2013 Fortnight for Freedom: June 21 to July 4
The U.S. bishops have called for a Fortnight for Freedom, a two-week period of prayer and action, to address many current challenges to religious liberty, including the August 1, 2013 deadline for religious organizations to comply with the HHS mandate, Supreme Court rulings that could attempt to redefine marriage in June, and religious liberty concerns in areas such as immigration and humanitarian services.
Fortnight For Freedom - Prayer Resources
Prayer Resources The following prayers may be used in solidarity with the bishops' call to penance and prayer to restore religious freedom & conscience protections.
Please note: No special permissions are required to use these prayers, so long as no modification is made and proper attribution is given as noted on the resources.
Please note: No special permissions are required to use these prayers, so long as no modification is made and proper attribution is given as noted on the resources.
Reflections for the Fortnight for Freedom
Daily reflections with readings and questions that can be used for group discussion or personal reflection.
Daily reflections with readings and questions that can be used for group discussion or personal reflection.
Prayers of the Faithful | en Español
Parish Resources (14 ways to celebrate Fortnight for Freedom)
Parish Resources (14 ways to celebrate Fortnight for Freedom)
Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty
USCCB Publications is currently printing & taking orders for the Mary Immaculate card in English and Spanish card featuring Our Lady of Guadalupe. There are no plans to sell any of the other four designs at this time.
Vietnamese Prayer | Vietnamese Fortnight Prayer Packet
Tagalog Prayer
All six prayer cards may still be downloaded for free from the links below.Vietnamese Prayer | Vietnamese Fortnight Prayer Packet
Tagalog Prayer
- Mary Immaculate - Mary as the Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of the United States of America. Order packages of 100 cards now!
María Inmaculada - Patrona de Nuestro País - Our Lady of Guadalupe - Our Lady is the Patroness of all the Americas -- and also of our unborn brothers and sisters.
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe - Order packages of 100 cards now! - St. Thomas More - St. Thomas More is the Patron of Religious Freedom.
Santo Tomás Moro - Patrón de las Libertades Religiosas (not available for sale)
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.
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.
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."
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.
Fortnight Spotlight...
Diocesan Shoutouts: "Women's Freedom and Religious Freedom," a talk featuring Dr. Faith Daggs and Helene Paharick, kicks off the Fortnight in theDiocese of Pittsburgh. Other events in the Pittsburgh area include a discussion of the redefinition of marriage and a Mass for Religious Freedom celebrated by Bishop Zubik.
"Religious freedom protects more than the freedom to worship on Sunday; it also protects our ability to live out our faith the other six days of the week." Read more from Archbishop Lori's op-ed. The Baltimore Sun, June 16, 2013. . .
Catholic Americans gear up for second annual event in support of religious liberty. National Catholic Register, June 6, 2013. . .
Fortnight prayers have now been translated to Vietnamese Check out thePrayer Resources page for other translations.
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