On Wednesday, the start of Religious Freedom Week, the Diocese of Cheyenne reminded people that now is a good time to remember what Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher—whose feast days coincide with the start of the Week—did to put their beliefs first.

“Religious Freedom Week begins today, as the Church celebrates the feast day of Saints Thomas More and John Fisher,” the diocese posted on Facebook. “Thomas More wrote theological and philosophical treatises and was a lawyer and government official. Bishop John Fisher worked as an administrator at Cambridge and confronted the challenge Martin Luther presented to Christian Europe. These brilliant men gave their lives for the freedom of the Church and for freedom of conscience.” 

More was educated at Oxford and become a lawyer, though he had briefly considered pursuing a religious life, Catholic.org said. Although he pursued a life in the secular world, he never quit drawing inspiration from the Carthusian monks. He was elected to Parliament in 1504 as a representative of Great Yarmouth—and later of London—before becoming a Privy Counselor in 1514. 

More earned a good reputation as a public servant, doing his job diligently and honestly. King Henry VIII was impressed, knighting him in 1521 and giving him more responsibilities. But 11 years later, More decided that he could no longer work for the king because he believed Henry had lost his way as a Catholic.

More was eventually sentenced to death for refusing to acknowledge the king's annulment from his wife Catherine and refusal to acknowledge that Henry was the head of the Church. 

Wednesday also marked the start of Religious Freedom Week, with this year’s theme being “Life and Dignity for All,” a release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said. The USCCB asserted that the point of freedom is to be able to serve one another through such things as health care, fostering or supporting adoption services. They also urged Americans to pray for and support persecuted Christians in other parts of the world, such as China. 

To get the week-long celebration off to a good start, the USCCB on Wednesday asked Catholics to "pray that governments will respect the consciences of all people who care for the sick and vulnerable," a Facebook post said.