Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Issues Invitation to Celebrate Annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
January 18, 2019
WASHINGTON--Bishop Joseph C. Bambera of Scranton, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, invites all to celebrate the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which takes place January 18-25, 2019. This week provides an opportunity to join together and pray as Jesus did “that they may all be one.” (John 17:21) The practice, originally called the Christian Unity Octave, was first observed in 1908 by Fr. Paul Wattson and Sr. Lurana White, co-founders of the Society of Atonement. Today, it is a collaborative project by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches.
This year’s theme is “Justice, Only Justice, You Shall Pursue.” (Deuteronomy 16:20). It was chosen by Christians from Indonesia, highlighting the unique opportunity the call for justice plays in our ecumenical efforts. According to Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute (GEII) who promotes the Week of Prayer in the United States, Christian communities "become newly aware of their unity as they join in a common concern and a common response to an unjust reality. At the same time, confronted by these injustices, we are obliged, as Christians, to examine the ways in which we are complicit. Only by heeding Jesus’s prayer 'that they all may be one' can we witness to living unity in diversity. It is through our unity in Christ that we will be able to combat injustice and serve the needs of its victims."
Further information and other resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity are available below:
International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2019: Justice, Only Justice, You Shall Pursue
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity January 18-25, 2019
The theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is "Justice, Only Justice, You Shall Pursue." (Deuteronomy 16:18-20). According to Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute (GEII). . . , Christian communities "become newly aware of their unity as they join in a common concern and a common response to an unjust reality. At the same time, confronted by these injustices, we are obliged, as Christians, to examine the ways in which we are complicit. Only by heeding Jesus’s prayer 'that they all may be one' can we witness to living unity in diversity. It is through our unity in Christ that we will be able to combat injustice and serve the needs of its victims." To purchase materials for your worship community for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, check out GEII on the web. . . !
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has a history of over 100 years . . . , in which Christians around the world have taken part in an octave of prayer for visible Christian unity. By annually observing the WPCU, Christians move toward the fulfillment of Jesus' prayer at the Last Supper "that they all may be one." (cf. John 17:21)
In preparation for the WPCU, ecumenical partners in a particular region were asked to prepare a basic text on a biblical theme. Then an international group organized through the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity edited this text, which was jointly published by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. . . and WCC, through their Commission on Faith and Order. . . . The WCC accompanied the entire production process of the text. The final material was sent to member churches and Roman Catholic dioceses, and they were invited to translate the text and contextualize it for their own use.
Further promotional and preparatory materials for the 2018 WPCU can be found through the World Council of Churches. . . and the Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute. . . websites, including:
- Suggestions for observing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
- Thematic poster art, music, and prayer cards (English/Spanish)
- Scripture readings, commentaries and questions for reflection
- Ecumenical prayer service model
- Historical and contextual information
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