Expressing their deeply held beliefs in faith

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Taking part in the “Fortnight for Freedom” prayer service, along with Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, were representatives of the Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and Ba’hai faiths. The theme of this year’s event was “freedom to bear witness.” Veronica Markland | Today’s Catholic

“The Fortnight for Freedom: Freedom to Bear Witness” was observed in dioceses across the country June 21 to July 4, a time when the church’s liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power — St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, and the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome.
The theme of this year’s Fortnight from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops was on the “freedom to bear witness” to the truth of the Gospel.

In the archdiocese, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, hosted representatives of the San Antonio interfaith community in the Assumption Seminary auditorium. Joining Archbishop Gustavo in prayers for religious freedom were Father Gary Ziuraitis, CSsR, of St. Gerard Church, representing the Catholic faith; Dr. John Abdo, representing the Ba’hai faith; Imam Omar Shakir of Mosque Masjid Bilal Ibn Ra’bah, representing the Muslim faith; Rev. Paul Ziese of MacArthur Park Lutheran Church, representing the Protestant faith; and Rabbi Mara Nathan of Congregation Temple Beth-el, representing the Jewish faith.

“I am grateful to our friends in faith for uniting their voices with ours in celebration of our first and most important freedom, the freedom for all people to worship God as their conscience leads them,” said Archbishop Gustavo in welcoming remarks. “Our presence here is a living sing of this right that is too precious to squander through indifference, allowing the world to force the free expression of faith into the shadows or lock it behind church doors.”

Others participating in the prayer service were Carol White of the archdiocesan Black Catholic Apostolate; Maribel Silva, director of the Department of Pastoral Ministries for the archdiocese; Rev. Jay Brown of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church; Narjis Pierre, representing the Muslim faith; and Jeannie Goodlin of the San Antonio Community of Congregations.

They recited quotes from George Washington, Pope Francis Pope Paul VI, Louis D. Brandeis, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and others.

Music was performed by Laura Bill of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Helotes, who led attendees in the singing of “ My country, ‘tis of Thee,” “America the Beautiful,” and “God Bless America.”