"They are the true expressions and finest fruit of the American religious expression."
"May our gathering today as people who love God and this country be a renewed commitment to renew the spirit of cooperation which has accomplished so much good through the history of our nation," Mother Olga prayed.
"May the fruit of today's prayer for our nation be a grace for our people to experience a new birth of freedom, freedom planted with faith, grounded in hope, nourished by love in the soil of truth."
Archbishop Broglio's address also highlighted to the importance of the Catholic faith for Americans. To do so, he recounted the story of Father Joseph Lafleur, a military chaplain who died while helping others escape from a damaged prison ship during World War II.
"If we were to survey the history of the Church, and look at the lives of the saints, we would discover men and women who built on their virtues, to reflect the authenticity of their faith. The same thing has an impact on the nation," he said.
The archbishop expounded on the importance of the virtues, and how they strengthen and form the foundation of Christian life.
Quoting Cardinal James Hickey, who was Archbishop of Washington from 1980 to 2000, the archbishop said that "a good Catholic is a good American because the practice of virtue also leads to good citizenship and there is no dichotomy between faith and life if we cultivate and practice virtue."
"Each of us has the potential to rebuild our society and our world if we cultivate authentic virtue," he added. "Our virtue will give us strength and wisdom if we are open to it."
Pence's keynote address encouraged those attending to be a "voice for the voiceless", after proclaiming that "life is winning" in the United States through a variety of pro-life initiatives.
Also speaking at the event was Bishop Mario Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington, who gave the opening invocation for the event. The bishop began by reading a letter from Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, who was unable to attend.
"Let us also be mindful of so many of our brothers and sisters around the world who continue to face persecution and suffering on account of their faith," read Cardinal Wuerl's message, speaking to the persecution Christians face in the Middle East and elsewhere. "As our Holy Father, Pope Francis said, 'We must not resign ourselves to thinking of a Middle East without Christians who for 2,000 years have confessed the name of Jesus and have been fully integrated as citizens into the social cultural and religious life of the nations to which they belong.'"
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Bishop Dorsonville also gave a benediction asking for the strength of the Holy Spirit and the visibility of Catholics' faith and prayer for all persons, including the immigrants, homeless, and refugees.
"As we proclaim the good news of the Gospel: love, hope and faith," the bishop prayed. "We continue to build up this world, not just so that we are right in this life, but that we are right in the other."
Adelaide Mena was the DC Correspondent for Catholic News Agency until 2017 and is a 2012 graduate of Princeton University.