Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The Barnes county Ministerial Association encourages the community to join them on Tuesday, January 19th, and participate in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. They will gather at three locations over the noon hour to pray and reflect, with different focuses at each place:

12:10 p.m. – St. Catherine Catholic Church (506 3rd Ave. NE)

Location Focus: Praying together

12:25 p.m. – Epworth United Methodist Church, (680 8th Ave. SW)

Location Focus: Letting oneself be transformed by the Word

12:40 p.m. – New Life Assembly of God (520 Winter Show Rd SW)

Location Focus: Growing in unity

For over 100 years, Christians around the world have participated in a liturgy of prayer for unity

throughout Christianity. The first of these observances, the Church Unity Octave, was in January 1908, initiated by the founder of the Society of the Atonement, Fr. Paul Wattson. He proposed that the annual week of prayer be observed from January 18-25, marking dates with symbolic significance (feasts of the Chair of St. Peter, Jan. 18; Conversion of St. Paul’s, Jan. 25).

Each year, a different biblical theme is chosen by Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute (GEII) based on suggestions from ecumenical groups across the globe. This year’s theme is “Abide in My Love…You Shall Bear Much Fruit” (cf. John 15:1-17), discerned by the Monastic Community of Grandchamp in Switzerland. The Community of Grandchamp wished to choose a theme for 2021 which shared the experience of their contemplative

life, abiding in God’s love and holding fast to his commandment to love one another. In announcing the theme, the GEII writes that the Community of Grandchamp wishes to “remind Christians worldwide about the importance of praying for the fruits of closer communion with our brothers and sisters in Christ and greater solidarity with the whole of creation.”

Everyone is welcome to gather on Tuesday, January 19th at St.

Catherine Catholic Church, Epworth United Methodist Church and New Life Assembly of God to take part in observing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with the Barnes County Ministerial Association as religious communities around the world do the same.

(Note: to allow for social distancing, those participating in the observances at the three churches will meet in the parking lots)