln would later put it.

At the core of the United States’ founding are deeply Catholic ideals: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, 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.”

These founding principles gave Americans a standard for being virtuous, and continue to light the way for Americans today. These values, our call to love our neighbor, and our successes and failures to follow through on both have shaped the United States’ first 250 years, and have much to teach us looking toward our next 250.

Love Your Country, Authentically

The Christian call to love our neighbor extends far beyond the occasional encounter every year on the cul-de-sac with a lawn chair and a burger. It extends to our local communities, parishes, schools, and, on a larger scale, our country.

Patriotism, the rightly-ordered love for our country, is more than a feeling. It’s a virtue that one can, and should, grow in. It is grounded in the love of neighbor and is shaped by our desire for personal holiness. Nationalism, on the other hand, is a dangerous obsession with our country that uses it against the common good of others. Understanding what true patriotism is can help us grow in the virtue of authentically loving our country.

In his 1995 address to the United Nations, Pope St. John Paul II highlighted the dangers of falling into nationalism, mistaking it for patriotism.

“True patriotism never seeks to advance the well-being of one's own nation at the expense of others. For in the end, this would harm one's own nation as well: doing wrong damages both aggressor and victim,” he taught. “Nationalism, particularly in its most radical forms, is thus the antithesis of true patriotism, and today we must ensure that extreme nationalism does not continue to give rise to new forms of the aberrations of totalitarianism.” 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also clarifies this distinction in paragraph 2239: “It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. The love and service of one's country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community.”

An Imperfect Nation

Reflecting on the complex history of the United States as a Catholic requires us to understand both the consolations and desolations of who we’ve been and what we’ve done in our 250 years.

Asserting that our country is perfect and that we live in a flawless land is to disregard the real moral injustices people have experienced throughout our nation's history. In our young 250 years, we have countless stains on our country's conscience. We’ve been prideful, selfish and greedy. We’ve been angry, violent and destructive. We’ve failed to care for our brothers and sisters, especially the unborn, immigrant, minority, vulnerable and marginalized. Time and time again, we’ve fallen short of the ideals set before us, disregarding our neighbors in times when they needed love the most.

Light in the Darkness

In the same vein, there is plenty to celebrate in America’s young history. If we don’t acknowledge the country’s genuine goods, we fail to grow in the virtue of patriotism.

There are countless stories of those who gave their lives for these ideals. Venerable Emil Kapuan aided fellow soldiers in a North Korean prisoner-of-war camp. Father Mychal Judge, a Franciscan friar, gave his life during 9/11 to anoint a fellow first responder. Blessed Michael McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus, an organization to support widows, orphans, and those in need. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton founded the Catholic school system and advocated for the advancement of Catholic education at a time when Catholics were discriminated against. All of these individuals exemplified what is so great about our country: the desire to love one another, in a self-sacrificial way, by growing in personal holiness.

Our country has given its citizens many opportunities to grow in grace, guided by the ideals of the founding fathers. The ability to worship how we choose. Being able to show up to Mass on Sundays and live in a mostly peaceful society gives citizens the most obvious God-given right, the freedom to worship. Having the ability to use our voices to exercise our right to vote and to protest. Something that the pro-life movement has used at its core. Loving those around us and our country in a well-ordered way is how we grow further in patriotism, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The Next 250 Years

Looking over our history in the United States, there are many things to celebrate, and many things we need to learn from. The beauty of this nation does not come from specific events that prompt us to take notes in a history classroom. It’s from the people who make our country beautiful. We’re not perfect, not even close. But God is at work in all of us.

Frequently, my students ask me in class what we can do to make this country better. My honest answer? Pray and be involved. Pray for growth in personal holiness in yourself and amongst one another. Prayer is a simple act that guides our decision-making.

With gratitude for the great things our country has done and with humility to recognize the ways in which we’ve fallen, let's be involved in our country, always seeking to build the Kingdom of God among us. Be outspoken about the issues that impact the most vulnerable. Be peaceful and a voice of sincerity and holiness. Be involved at the most local level; don’t just focus on the national stage. Some of the most profound decisions that impact us take place in our local communities, yet most aren’t involved there.

Living patriotism in our communities will have a ripple effect, transforming our state and our nation. When well-ordered, the virtue of patriotism isn’t separate from our relationship with God; they go hand in hand. We are one nation under God. Always remember that God is with us, especially in uncertain times.