The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has announced a national prayer service to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary, with a focal point on immigration, justice, and the inherent dignity of immigrants. This event aims to weave these themes into America’s quincentennial celebration.
Titled “A National Prayer Service to Honor the Many Journeys That Shaped America,” the resource has been developed by the Committee on Immigration alongside the Subcommittee on Advancing Racial Justice and Reconciliation.
This initiative serves as a template for dioceses and parishes throughout the country, encouraging Catholics to reflect on the nation’s history categorized by immigration, forced migration, slavery, and faith. It also promotes advocacy for vulnerable immigrant groups.
According to the guidelines, the service is aimed at “commemorating America’s 250th anniversary in 2026,” emphasizing the church’s pastoral mission of welcome, rapport, and solidarity. The objective is to “recognize and honor the many diverse communities that have come to the United States in pursuit of hope, safety, and opportunity.”
Additionally, the document underscores “the voices, suffering, and enduring contributions of those who were forcibly brought to this land.”
A Service Rooted in Hospitality
The proposed prayer service combines hymns, scripture readings, intercessory prayers, testimonials, and reflections, all centered around immigrants, refugees, victims of human trafficking, and immigrant communities.
Organizers are encouraged to adapt the service to meet local needs and cultural contexts, integrating music and faith practices that resonate with the “lived experiences of migration, displacement, resilience, and faith.”
The service opens with Marty Haugen’s hymn, “All Are Welcome,” and features a prayer that implores Catholics to “walk in deeper solidarity with immigrant communities,” advocating for “greater protection, justice, and companionship for vulnerable and at-risk immigrants.”
A prayer dedicated to St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, noted as the protector of immigrants and an immigrant herself, asks for protection for separated families and the grace to “receive all strangers as Christ into us.”
The document also includes a “call to action,” urging Catholics to ponder “concrete and compassionate ways to welcome, protect, promote, and integrate immigrants and refugees,” while advocating for “just and humane immigration reform that upholds the dignity of every human being created in the image of God.”
Biblical and Civil Rights Themes Interwoven
Scripture selected for this service strongly underscores hospitality toward foreigners and compassion for society’s most vulnerable members.
Among the selected readings, Deuteronomy 10:12-22 emphasizes the importance of friendship with Gentiles, reminding believers: “You yourselves were once Gentiles in the land of Egypt.” The Gospel from Matthew 25:31-46 highlights Christ’s message, stating, “I was thirsty, and you gave me, a stranger, water to drink; you welcomed me.”
This template intricately integrates themes of racial justice and historical memory. It includes prayers addressing slavery and contemporary human trafficking, interceding for both victims and the “perpetrators of slavery” to find repentance.
The service also recommends “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black National Anthem, which has deep roots in the worship and civic life of Black churches in the United States, to serve as an interim hymn.
Additionally, optional excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech can be employed during homilies and guided reflections, alongside passages from the Bishop’s 2025 Special Pastoral Message on Immigration.
Emphasizing Immigrant Dignity
In recent years, U.S. bishops have consistently advocated for immigration reform, placing a strong emphasis on immigrant dignity, fighting against family separations, and providing support for refugees and victims of human trafficking.
This prayer service, in anticipation of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, contextualizes these concerns within the broader narrative of American identity.
The resource describes the service as a means to create a sacred space for reflection, remembrance, mourning, and hope, inviting participants to connect with one another “as members of one human family, one body of Christ.”
EWTN News sought comment from the USCCB but did not receive a response prior to publication.
