The Diocese of Allentown celebrated the Fourth of July by thanking God for giving us the gift of freedom in conjunction with the country’s founding.

“Happy 4th of July!” the diocese posted on Facebook. “On this Independence Day, we rejoice in the Lord for the gift of our country. Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed holiday!” 

Although the Fourth of July is a secular holiday, this nation’s founding was tied to a belief in God and God-given rights, author Max Anders said in a posting about the holiday. 

He then cited examples to demonstrate the founders' core beliefs. 

Thomas Jefferson said in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” 

Patrick Henry once said, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here.” 

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published a suggested prayer to say in conjunction with Independence Day. It reads: ”God of justice, Father of truth, who guide creation in wisdom and goodness to fulfillment in Christ your Son, open our hearts to the truth of his Gospel, that your peace may rule in our hearts and your justice guide our lives.” 

Mary, the Mother of God, has been the patron saint of the United States since 1846, under the title of Immaculate Conception, according to the USCCB. She was chosen as the country’s patron saint because many of the different immigrant groups that have come to the U.S. share a special devotion to her. Also, she was able to bring together different people with her maternal love. The USCCB describes Mary as the embodiment of "E pluribus unum," which means "out of many, one.”