James Carrano said it’s a matter of returning to America’s roots. That’s why he supports Unite Our Nation.

“Our country was founded with God being a main foundation. If we remove him from this foundation, we shouldn't be surprised that things will eventually fall apart,” said Carrano, the senior mission advancement officer for The Evangelical Catholic, a nonprofit specializing in Catholic ministry consulting and evangelization training.

“Unite Our Nation is reaffirming that we are a nation under God,” he told American Catholic Tribune. “And we are doing it in the best way possible. Not with long speeches or campaigns but with prayer. Unite Our Nation is an effort to inspire, encourage and support Catholics by giving them a vision for how to stand up for what they believe in a prayerful and peaceful way.”

Unite Our Nation was founded by two Wisconsin men, Patrick Ciriacks and Kevin O’Brien, who belong to the Catholic group Men of Faith. They saw a nation deeply divided and damaged, with unrest in the streets and in the soul of the nation. As protests grew violent, fire lit up the night in major U.S. cities and people fought and died, they wanted to offer a peaceful alternative.

After originally calling their group Unite Wisconsin, they set their sights higher and renamed it Unite Our Nation. A Eucharistic procession and patriotic rosary rally was slated in Madison, Wisconsin, on Aug. 15 to coincide with the Feast of the Assumption. Organizers hoped for 1,000 or so people — and instead saw close to 3,000 take part.

They also heard from people around the country who wanted to emulate their efforts, to provide a calm, solemn, peaceful and prayerful event. It is nonpartisan with no political connection. 

“It is not a political movement and does not promote, nor disparage any political candidate,” Ciriacks told Catholic Tribune Wisconsin. “It does seek to bring God into the public square and to shine the light of truth into the darkness that has enveloped our society.”

Carrano said he wanted to join the cause and help with the healing.

“I am simply helping connect good people around the country. There is a lot we can do to support one another and be the church,” he said. “Specifically, I am helping a community in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area to prepare their march and overcome any barriers that they are facing. I am also working with a team in Madison to do a second march on Oct. 11.”

The mission is crystal-clear, Carrano said.

“The goal is to bring Catholics together and to pray for our country,” he said. “This has been a tough year from many perspectives and rather than hide in our homes we should come out and encourage one another and meet together. We should call on the Lord and ask him to bless our nation.

“The eucharist, Jesus, is at the heart of who we are as Catholics and having a model and the support to bring Jesus into our communities is so helpful for people. I had a friend who heard what we did in Madison and was wishing that they could do this in their community. Unite Our Nation is helping people to make that possible.”

Getting involved is simple, he said, adding that if someone wants to help bring America together, there is room for you in Unite Our Nation.

“Go to Uniteournation.net and read about what is going on. Share it with friends and family,” Carrano said. “Get a group together and plan your own march. The process is all laid out on the site. Do it. Maybe 10 people come or 50, 100 or 1,000. Doesn’t matter. Get people together and pray and represent the people of God by offering your state into our Lord’s hands.”

At the Evangelical Catholic, he focuses on fund development and new ministry expansion, while also working with the campus team leaders to raise up disciples. That role comes naturally to him, having served as a campus minister at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for a decade before joining the Evangelical Catholic.

Carrano earned a master’s degree in music and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Wisconsin. He lives in Madison with his wife Jessica and their seven children.