January 16, 2025, Ottawa – The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU) is a well established global ecumenical observance, which in the northern hemisphere is held annually from January 18 to 25, between the liturgical feasts of the Confession of Saint Peter and the Conversion of Saint Paul. During this period, Christians of all denominations and ecclesial communities are invited to pray for the unity of all of the baptized; to meditate together on Sacred Scripture; to participate in jointly-organized worship services; and to undertake together acts of charity and fellowship.
The prayers and reflections for this year’s WPCU highlight the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), the first Ecumenical Council, and take as their theme the question “Do you believe this?” (Jn 11:26). These resources were prepared by the brothers and sisters of the Bose monastic ecumenical community, in northern Italy, and are jointly published by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches.
Each year, in order to help Christians in Canada mark the WPCU, the Canadian Council of Churches, of which the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is a member, commissions a Writing and Animation Team to develop an adapted version of the resources published by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches, taking into account the Canadian context. These Canadian resources are found on a dedicated website, which is updated annually:
English: https://www.weekofprayer.ca/
French: https://www.semainedepriere.ca/
All are invited to pray for Christian unity during the WPCU and, in a particular way this year, to deepen their knowledge of, and prayerful reflection on the Nicene Creed. Clergy and lay pastoral associates are invited to encourage the faithful to learn more about the WPCU, and to participate in and/or host an appropriate event(s) for WPCU 2025. Bishops of the Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches may also plan special ecumenical events and extend a particular welcome to fellow Christians in their Cathedrals. To learn more about how to get involved locally, consult your respective diocese, eparchy, or parish for details.
Media Inquiries:
Maribel Mayorga- 2 –
Director of Communications
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB)
Email: communications@cccb.ca
Telephone: 613-241-9461, ext. 225