Frank Dewane, the Bishop of the Diocese of Venice, Florida, is encouraging the faithful to get engaged in the annual Religious Freedom Week, going on now, through both prayer and action.

“I, along with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops invite all to pray, reflect, and act, to promote religious freedom,” Dewane said in a statement.

Religious Freedom Week started Thursday. It always starts on the feast day of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher.

This year, the USCCB announced that “Embracing the Divine Gift of Freedom” is the theme for the week-long observance.

The day honoring St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher is a fitting way to start Religious Freedom Week. The two saints stuck to their religious beliefs in defiance of the wishes of King Henry VIII, who demanded that the Church accept his divorce and, later, his marriage to Anne Boleyn.

Sticking to their convictions came at a steep price, as King Henry VIII ordered both men executed. St. Thomas More was beheaded on June 22, 1535, and the execution of St. John Fisher followed nine days later, according to Faith ND, a publication put out by the University of Notre Dame.

“Jeremiah, way back in scripture, reminds us of the Christian duty to speak up, speak out, particularly in situations where the gospel is mocked or rejected,” Dewane said. “This is not an easy assignment, but it is what God wants of us.”

During Religious Freedom Week, 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, the USCCB said in its press release.

The week includes several other shared days, including the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, which occurs on June 24, and the feast of St. Peter and Paul on the final day of Religious Freedom Week.

The USCCB is calling on Catholics to pray regarding various global issues that are in opposition to religious freedom. These include 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.

The USCCB has put out a list of topics that should be prayed on, one for each day of the week. The prayer focus schedule is: 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.

Other Catholic leaders also urged the faithful to give the week-long celebration its due.

"It is a reminder to embrace the divine gift of freedom," Jefferson City, Missouri, Bishop W. Shawn McKnight said on Twitter. "May people of all faiths feel free to worship without fear."