U.S Catholics:Religious Freedom Initiative – June 21 – July 4
June 15th, 2015
A “Fortnight for Freedom,” – June 21-July 4 is a 14-day period of prayer, education and action across all dioceses in the United States in support of religious freedom. Launched by U.S Catholic Bishops, several initiatives and events are encouraged to highlight the importance of defending religious freedom.
The theme for 2015 Fortnight for Freedom is Freedom to Bear Witness to the Truth of the Gospel. For Catholics, these fourteen days are significant because it incorporate series of feasts of Saint Peter and Paul and June 21—the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More—to July 4, Independence Day.
For more please see USCCB website for liturgical resources and information on special event in your parish.
Fortnight for Freedom Resources here.
Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty
O 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.
(Prayer from USCCB Fortnight for Freedom 2015)
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