Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception!

I hope everyone's had a good day. I just wanted to pass along a few thoughts Fr. Joe shared in his homily this evening. (If you have issue with any of the facts herein, take it up with the sweet old man in the backwards collar. I trust him, and I'm too lazy to do my own checking.)

• There have been just seventeen Chief Justices of the Supreme Court. Of those, John Roberts is the fourth Catholic.
• Roughly twenty-five percent of Americans today are Catholic. The second largest group self-identifies as "former Catholics." The Baptists don't show up until third. (This point is particularly dear in our area. There are 16 Baptist churches in Martin, according to the TBC.)
• The state of Maryland--Mary's Land--proves great Catholic influence, even in colonial times.
• The declaration of war by which the US entered World War II was made on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The treaty ending World War II was signed on the Feast of the Assumption.

These things, especially when considered alongside the fact that the Bishops of the United States placed our country in the patronage of the Blessed Virgin under the title of the Immaculate Conception, should show us that, even though America may try to forget Our Lady, she does not forget us. Catholics have great influence in America. We should use that influence and the intercession given for us by the Mother of God to do the work of His Kingdom.

File Under: Catholic_Stuff, History