WASHINGTON — When the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops asked Catholics to dedicate 14 days to the preservation of religious freedom through prayer, education and public action, they listened.

Catholics in dioceses across the United States participated in Masses, devotions, holy hours, educational presentations and rallies during the June 21 to July 4 campaign to support the nation's "first and most cherished freedom" and draw attention to actions Catholic and other religious leaders say are weakening religious liberty, including the federal contraceptive mandate.

The U.S. bishops' campaign began on the vigil of the feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More with Mass June 21 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore celebrated by Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Freedom.

He held up the two martyrs as a source of inspiration for American Catholics, saying "their courageous witness of faith continues to stir the minds and hearts of people yearning for authentic freedom, and specifically, for religious freedom," he said.

The fortnight closed on Independence Day with Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington and the tolling of bells at churches across the country at noon Eastern time.

Fortnight events in dioceses around the country included an Independence Celebration Walk and Picnic in Des Moines, Iowa; a motorcycle "Rosary Ride for Religious Freedom" in Colorado Springs, Colo.; nonpartisan voter registration drives after Masses in Atlanta parishes; a religious liberty conference in Covington, Ky.; an outdoor Faith and Freedom Mass in a park band shell in Savannah, Ga.; and a prayer service with special petitions for the fortnight in the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma, Ohio.

In the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki presided at a Mass in Observance of the Fortnight for Freedom June 22 in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Then, on July 2, Bishop Paprocki led a prayer rally in support of religious freedom at the foot of a statue of Abraham Lincoln on the grounds of the Illinois State Capitol.

"This Fortnight for Freedom is about prayer and it's about education," Bishop Paprocki told about 375 people who braved triple-digit temperatures to attend the rally. He asked Catholics to make their voices heard. "Outside of that, our role is to ask for God's help because there is no point in being a political voice, there is no point in taking political action if we leave God out of that equation."

In the Diocese of Brooklyn, N.Y., Catholics participated in a 12-hour marathon of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament at the Church of St. Joseph in Brooklyn. Jocelyn Rodriguez, a teenager from St. Elizabeth Parish in Ozone, N.Y., organized youth groups to lead the faithful during the vigil.

In upstate New York, parishioners in the Rochester Diocese participated in a 14-day-long Festival for Freedom at a retreat house in Canandaigua. The free events include a speaker series on the topics of ethics, justice and natural law; Masses and prayer services; and plays and other activities.

At Holy Family Catholic Church in Orlando, Fla., students in grades 6 to 12 participated in an obstacle course and a scavenger hunt to find items representing faith and liberty.

"We are blessed to live in a great nation founded on religious freedom in which all of our natural freedoms are protected," Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito of Palm Beach told the Florida Catholic diocesan newspaper. "That is evident as we legitimately and respectfully gather today to join in prayer and make our voices heard in regard to the protection of religious freedom."

Morning rains did not stop 700 people from attending a June 23 rally where Archbishop George J. Lucas of Omaha, Neb., spoke on religious liberty issues. Across the archdiocese, parishes sponsored movie nights and "Faithful Citizenship" presentations.

In the nation's capital, more than 2,000 Catholics from all over the Washington Archdiocese prayed and sang patriotic hymns at a June 24 rally at George Washington University's Smith Center. The event highlighted the Catholic heritage of the United States. Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington recalled Blessed John Paul II's first public Mass as pope when he called the faithful to put aside fear and to express their beliefs.

"The call is not just for priests to preach, but for the laity to respond. The response is threefold: prayer, education and action. The most important is prayer," Cardinal Wuerl said.

The Catholic bishops of Kansas sponsored a statewide rally for religious freedom in front of the state Capitol in Topeka June 29. Catholics in Iowa had a march to their state capitols in Des Moines.

The Diocese of Allentown, Pa., sponsored a campaign called "Let Religious Freedom Ring," which included five catechetical talks presenting USCCB documents on religious freedom and public seminars at universities.

At Mass June 24 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez urged Catholics to remember that the fortnight was not about politics.

"The greatest threat to our freedom of religion doesn't come from our government or from forces in our secular society; the greatest threat we face comes from our own lack of faith and our own lack of courage," he said.

The fortnight spurred ecumenical and interfaith celebrations across the nation, uniting Catholics and other people of faith. Oklahoma City's Rally for Religious Freedom June 23 drew Christians of many denominations to the Cox Convention Center.

In San Antonio, the interfaith community celebrated freedom of religion with a televised prayer service June 26. The group included representatives of the Catholic, Protestant, Baha'i, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh faiths.

"All people of faith must stand with the Catholic Church in protesting this mandate, which represents a slippery slope for greater government intrusion and control over religious institution," said an interfaith grass-roots organization called Conscience Cause.

Contributing to this story were Maureen Boyle and Daniel Linskey in Washington; Chris Albracht in Amarillo, Texas; Linda Reeves in West Palm Beach; Paula Doyle in Los Angeles, and Kathie Sass in Springfield.