2022 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Begins Jan.18

“We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2)

As the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity reminds us in their recent document, "Christians cannot despair in the face of Christian division [ ... ] Christ has already defeated these evils." (The Bishop and Christian Unity, 42). While we continue to distance ourselves physically, it is all the more necessary to join together in prayer "that they may all be one" (John 17:21) just as Jesus Christ prayed.

Tuesday, January 18 marks the beginning of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an eight day period celebrated internationally between the Feast of St. Peter’s Chair and the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. It was first developed by Servant of God Father Paul Wattson, SA, at Graymoor in Garrison, New York, and was first observed at Graymoor from January 18-25, 1908.

This year, the theme selected by the Middle East Council of Churches is “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2) In light of the daily struggles Christians face in the Middle East, this reference to the Epiphany reminds us all of God’s invitation to the new covenant in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and the hope we find in it.

Materials are developed annually by a joint commission of the Pontifical Council of Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches. They are produced and distributed by the Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute, which can be visited here. Materials include prayer cards, a daily Scripture and prayer guide, and an ecumenical celebration of the Word.

For more information, please visit the Week of Prayer section of our website.

Please join with us as we pray for the unity of all Christians.