Nearly 20 Catholic parishes around the Chicago region are hosting rallies and prayer services to support religious freedom, which they say is threatened by the government.

They’re part of "Fortnight for Freedom," a national Catholic response to Obama’s healthcare plan and the mandate that allows women who work for Catholic institutions to get contraceptives through their employers’ insurance. 

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops launched "Fortnight for Freedom" to unite Catholics who oppose the healthcare law. After the Supreme Court ruling largely upholding the law Thursday, the Conference urged Congress to pass legislation to “fix those flaws.”

Father Fanelli is the pastor of St. Thomas More Parish on Chicago’s Southwest Side. He said the government is restricting religious rights by mandating insurance coverage for contraceptives, which Catholics believe is a sin.

 “There is a kind of persecution, you might say, of Catholics at this time,” Father Fanelli said. “This is an action that has never been taken before by any government towards religious people, and Catholics in particular. So we’re praying a lot that we’ll have that freedom again.”

His church is dedicating a prayer at every mass during the two-week campaign. Fanelli says the congregation is particularly passionate because the church’s namesake, St. Thomas More, is the patron saint of religious liberty.

Other Catholic groups have jump