# The Patriotic Rosary: Consecrating Our Nation
*2021-01-04*

> Bill Young leads a special “Patriotic Rosary” for the consecration of the United States, sharing its history, praying the traditional rosary with patriotic meditations, and invoking the intercession of Our Lady for each state.

## How the Patriotic Rosary Came to Me

Good afternoon, I’m Bill Young. I’m grateful to Wilmer and Henry Eddie of Miami Beach, Florida, who sent me a booklet titled *Patriotic Rosary for the Consecration of Our Nation*. They learned about my podcast after a feature in the Miami Herald when I traveled to Washington, D.C., to see Pope Francis. The booklet includes a rosary meditation that pairs each decade with a patriotic hymn, which I have taken from YouTube for today’s prayer.

The rosary’s origin dates back to a visit by the founder of the Community of Cotatas (meaning “charity”) to Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Feeling the historic site was holy ground, he prayed a rosary for America and sensed a powerful presence of the Holy Spirit. This led to the discovery of many ways Our Lady has been involved in the birth of the United States, all recorded in the booklet *America: History We Never Learned*. Since then, the community has returned to Independence Hall several times, most notably in the fall of 1995 when they gathered at 11 p.m. to pray the rosary. The experience left a deep imprint on all present and inspired a special Fourth‑of‑July meditation that consecrates the nation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

## The Rosary Prayer

We begin in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

**The Apostles’ Creed**
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

**Our Father**
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

**Hail Mary (repeated for each decade)**
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

**Prayer for the Conversion of Our Nation**
Lord, be with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

## State‑by‑State Intercessions

For each of the fifty states we offered a Hail Mary, invoking the blood of Jesus over the land and its people. The prayer followed this pattern:

*Hail Mary, full of grace…* Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for our sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

We began with Alabama and continued through Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Each state was covered with the same heartfelt petition for protection, conversion, and the grace of the Holy Mother.

## Patriotic Hymns and Reflections

After each decade we sang a patriotic song. The first was “America, My Country” (sung by Sarah Warwick), followed by “America the Beautiful,” the “Star‑Spangled Banner,” and finally “God Bless America.” Between the hymns I reflected on the role of Christianity in the founding of our nation, quoting early American patriots such as George Washington (June 29 1780) and John Adams (July 3 1776). Their words remind us that liberty and virtue are gifts of God, and that we must continually pray for the moral renewal of our country.

I concluded with a prayer to Our Lady, invoking her as “Mother of Mercy” and asking that she intercede for all who have never known Christ, for our leaders, for our families, and for the soul of America.

## Closing Thoughts

I hope this Patriotic Rosary has helped you feel united with fellow Catholics across the nation in praying for the United States. May the Immaculate Heart of Mary protect and guide our country, now and always.

*Through prayer and devotion to Our Lady, we consecrate our nation to God’s love and ask for His guidance in every state.*