Archdiocese of Chicago

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated annually from January 18 (traditional feast of St. Peter) through January 25 (feast of St. Paul). The observance is sponsored by the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity of the Catholic Church. During this week-long observance, and throughout the year, Christians are invited to gather with their Christian neighbors to join in prayer for Christian Unity. Pentecost is also an appropriate time to plan an ecumenical prayer service.

Each year, Christian churches and communities of a particular country develop the theme and texts for the Week of Prayer. Material for the 2013 observance was jointly prepared by the Student Christian Movement of India, All India Catholic University Federation and the National Council of Churches in India. The 2013 theme "What Does God Require of Us? invites Christians to explore what it means to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God (cf. Micah 6:6-8)

The Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of Chicago is encouraging all Christians to engage in personal prayer and join local joint observances during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and throughout the year. Resources to help you plan your observance are available by clicking on the links below. The RESOURCE BROCHURE prepared by the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity contains complete information regarding services, prayers and other observances. The Eight Days of Reflections, Petitions and Thematic Prayer can be downloaded for publication in church bulletins.