WASHINGTON - The annual observance of Religious Freedom Week takes place June 22–29. It begins with the feast day of Ss. Thomas More and John Fisher, includes the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and ends with the feast of Ss. Peter and Paul. The theme this year is “Called to the Fullness of Dignity.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offers the faithful daily topics addressing different aspects of religious liberty for prayer, reflection, and action, which may be found at www.usccb.org/ReligiousFreedomWeek. Building on this year’s Annual Report, Religious Freedom Week highlights concerns about attacks on houses of worship. As the Committee for Religious Liberty stated in its Report, “There is no greater threat to religious liberty than for one’s house of worship to become a place of danger, and the country sadly finds itself in a place where that danger is real.”
Religious Freedom Week also calls attention to threats to Catholic ministries that serve immigrants. In recent years, Christian services to migrants have faced aggressive accusations by both media personalities and political leaders seeking to advance a certain narrative about current immigration trends. The attacks on both sacred spaces and ministries to migrants reflect the political and cultural polarization that has come to characterize so much of American life. Religious Freedom Week encourages Catholics do their part to promote civility by recognizing the dignity of all people and inviting others to do the same.
Once again, the USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty, in collaboration with the Secretariat of Catholic Education and Our Sunday Visitor Institute, hosted a religious liberty essay contest. Contestants were asked to share the story of a witness to freedom—a story of the people who inspire us. The top essays from the competition will be published during Religious Freedom Week at www.usccb.org/ReligiousFreedomWeek.
Through prayer, education, and public action during Religious Freedom Week, the faithful can promote the essential right of religious freedom for Catholics and for those of all faiths.
To connect with the USCCB’s Committee for Religious Liberty, text FREEDOM to 84576 and sign up for “First Freedom News,” the Committee for Religious Liberty’s monthly newsletter