Several events will take place in the Diocese of Rochester to mark the second-annual Fortnight for Freedom, a nationwide rally for religious freedom promoted by the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The USCCB instituted the two-week event to draw attention to current challenges to religious liberty, including an Aug. 1, 2013, deadline for religious organizations to comply with mandated health-care insurance changes, court challenges to same-sex marriage laws, and religious liberty concerns with immigration and humanitarian services.
The St. Thomas More Lawyers Guild of Rochester and the State Knights of Columbus Finger Lakes Chapter are hosting a Mass at 12:10 p.m. June 21 at Our Lady of Victory/St. Joseph Church, 210 Pleasant St., Rochester. Father Ronald Antinarelli will celebrate the Mass, which will mark the feast days of Ss. Thomas More and John Fisher, who were martyred during religious liberty disputes.
Syracuse Bishop Robert J. Cunningham, who is serving as the apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Rochester, will celebrate a Mass that day to kick off the Fortnight for Freedom at 12:10 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse.
Additionally, the movie "For Greater Glory" will be shown at 2:45 p.m. June 30 at Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Brockport. The movie focuses on a religious freedom battle fought in the 1920s in Mexico during the Mexican Civil War. It stars Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria, Peter O’Toole, Eduardo Verastegui, Oscar Isaac and Santiago Cabrera. It was rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America and was classified by Catholic News Service as being recommended for adults.
