Category: Ecumenical

2025 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

1/14/2025

Join us during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an annual global ecumenical celebration from January 18 to 25, where Christians worldwide unite in prayer and reflection for the unity of all Christians.

This year's theme, "Do you believe this?" (John 11:26), commemorates the 1,700th anniversary of the first Christian Ecumenical Council held in Nicaea, inviting us to deepen our shared faith.

To download prayer resources, visit weekofprayer.ca

We invite you to participate in the following prayer services:

Wed, Jan 22, 7 pm - FCJ Centre Chapel

Thu, Jan 23, 10 am - SAIT - Stan Grad Centre MB 315 Interfaith Confluence
Thu, Jan 23, 12 pm - University of Calgary, Vitruvian Space (Firmitas B) DC 14
Thu, Jan 23, 3 pm - Mount Royal University, U111
Thu, Jan 23, 6 pm - Soirée de prière oecuménique
6 pm to 8 pm - Paroisse Sainte-Famille, Calgary
Thu, Jan 23, 7 pm - St. Mary's University, McGivney Hall - for Adoration and Prayer Service
Thu, Jan 23, 7 pm - Ascension Catholic Parish, Calgary
Calgary Catholic School District: Services at various schools from Jan. 20-24

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2024 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

1/3/2024

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The Catholic Churches in Canada and all Christians are called to celebrate The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from January 18-25. The importance of unity among Christians and the responsibility of the people of each parish. Throughout this Week, parishes and all the faithful are to pray for Christian Unity, and seek a deeper understanding of ecumenism.

The 2024 theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU), chosen by an ecumenical team from Burkina Faso with the facilitation of the local Chemin Neuf Community (CCN), is “You shall love the Lord your God … and your neighbour as yourself”.

“It is not shared identities that should prompt us to come to the aid of the other, but love of our ‘neighbour’. However, the vision of love of neighbour that Jesus puts before us is under strain in the world today. ... It is by learning to love one another regardless of our differences that Christians can become neighbours like the Samaritan in the Gospel.” ~WCPU International Booklet (Theme intro)

Resources:

Order of Worship (Word, unformatted)
International Hymn Suggestions
Canadian Hymn Suggestions (English)
"Eight Days of Prayer" (daily Scripture readings, reflections, discussion questions, and prayers)

Prayer Services during Week Day of Prayer for Christian Unity in Calgary:

Wednesday, January 24 at noon at the University of Calgary Chapel
Thursday, January 25 at noon at SAIT Chapel

Poster (bilingual fillable PDF)
Graphic for social media (bilingual PNG)
Graphic for social media (English PNG)

Contact Fr. Adrian Martens at [email protected] if you have any questions.

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2022 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

1/11/2022

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Daily Prayer during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan 18 - 25)

