Robert Barron, bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, took to Twitter recently to ask for prayers from St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More.

“St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, pray for us!” Barron said in a tweet on the feast day for the two saints.

The day also marks the start of Religious Freedom Week, a seven-day observance. This year’s theme for the week, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), is “Embracing the Divine Gift of Freedom.”

The feast day of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher is an important observation for the Church. The day honors the bravery of the two saints, who were beheaded by King Henry VIII of England in 1535.

St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher displayed courage in upholding their religious beliefs by refusing to condone the king's divorce or acknowledge his subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn, according to Faith ND, a University of Notre Dame alumni association publication. Their commitment to their convictions was admirable but ended up costing them their lives. Henry VIII had St. Thomas More put to death on June 22; nine days later, St. John Fisher was executed.

Several days during Religious Freedom Week are shared celebration days. Besides the start of the week’s coinciding with the feast day of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist occurs during the week (June 24) as does the feast of St. Peter and Paul (June 29).

During Religious Freedom Week, the USCCB encourages the faithful 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.

Catholics this year are being asked to focus on several global issues that jeopardize religious freedom. 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 are some of the crises making headlines.

The USCCB said each day of the week is set aside for a specific prayer topic. It gave the schedule as follows: 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.

Bishop W. Shawn McKnight took some time to remind the faithful of the importance of the week.

"It is a reminder to embrace the divine gift of freedom,” McKnight said in a tweet. “May people of all faiths feel free to worship without fear.”