God's plan for America

Vol. 11, No. 14

July 10, 2026

On the cover: A statue of Christ with an American flag is seen at a cemetery near the U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona, last month. As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it’s worth remembering the different set of “founding fathers” who were busy in California during 1776 — Christian Clifford has the story on Page 10. On Page 13, meet Orestes Brownson, the 19th-century thinker who sought to reconcile the American project with Catholic tradition.