Dear Friend,
It took us eight years, but it was worth the wait.
On April 9th, we brought our “Citizens of Faith” conference back to Washington, D.C. The last time we held this event was in 2017, after Donald Trump was first elected. We wanted to look at what has happened since then—and how we, as Catholics, should prepare for what lies ahead.
All told, we hosted more than 150 just outside D.C., in Arlington, Virginia. We began with Mass, celebrated by the head of the USCCB—Archbishop Timothy Broglio.
Renewed by the presence of Christ, we then dived into the political and policy landscape we face today.
No doubt, there’s much to be excited about. Our speakers tackled everything from the rise of school choice to renewed defense of religious liberty to the long overdue recognition of the reality of the biological sex.
On so many issues, the Trump administration is advancing the principles and practices we hold dear. But there are also many issues where the path forward is less clear-cut, and we didn’t shy away from the complicated topics of the moment. We did what many seem unwilling to do these days – we discussed and debated them in a civil and open way according to our faith principles.
On immigration, there’s a balancing act on the need for strong borders and the rights of immigrants. On foreign policy, it’s an open question whether America can do everything we’ve historically done. And on pro-life, we need to see more action to defend the unborn—especially after President Trump did so much good in his first term.
There are so many areas where prudence is needed, and throughout the day, we discussed and prayed about finding the path forward.
One of the most meaningful speeches was by Archbishop Borys Gudziak, the Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. He made a forceful plea for continued American support for Ukraine, leading to a lively discussion in the Q&A.
After his remarks, the Archbishop gave me a deeply moving icon painted on a box of ammunition from the frontlines in Ukraine.
Like all Napa Institute events, we had Confession, Adoration, and Masses throughout the day.
We also brought Jesus to the streets of Northern Virginia with a Eucharistic Procession. We processed by Amazon’s new “HQ2,” among other high-rise office buildings. Who knows how many hearts were shaped by our witness to our Lord and Savior?
I’m grateful to all our attendees, who came from across the country, as well as all our speakers and sponsors. And I’m particularly grateful to the students from a number of Colleges and Universities who joined us – including the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America—they volunteered throughout the day.
The Citizens of Faith conference was a big success, and we’re now planning to make it a regular event. I hope you can attend in the years ahead.
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