Prayers for the United States of America

PRAYERS FOR THE U.S.A

Catholicism is a worldwide religion, limited to no one national or cultural expression. Our Faith also encourages us to love our respective countries, as part of our observance of the Fourth Commandment. If we are bound to love father and mother, then surely one must also love ones fatherland or motherland as well. No country is perfect or without faults; true patriotism is rooted in love, loyalty, and a desire to make ones own country the best it can be.

Since this particular website originates in the United States of America, this particular page is dedicated to prayers for that country (we certainly need as much prayer as we can get!). I would certainly consider posting pages with Catholic prayers for other countries, if anyone would like to email me such info about ones own country.

Act of Consecration to Mary Immaculate

Our Lady is the Patroness of the United States, under her title "the Immaculate Conception". Here is a prayer entrusting the U.S. into the care of Mary Immaculate; I've heard it was actually composed by Archbishop John Carroll, the first bishop of the United States!

Most Holy Trinity: Our Father in Heaven, who chose Mary as the fairest of Your daughters; Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as Your Spouse; God the Son who chose Mary as Your Mother, in union with Mary we adore Your Majesty and acknowledge Your supreme, eternal dominion and authority.
Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to You. Through her we wish to thank You for the great resources of this land and for the freedom which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our President and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy, born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of Our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the tempted, sinners - on all who are in need.
Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, Patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give ourselves to you. Protect us from every harm. Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the Will of your Divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God. Amen.

Imprimatur: Patric O'Boyle, Archbishop of Washington May 8, 1959

Litany of Mary U.S.A. (for private use only)

In 1976, the Shine of Mary Help of Christians in West Haverstraw, New York, USA, held a "Bicentennial Religious Celebration". The following litany was composed for the occasion.

As the pamphlet explains: "It consists of 50 invocations of Mary's help for the 50 States of the Union, each invocation being chosen from the titles of Marian Churches in that State. In response let us pray for the people of each State. For example, when we invoke "Our Lady of Peace of Maine", please respond "Pray for Maine", and so forth."

Our Lady of the Gulf in Alabama
St. Mary of Kodiak and of the Islands in Alaska
Our Lady of the Highways in Arizona
Our Lady of the Holy Souls in Arkansas
Our Lady of the Wayside in California
Immaculate Conception in Colorado
Notre Dame of Easton in Connecticut
Our Mother of Mercy in Delaware
Our Lady of La Leche in Florida
Immaculate Heart of Mary in Georgia
Star of the Sea in Hawaii
Our Lady of Limerick in Idaho
Queen of the Universe in Illinois
Our Lady of Providence in Indiana
St. Mary of Nazareth in Iowa
Mary Queen of Angels in Kansas
Mother of God in Kentucky
Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Louisiana
Our Lady of Peace in Maine
Our Lady of the Assumption in Maryland
Our Lady of the Incarnation in Massachusetts
Gate of Heaven in Michigan
Mother of the Church in Minnesota
Our Lady of Sorrows in Mississippi
Our Lady of Calvary in Missouri
Our Lady of the Pines in Montana
Our Lady of The Presentation in Nebraska
Our Lady of Las Vegas in Nevada
Our Lady of Perpetual Help in New Hampshire
Our Lady of Fatima in New Jersey
Our Lady of Guadalupe in New Mexico
Mary Help of Christians in New York
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in North Carolina
Our Lady of Consolation in North Dakota
St. Mary Queen of Heaven in Ohio
Queen of All Saints in Oklahoma
Our Lady of the Woods in Oregon
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Pennsylvania
Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Rhode Island
St. Mary the Virgin Mother in South Carolina
Our Lady of the Prairie in South Dakota
Our Lady of Lourdes in Tennessee
Our Lady of the Annunciation in Texas
Our Lady of the Snows in Utah
Our Lady of Grace in Vermont
Queen of the Apostles in Virginia
Our Lady of Good Help in Washington
Our Lady of Victory in West Virginia
Queen of the Americas in Wisconsin
St. Mary in Wyoming
Our Lady in Washington DC
Our Lady of Wisdom, Pray for our Congress
Our Mother, Pray for our President
Dear Mother Mary, this touching variety of titles shows your insterest in all the States of the Union and their inhabitants according to heir special needs. In it we want to tell you how much you mean to us and how close you are to us all, to our mountains and lakes, to our towns and villages, to our homes and our hearts. We sum up all your titles in one when we call you HELP OF CHRISTIANS, because, as by His love for all men Christ your Son makes them all Christians and borthers unto Himself, He entrusts them all to you as your children. Amen.

Note: Someone asked why Puerto Rico was left out of the above litany. The composers probably did not included it because it is a U.S. territory, not a state. But here is a possible invocation for Puerto Rico:

Our Lady of Divine Providence in Puerto Rico, pray for Puerto Rico.

If anyone knows prayers to Our Lady from other U.S. territories, please email me.

The Holy Guardian Angel of the United States

Mother Church tells us that God appoints His angels as guardians, not just for every individual, but for every country as well. This means that the United States has a holy Angel watching over it! Though few U.S. Catholics seem aware of this celestial guardian, there is a statue of him on the grounds of the Blue Army Shrine in Washington, NJ. The following is the only prayer to our national Guardian Angel that I have ever seen.

O Glorious Guardian Angel of the United States, to whom God has entrusted the care of our beloved country, we honor you and thank you for the care and protection you have given to this great nation from the first moment of its inception.
O Powerful Angel Guardian, whose watchful glance encompasses this vast land from shore to shore, we know that our sins have grieved you and marred the beauty of our heritage. Pray for us.
O Holy Angel, before the throne of God. Obtain for us, from the Queen of Heaven, the graces we need to overcome the forces of evil so rampant in our beloved land.
Help us, our God-given protector and friend, to respond wholeheartedly to the urgent pleas of the Mother of God at Fatima. Assist us to offer the prayer and sacrifice necessary to bring peace and goodness to our nation.
We want to make you known and loved throughout our land, so that with your help we may become once more "a Nation under God"!

(Picture of Mary Immaculate from Our Lady's Gallery. Small American Flag gif from Flags by Herman.)