December 28, 2007
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information, Contact:
Bud Bunce (503) 233-8373
bbunce@archdpdx.org
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be observed January 18 – 25. During this week Christians will have an opportunity to celebrate the unity they already share in Christ, and reaffirm their faith in the One God who is the source and end of communion. The week also affords Christians an opportunity to evaluate how far the ecumenical movement has come in ending the divisions among Christians.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity began in 1908 with efforts by Reverend Paul Wattson, co-founder of the Society of the Atonement, at that time an Episcopalian society. In 1935 a French Catholic priest, Paul Couturier, advocated for a “Universal Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.” The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism, promulgated in 1964, encouraged ecumenical prayer services and the observance of what is currently known as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. In 1966, the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and the Vatican Council for Promoting Christian Unity began collaborating on common texts for celebrating this week throughout the world. These two groups continue to develop the common theme and texts for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
In the Archdiocese of Portland, parishes are encouraged to collaborate with neighboring Christian churches in planning local observances and celebrations. Parishes are also encouraged to pray for success in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus, “that they may all be one.”
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