Fortnight for Freedom Events in Philadelphia

from the Office for Divine Worship
Archdiocese of Philadelphia

The 5th Annual Fortnight for Freedom is being observed nationally June 21st to July 4th and is sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The initiative calls Catholic from across the country to stand united in defense of our first, most cherished liberty—that of religious freedom.

Mass & Holy Hour 

for Religious Freedom

Sunday, June 26, 2016

5:30 p.m. (Holy Hour & Confessions)

6:30 p.m. (Mass)

Principal Celebrant and Homilist: 

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap

Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

18th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Five Ways to Observe the Fortnight for Freedom

• Pray - Hold a prayer vigil for religious freedom.  Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet are all forms of intercession for our country and our first freedom.  The U.S. bishops have made ;prayer resources available.  You can download them using this link.  

• Learn - Catholic teaching on religious freedom is rich and has much to offer our culture today.  Consider getting a study group together to read and discuss what religous freedom is really all about.  Resources are available using this link.  

• Gather - Get together and celebrate religious freedom with a parish picnic or barbeque.  Hand out religious freedom conversation starters as a way to spur discussion about our first, most precious liberty.  

• Pilgrimage - Join Catholics from all over the country in the nation's capital on July 4 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to pray for our county and for our Church.

• Share! - We want to hear from you!  Share pictures of Fortnight celebrations in your area on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using the hashtag #Fortnight4Freedom.  Your picture might make it to our USCCB website!

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.