By Bishop David Ricken | On Mission
Over the July 4th weekend, my prayer was one of gratitude for our country. Among our many freedoms, I was particularly grateful that we live in a land where we are free to pray and worship our Lord through religious freedom.
My prayer and heart also went out to all those who lost loved ones, the children and families impacted by the flash floods in Texas. Let us all pray for the repose of the souls lost and for their survivors. Life is a gift and yet it is so fragile. Whether in times of tragedy or prosperity, let us always love one another, especially the most vulnerable, as called for in the Gospel.
As we entered the long holiday weekend, our government approved “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill” after much debate and changes in the bill. If you have not read the statement from Archbishop Broglio, President of the USCCB, regarding this bill, please do so here.
Also relevant would be the Bishops of Wisconsin statement on human dignity and immigration dating back to February 2025.
I prayed and pondered how we as Catholics can continue to positively influence our politicians, political processes and our society at large.
As always, prayer is the first step.
Let us pray for our country, our elected officials and our world, that we might all be brought closer to Jesus Christ through our policies and legislation. I also see the need to stay informed about important events and how they will impact our daily lives and the lives of the most vulnerable.
We must also form our consciences according to Sacred Scripture and Catholic teaching so that our voices and votes will be informed by our faith in Jesus Christ and his Church. We must vote and then hold accountable our elected officials to what is right.
So often, we as a society forget about the most vulnerable: the unborn, elderly, infirmed, migrants, widows, orphans and all those in need of our assistance. Those living in our great country need adequate food, medicine, housing and safety. The poor and the vulnerable need us to speak for and with them so that the government does not forget who they are meant to serve, which is all of us!
Our elected officials could be tempted to listen to those with the loudest voices and those with the means to help them in the future, but those without means and a voice must also be supported and served by the government.
The dignity of every human person ought to be respected and valued in every piece of legislation and every political action. Yes, we serve those in need through Catholic Charities and so many other wonderful Catholic social support agencies, but more can and must be done.
As Catholics, we can join our voices and votes in providing education and advocacy to those in need. Our diocesan offices and Catholic Charities reach out to elected officials but so can every citizen. Contact your elected officials and let them know your thoughts.
As this recent piece of legislation came to fruition, I saw many aspects supported by our Catholic faith (support for the unborn, support for Catholic education and school choice, support for essential services, protecting our children from gender transitioning drugs and interventions, support of Medicaid, etc.) diminished. This greatly disheartened me. We must always advocate for the good and be tireless in our support for those in need.
In addition to prayer and advocacy, consider supporting the work of Catholic Charities and other faith-based social service organizations. These dedicated ministries live out the Gospel daily by walking alongside the poor and marginalized, bringing hope amid despair.
My prayer has also been united with our Holy Father’s prayers for peace throughout our world. Let us pray for our elected officials to be peacemakers in Israel, Palestine, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Sudan and anywhere in the world where people are suffering from war and violence.
My friends, as we look back over our time as a nation and ahead for our future, let us pray for the strength and wisdom to be agents of change for the good and to be agents of change for Jesus Christ and his Church.