(OSV News) — As the U.S. marked its 250th birthday with fireworks, parades and barbecues, Catholic Scouting America members of course joined in the fun — but they also had a more serious mission during the entire month of July: They were praying for the future of the country.

Catholic Scouts across the United States came — and continue to come — together in a powerful novena to honor America and seek the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas. 

Scouts, their leaders and their families were invited to join the “Novena Prayer for America” asking for blessings, healing and guidance as the country celebrated both its history and future.

“It’s in honor of the 250th anniversary, and that goes on all year,” said John Doerr, vice chair of the Catholic Scouting America marketing and public relations committee. “So we’re really encouraging Scouts to continue to use it, and give our country all the prayers we can.”

Novena’s intentions

The novena intentions include evangelization and mission; Catholic education and faith formation; protection of human life; immigrants and refugees; the poor and those in need; national unity and renewal; care of God’s creation; justice and peace; and vocations and holy leadership — each of which are priorities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“It’s really important to us that we be consistent with what the bishops are asking Catholic Americans to do,” Doerr said.

Jesuit Father Mark Carr — who serves as both national chaplain for the National Catholic Committee on Scouting and executive director of the Jesuit Retreat House on Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wisconsin — agreed, explaining how the novena intentions align with the Catholic Scouts’ mission.

“There’s an intention for Catholic education and faith formation. Scouting is very much a formation program; it has a large educative component. So praying for that is important,” he continued. “One of the intentions is praying for the poor and those in need — and Scouting’s focus on community service and citizenship taps into that. It connects well to Scouting’s value on citizenship, whether praying for national unity and renewal; the poor and those in need; immigrants and refugees; or justice and peace.”

‘How are we good stewards of creation?’

“Another of the intentions is praying for the care of God’s creation — and given the outdoor nature of the Scouting movement, how are we good stewards of creation?” concluded Father Carr.

As of 2024, there were 130,888 active Catholic Scouts and leaders in 194 U.S. dioceses and eparchies with a Catholic Committee on Scouting, and Catholic Scouting service projects provided an estimated value of $52 million in aid. 

On July 26, more than 2,000 Catholic Scouts gathered for Mass at Scouting America’s National Jamboree, held at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Mount Hope, West Virginia. 

Bishop Evelio MenjÍvar-Ayala of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia — just installed on July 2 — concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Michael W. Fisher of Buffalo, New York, the USCCB’s liaison to the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, who attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Credits vocation to earning Ad Altare Dei Award

“Bishop Fisher is both an Eagle Scout, and he earned the Ad Altare Dei Award — which is one of our religious emblems — as a youth,” noted Doerr. “He has credited his vocation to having started with earning the Ad Altare Dei Award.”

When presented with a Catholic National Jamboree neckerchief, Bishop Fisher donned it, to the applauding delight of the crowd.

The sight of so many Catholic Scouts praying in unison was a powerful one for Doerr.

“I’m not afraid to admit — I had tears running down my face, watching the stadium in prayer for our country,” he acknowledged. “We prayed the intention for evangelization and mission — because it’s particularly important for our Catholic Scouts to share the Gospel.”

Father Carr was similarly moved.

“I think prayer is always most powerful when many people are praying together —  ‘wherever two or three are gathered’ — except it was 2,500,” he reflected, referencing Mt 18:20. “The novena intention we used that day was for evangelization and mission. If we can get young people and Scouts out there living the mission of the Church and sharing their faith with others — evangelizing — what a great thing.”

Kimberley Heatherington is an OSV News correspondent. She writes from Virginia.