Here’s a musical riddle for America’s 250th anniversary: What patriotic anthem was written as a prayer by a Jewish Broadway composer, made the pop charts five times by three different Catholic artists, and inspired a legendary folk singer to write his own heartfelt ballad about America? The song is “God Bless America” by Irving Berlin.
Elizabeth Ann Seton’s family was loyal to the British during the American Revolution, so it might be surprising to learn that the future saint enjoyed connections to two of the Founding Fathers in New York City.
On the eve of the nation’s 250th birthday, the first American pope will be awarded the Liberty Medal by The National Constitution Center. The center will award the medal on July 3 to honor Pope Leo XIV for his “lifelong commitment to religious liberty and freedom of expression,” said Vince Stango, the center’s interim president and CEO.
