Religious Freedom Week
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What is Religious Freedom Week?
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has announced that the annual observance of Religious Freedom Week (the successor to the Fortnight for Freedom which was held from 2012 - 2017) will be celebrated in dioceses nationwide from June 22 to June 29. The focus of the week is the importance of preserving the essential right of religious freedom, both now and in the future, for Catholics and all people of faith. This year’s theme is “For the Good of All”.
The significant feast days during the week (St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher on June 22, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 24, and Saints Peter and Paul on June 29) inspire us to follow the example of these great saints who loved God above all and remained faithful in the face of adversity.
Religious freedom gives us the space to carry out the mission that Jesus has entrusted to the Church. Religious freedom means that Catholics, and all people of good will, are free to seek the truth and to live in accordance with that truth, and so to strengthen our common life as a nation. Join us June 22 - June 29, as we pray, reflect, and take action on religious liberty, both here in this country and abroad. Each daily “Pray-Reflect-Act” one pager highlights a specific topic. These excellent resources are designed to inspire us to learn more about religious liberty from a Catholic perspective, pray about particular issues and provide tools to act on what we learn. They can be downloaded here.
To receive religious freedom updates from the USCCB, text FREEDOM to 84576 or sign up for the USCCB monthly newsletter First Freedom News here. -
Pray to Protect Religious Freedom
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Prayer for the Protection of Religious LibertyO God our Creator,
from your provident hand we have received
our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You have called us as your people and given us the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God, and your Son, Jesus Christ. Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit, you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world, bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel to every corner of society. We ask you to bless us in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty. Give us the strength of mind and heart to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened; give us courage in making our voices heard on behalf of the rights of your Church and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith. Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father, a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters gathered in your Church in this decisive hour in the history of our nation, so that, with every trial withstood and every danger overcome—for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, and all who come after us—this great land will always be "one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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