A Republic Requires Courage John Adams, moral courage, and why renewal begins in our communities. by Alex Destino

Today is Presidents’ Day. One of Massachusetts’ own, Founding Father John Adams—the principal author of the Massachusetts Constitution and later our first Vice President and second President—warned in 1798:

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

For decades, we’ve watched this country slowly lose its moral footing. This cultural and moral collapse didn’t happen overnight. It seeped into many of our institutions—our universities, public schools, city halls, libraries, corporate America, and even local chambers of commerce.

Sadly, in many cases it has also reached our churches. Some have drifted to become more like the world around them, losing focus on their mission to preach and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When that happens, they are no longer churches—only buildings.

Freedom only works when people can govern themselves. And self-government begins in the heart. That means faith. It means repentance. It means turning back to God.

This isn’t just a national issue. It plays out in every community. I see it here at home on Cape Ann, and many of you see it where you live.

When I was growing up, we had two strong Catholic schools in our community—St. Ann’s and St. Mel’s—both first through eighth grade, packed with students and families deeply connected to their faith. These schools were not just places of learning. They were pillars of our community. They strengthened the moral foundation of generations of children through faith, discipline, and religious education, while also supporting and sustaining the local Catholic Church and parish life.

Today, both are gone, and they are missed deeply. As those institutions disappeared, much of that shared foundation weakened. Many families were left with fewer choices, and increasing numbers of children were pushed into government-run education, which in many places has continued to decline in quality and performance.

St. Peter’s Catholic Church in East Gloucester closed more than 20 years ago and has since been converted into condos. When I was growing up, it was a vibrant, healthy parish filled with families and deeply connected to the life of the community.

These changes did not happen overnight. They unfolded over years. This cultural and spiritual drift is not new. It has been building quietly for decades.

These battles don’t start in Washington. They start locally—in our homes, our churches, and our schools. The alarm is sounding. More people are waking up. The question is simple: Can we recover?

Yes—but only if we turn back to God first.

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven… and I will heal their land.”
— 2 Chronicles 7:14

For decades, people of faith were told it’s not polite to talk about faith or politics. You’ve heard that your whole life, haven’t you? That advice is certainly not biblical. It encouraged silence at a time when truth needed to be spoken.

But the culture kept moving. While many were trying to be polite, the foundations of our country were being reshaped.

We cannot afford that silence any longer.

Jesus spoke directly to this:

“Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before others, I will deny before My Father in heaven.”
— Matthew 10:32–33

This is the calling of every believer—to go, to speak, and not to stay silent. It isn’t about being loud or political. It’s about being faithful.

We are called to go into the world and share the Gospel—to speak the truth with love and courage. Because to truly love someone is to be honest with them, not to mislead or stay silent when the truth matters most.

When even a few people are willing to stand, others find the strength to do the same. Courage spreads.

Renewal begins in our communities. It begins with each of us.

Godspeed.