Dear Friends in Christ,

   This weekend, our nation celebrates its Independence. While the 4th of July falls on a
Saturday, the entire weekend offers us an opportunity to reflect on the gift of freedom.
From a Catholic perspective, true freedom allows us to do that which is right. Liberty can
often be misunderstood for license. We are not free to do whatever we want. Our nation
was founded on Judeo-Christian principles that presumed that there is objective right and
wrong. There was also the understanding that our rights come from God. We are one
nation, under God. May we never forget this basic truth as we see our culture strive to
redefine marriage and fail to protect the most vulnerable. As a Church, we must be a voice crying out in the wilderness and calling our nation to protect traditional marriage and family life, as well as the unborn and all the vulnerable.

   As a nation, let us never forget those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom and those who have served and are serving in the military. May God protect our service men and women and may God bless the United States of America.

In Christ,
Fr. Dan Redmond