Religious freedom rally held in Green Bay

Bishop Ricken addresses crowd at county court house plaza

GREEN BAY — A large crowd filled the Brown County Court House Plaza on June 8 in opposition of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandate requiring that employer health plans include free contraceptives for women. The event, "Stand Up for Religious Freedom," featured prayer, music and speakers, including Bishop David Ricken.

"It's time for us to stand up and stand together to call people's attention to what's happening in our country, which is so precious," said Bishop Ricken. "This is an act of solidarity where we are saying, 'wake up people' because these rights can crumble and be taken away from us very fast and almost underneath our own eyes. So we have to stand up and have people listen."