Day 1: God, our only refuge and strength, we glorify you for you are a just and righteous God. We confess before you that we often covet worldly models of leadership. Help us to seek our Lord Jesus Christ not in the palaces of the powerful but in the humble manger and to emulate him in his meekness. Encourage us to empty ourselves as we serve each other in obedience to you. We pray in the name of Christ who with you and with the Holy Spirit reigns forever in glory. Amen.
Day 2: God, our only refuge and strength, we glorify you for you are a just and righteous God. We confess before you that we often covet worldly models of leadership. Help us to seek our Lord Jesus Christ not in the palaces of the powerful but in the humble manger and to emulate him in his meekness. Encourage us to empty ourselves as we serve each other in obedience to you. We pray in the name of Christ who with you and with the Holy Spirit reigns forever in glory. Amen.
Day 3: O Lord, you have guided us out of darkness to Jesus. You have illumined the star of hope in our lives. Help us to be united in our commitment to bring about your Reign of love, justice and peace and so to be the light of hope to all those living in the darkness of despair and disillusionment. Take our hand, Lord, so we can see you in our daily lives. As we follow you, remove our fear and anxiety. Shine your light upon us and set our hearts on fire so that your love surrounds us with warmth. Lift us up to you, you who have emptied yourself for our sake, so that our lives may glorify you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 4: Good Shepherd, the fragmentation of the little flock grieves your Holy Spirit. Forgive our weak efforts and slowness in the pursuit of your will. Give us wise shepherds after your own heart who recognise the sin of division, and who will lead the churches with righteousness and holiness, to unity in you. We ask you, Lord, to hear our prayer. Amen.
Day 5: O Lord God our Father, you sent the star to lead the Magi to your only begotten Son. Increase our hope in you and let us know at all times that you are walking with us, watching over your people. Teach us to follow the guidance of your Holy Spirit, however strange the path may seem, so that we may be led to our unity in Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Open our eyes to your Spirit, and encourage us in our faith, so that we may confess that Jesus is Lord, and worship and rejoice in him as the Magi did in Bethlehem. We ask you these blessings in the name of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
Day 6: Compassionate God, you gave the blind the insight to recognise you as their Saviour, enable us to repent. In your mercy, remove the scales from our eyes and lead us to worship you as our God and Redeemer. In the midst of our sorrow and despite the depth of our sins, give us the capacity to love you with all our hearts. May we journey together guided by your light, with one heart and one mind, as were the very first disciples. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon us, so that together we glorify you in the Spirit’s fellowship, and witness to all those around us. Amen.
Day 7: All praise, glory and thanksgiving to you, O God. You have revealed yourself in the epiphany of your Son both to those who have long awaited your coming, and to those who were not expecting you. You know the suffering that surrounds us, the pain caused by our divisions. You see the world struggling and the deteriorating situation in the Middle East today – the place where you chose to be born, which was sanctified by your presence. We ask you to enable our hearts and our minds to know you. As we join the wise men coming from afar, we pray that you open our hearts to your love and to the love of our brothers and sisters around us. Give us the will and the means to work towards the transformation of this world and to offer each other gifts that may nurture our communion. Grant us your endless gifts and blessings. Receive our prayer in the name of your Son Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day 8: Gracious God, when we only know one way and we think we must return to it, and when we think that all roads are blocked, and we fall into despair, we always find you there. You are the God of renewed promises. We find you creating a new path before us, one that we did not expect. We thank you because you exceed our expectations. We thank you for your wisdom that surpasses our understanding. We thank you because your creative paths open up unforeseen possibilities. If we search our maps and find no route, nonetheless we always find you, who lead us by a yet more excellent way. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, that you will always lead us back to you. Amen.

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The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated around the world on January 18-25. The 2022 theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him” (Mt 2:2), was prepared by the Middle East Council of Churches, based in Beirut, Lebanon.

The international theme and resources speak to our world’s urgent need for solidarity and transformation in the face of political, economic, and social turmoil, including the challenges and injustices highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we join the Christians of the Middle East in the journey to Christ’s manger, may we become a sign of the unity that God desires for all creation, and may we return to our home, our churches, and our world by new ways.

A resource kit containing program materials for the Week of Prayer adapted to Canadian context is available. This resource kit contains practical suggestions on prayers or activities for parishes, families, schools and campus ministries for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the 2021 theme.

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2021 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

1/11/2021

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The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated around the world on January 18-25.

The 2021 theme – Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit (John 15:5-9) – calls us to pray and to work for reconciliation and unity in the church, with our human family, and with all of creation. Drawing on the Gospel image of vine and branches, it invites us to nourish unity with God and with one another through contemplative silence, prayer, and common action. Grafted into Christ the vine as many diverse branches, may we bear rich fruit and create new ways of living, with respect for and communion with all of creation.

The importance of unity among Christians and the responsibility of the people of each parish to work for this unity should be emphasized throughout the week. All members of the parish should seek to have a deeper understanding of ecumenism.

A resource kit containing program materials for the Week of Prayer adapted to Canadian context is available from https://www.weekofprayer.ca/2021-wpcu-resources This resource kit contains practical suggestions on prayers or activities for parishes, families, schools and campus ministries for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the 2021 theme.

Event poster template for parish/school/campus events Download

Week of Prayer of Christian Unity - Jan 18-25
Join Bishop Todd Atkinson (Preacher, Via Apostolica), Dcn. Trevor Jameus (Via Apostolica), Rev. Terry Fach (Ambrose University), Fr. Matthew Perreault (Anglican Diocese of Calgary), and Rev. Adrian Martens (Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary) as they celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Live-streamed from Ascension Catholic Parish on Jan. 20, 2021 from 7-8pm.

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2025 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

2024 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

2022 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

2021 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

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