As Catholics marked the feast day of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, Paul Bradley, bishop of the Diocese of Kalamazoo, used the occasion to remind the faithful not to give up on their religious beliefs.

“Today we celebrate the feast of two martyrs, St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, who refused to compromise their faith in the public forum,” Bradley said on Twitter. “They are models to all of us of the importance of Religious Freedom in Society. We can not compromise our faith to be ‘politically correct.’” 

The sentiment was as appropriate way to mark the feast day of the two saints as they stood by the doctrine of the Church rather than giving in to the whims of King Henry VIII with regard to his divorce and marriage to Anne Boleyn.

They stood up for their beliefs despite the fact that it ultimately cost them their lives, according to Faith ND, a University of Notre Dame newsletter. King Henry ordered their executions, and St. Thomas More was put to death on June 22, followed by St. John Fisher’s death nine days later.

The feast day, celebrated on the anniversary of More’s death, also marks the start of Religious Freedom Week. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said this year’s theme for the seven-day observance is “Embracing the Divine Gift of Freedom.”

Religious Freedom Week includes a couple of other shared celebrations, namely the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, which occurs on June 24 and the feast of St. Peter and Paul on June 29.

The faithful are encouraged to engage in prayer, seek inspiration from the saints as models of faithful citizenship, and to take action regarding areas that pose threats to religious freedom as part of Religious Freedom Week observances, the USCCB said in its statement.

The USCCB is stressing the significance of prayer and action this year as several global issues pose a threat to religious freedom. Among the challenges to religious freedom this year are the ongoing religious persecution in Nigeria, the importance of Catholic healthcare, immigration concerns and the protection of religious freedom for Catholic institutions like schools and hospitals.

Each day of the week during the celebration is dedicated to a specific prayer topic. The USCCB put out this year’s prayer calendar as: June 22 - Respect for Sacred Places, June 23 - Seal of Confession, June 24 - Nicaragua, June 25 - Religious Student Groups, June 26 - Religious Freedom in Nigeria, June 27 - Faith at Work, June 28 - Service to Immigrants and Refugees and June 29 - Catholic Healthcare.

Religious Freedom Week gives people the opportunity to appreciate their situation, W. Shawn McKnight, bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri, said in a tweet.

"It is a reminder to embrace the divine gift of freedom,” McKnight said. “May people of all faiths feel free to worship without fear.”