From the Catholic Sentinel:
US bishops set March 30 as day of prayer, fasting for religious liberty
Catholic News ServiceWASHINGTON — The U.S. bishops have urged Catholics and “all people of faith” across the nation to observe March 30 as a day of prayer and fasting for religious freedom and conscience protection.
The bishops announced the daylong observance in a statement titled “United for Religious Freedom” that was approved March 14 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Administrative Committee.
They asked Catholics and others to join them in “prayer and penance for our leaders and for the complete protection of our first freedom — religious liberty — which is not only protected in the laws and customs of our great nation, but rooted in the teachings of our great tradition.”
The bishops said that among current threats to religious liberty is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandate that forces employers, including religious ones, to provide coverage of contraception/sterilization in their health plans.
Prayer resources have been posted on the USCCB website, HERE.
Also, “Prayer for Religious Liberty” prayer cards are available as a downloadable PDF file. The cards are available in English and Spanish, and feature three different images: Mary as the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the U.S.; Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas and the unborn; and St. Thomas More, the patron saint of the legal profession who was martyred for standing up for his religious beliefs.
[…]
There’s more.
Loading ...
This has got to be the least-announced “call for national prayer and fasting” — or anything, for that matter — I’ve ever seen. I saw this mentioned ONCE before today. We have got to do better than this, folks!
This just sounds awkward. Pray and fasting for religious liberty?!? How about prayer and fasting for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Yes, not announced well enough.
Another thing that’s not getting enough attention: A new ebook by Abp. Chaput, available at your usual ebook outlets: A Heart on Fire: Catholic Witness and the Next America, Random House Publishers. It’s short but it’s cheap and it’s a good read, outspoken and truthful.
Gail F. Ditto, ditto, and double ditto. I heard not word one about it till I cruised over to WTPRS. Today.
Thank you for posting this. I didn’t know that there was a call for this today. I wish I heard about this at Mass or on one of the radio stations. I feel bad though because I just scarffed down some sesame biscuits before I logged on here.
This was mentioned on Relevant Radio. More than once!
I think I tend to pay pretty close attention to these kinds of things but until I came to this website I had absolutely no idea about this. Isn’t Friday supposed to be a day of fasting anyway?
Mom2301,
Abstinence: No meat.
Fasting with abstinence is next Friday which is Good Friday.
Right after I had 5 meatless frozen waffles for breakfast/lunch Friday – – – this is the first I’ve heard of the call to prayer. These are lost opportunities – one week until Good Friday and people want to gather with a mission, I believe.
Awesome! I won the sour grapes award!!! I dedicate it to Henry Edwards…. :-)
Just saw this in an email from the Cardinal Newman Society:
“Please commit here to pray the “Prayer for Religious Liberty” promulgated by the U.S. Bishops on every day during Holy Week — if possible, before the Eucharist at Mass or Adoration. We will tally the number and report your participation to His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the USCCB, and to the Holy See.”
Okay, has anyone heard of THAT? Every day during Holy Week?
I saw this on our parish’s Facebook fan page this morning, but it was too late to change meal plans or graciously bow out of a social function involving food that I’m supposed to attend tonight.
Okay, maybe the “every day during Holy Week” thing was from the CNS. In the email, it sounded as if it were from the USCCB.
I read about it in “The Wanderer,” but they gave NO DATE.
I wish I had dug deeper.
Perhaps the mug we really need, in honor of the USCCB, is one dominated by a pair of reflective sunglasses and saying: Quod hic sit communicare culpam.
What good does this do when the Bishops and priests do not either know about this, or promote it? If they’re going to do this, then they need to take the time to communicate this properly, otherwise, it’s pretty useless. We need to do better than this.
Here is the statement – nowhere does it mention March 30th.
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/upload/Admin-Religious-Freedom.pdf
I believe some of the bishops in PA suggested the day, and some in ID and ND joined in. But, the specific day, as far as I can tell, was never mentioned(?)