State Capitol – Denver, Colorado
We woke up shivering on the morning of June 19, 2020. The cold had come upon us unexpectedly that night. Upon rising, we scrambled out of our sleeping bags and took down our tents. After a quick breakfast, we left our campsite just outside of Denver, Colorado and headed for the State Capitol Building.
This was a typical day in the lives of the Mother of Mercy, Restore America Caravan. Young volunteers with the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, Property (TFP) are traveling to all fifty state capitals, where they will pray for the conversion of our country. Life on the road may be hard at times, but it is a small sacrifice in the face of the turmoil our country is suffering. Our goal is to storm heaven with our prayers, beseeching God to intervene, since human efforts have failed to solve our nation’s problems.
Arriving at the State Capitol Building in Denver, we found a devastating scene. It was hard to discover a side of the building that was not covered with explicit graffiti. Slogans such as “**** the police” and “kill police, save lives” covered the old walls of the beautiful gold-domed building. The vast lawn across from the capitol was turned into a homeless tent city, and park monuments were vandalized.
Most shops and restaurants on the surrounding blocks had been damaged and were boarded up.
Most shops and restaurants on the surrounding blocks had been damaged and were boarded up. Not even the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception was spared. It suffered a reported $45,000 worth of damage caused by rioters. The businesses that were spared marked their doors with rainbow flags and leftist slogans. It reminded us of the Israelites who marked their doors with the blood of a lamb as a means to save themselves from the angel of death.
We realized how precarious our situation was when we found out there was going to be a protest on the Capitol Building’s other side. If we were going to have a Rosary rally, we would have to act fast. We quickly set up the TFP grand standard, our “Praying the rosary for America’s return to order” banner and a statue of Our Lady of Fatima.
Slogans such as “**** the police” and “kill police, save lives” covered the old walls of the beautiful gold-domed building.
We were happy to welcome nearly a score of brave local Catholics who joined us despite the mob on the opposite side of the capitol clamoring to defund the police. They were appalled by the anarchical atmosphere generated by the protesters. The contrast of our peaceful, orderly rally could not be more glaring.
Despite the volatile situation, Our Lady protected us, and we prayed our Rosary in peace. Everyone experienced the joy of defending Our Lady’s cause in the public square—in this case, a precarious public square. The local Catholics were grateful for the chance to participate. One lady exclaimed that it was “great to see young men praying the rosary, not just older people.” Another gentleman was so enthused by the experience that he inquired if a permit was needed to be on the capitol grounds. He hoped to organize a rosary rally there himself.
Thus passed one more day on this campaign for America’s return to order. We pray that Our Lady may bless this effort and shower graces of conversion over our great nation.
by John-Paul Tomba