People of Faith can join virtual march on Washington, D.C. during 'Fortnight for Freedom'

Contact: Matt Smith, Catholic Advocate, 202-521-9828

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic Advocate, a leading lay Catholic grassroots organization in Washington, D.C., is answering our Catholic Bishops' call for a "a time of prayer, education, and action in support of religious liberty" during a "Fortnight for Freedom" today with the launch of the "Virtual Vigil for Religious Liberty."

"The bishops have urged us all to consider the 'Christian and American heritage of liberty' during this time, and we think participating in our virtual vigil is one great way for people of faith from across the United States to come together," said Catholic Advocate President Matt Smith.

During the 14-day "Fortnight" period, Catholic Advocate will be encouraging a great national campaign of teaching and witness for religious liberty through joining people in prayer, contacting Congress, sharing facts on Facebook, and more. We will also let vigil participants know about other important ways they can participate in the "Fortnight for Freedom" within their own communities.

The "Virtual Vigil for Religious Liberty" will be hosted at a special website: fortnight.catholicadvocate.com

"Our goal is to unite those standing for our liberties in a national way by their attendance at the virtual vigil in Washington, D.C.," added Smith. "We also encourage participation in the various activities being hosted in dioceses across the country but for those unable to attend an event they can be a part of the fortnight through the vigil."

Participants will be able to join the vigil through Facebook or by entering basic information. They will then choose an avatar, including an option for priests and women religious, to represent them at the vigil. Participants will receive daily updates on activities to join with others during the fortnight. There is also a section entitled "Got 5 Minutes -- Do More to Help" where vigil attendees can take further steps to engage in additional prayer, educational, and action activities.

Catholic Advocate is a non-partisan group that engages and encourages faithful Catholics to actively participate in the political process to support elected officials and policies that remain consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Catholic Advocate’s Parish Action Kit program and on-line action center have generated over 250,000 letters to Congress calling for a legislative correction to the HHS mandate.