2008: Pray without ceasing
(1 Thess. 5: 12-18)

Calendar
• Calgary • Edmonton • Humboldt • Lethbridge • Medicine Hat • Montréal • Saskatoon • Toronto • Victoria • Winnipeg

If you would like us to list your WPCU event in Canada, please email the .

Resources
• Canada
• International

To order copies of the Canadian service kit for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:
• phone (877) 702-7773 ext. 239
• fax: (877) 702-7775
• email:
• or use the order form

2008 : Priez sans cesse
(1 Th 5. 12-18)

Calendrier
• Calgary • Edmonton • Humboldt • Lethbridge • Medicine Hat • Montréal • Saskatoon • Toronto • Victoria • Winnipeg

Si vous souhaitez nous faire figurer votre événement dans notre calendrier, veuillez envoyer un courriel à l'.

Ressources
• Canada
• International

Pour commander votre trousse pour la Semaine de Prière pour l'Unité Chrétienne :
• téléphone : (800) NOVALIS
ou (514) 278-3025
• télécopieur : (514) 278-3030
• courriel :
• ou forme d'ordre

The Octave of prayer for Christian unity
The dates of the Week of Prayer are normally from January 18 to 25 around the world. These dates are chosen because they represent the feasts of two saints significant to our understanding of Christian unity. January 18 is the feast of the confession of St. Peter. January 25 is the feast of the conversion of St. Paul. Peter and Paul can be understood as representing two competing experiences of Christianity which are reconciled in the gathering at Jerusalem (Acts 15). In a similar way, it is understood that Christianity today experiences a multitude of differing expressions of Christianity which are nevertheless ultimately reconcilable.

Canadian observances
In many countries the Octave dates are changed to accommodate local arrangements. In Canada, the dates normally include the two Sundays upon which, or between which, January 25 falls. Of course, people are encouraged to observe the Octave at whatever time is most appropriate for local circumstances. Some communities have celebrated the Octave at Pentecost, others have chosen an autumn date. Whatever you choose, the resources are available to support your planning.

Worship services and other events are scheduled across Canada and around the world during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Events are listed on this website for • Calgary • Edmonton • Humboldt • Lethbridge • Medicine Hat • Montréal • Saskatoon • Toronto • Victoria • Winnipeg

If you would like us to list your WPCU event in Canada, please email the .

The materials from the 2008 WPCU international resource package are available for download in PDF format. Adapt these materials in your own settings, and print the worship service freely in your own church bulletins.

In order to unite with one another, we must love one another;
in order to love one another, we must know one another;
in order to know one another, we must go and meet one another.

These words, known as the "Testament of Cardinal Mercier," are the impetus for the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The week (actually an octave, eight days) has been celebrated continuously since 1894. However, the Week was a dream of many Christian leaders since the early years of the 19th century.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is now celebrated around the world in January. The theme and focus biblical texts are prepared by an international Joint Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. National and Regional councils of churches work to adapt and add to these resources as appropriate to their local context. These resources are listed below.

Week of Prayer resources are "offered with the understanding that, whenever possible, it will be adapted for use at the local level. In doing this, account must be taken of local liturgical and devotional practice, and of the whole social and cultural context. Such adaptation should normally take place ecumenically." [from the WCC website]
 

Liturgies for Christian Unity
The First Hundred Years, 1908-2008

Featuring a foreword by the Anglican Archbishop Michael G. Peers, Liturgies for Christian Unity is an anthology of the very best approaches to celebrating common religious ground. Containing prayers and texts from the past 100 years of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, it offers a wide range of ideas for liturgies of all forms and sizes. Its inclusiveness and its usefulness make it a required resource for parishes, retreat centres, chaplains and educators in all manner of situations.

This resource is the fruit of rich editorial work by the Faith and Witness Commission of the Canadian Council of Churches, under the guidance and leadership of Rev. Judee Archer-Greene, Rev. Richard Vandervaart and Dr. Mary Marrocco.

A particular strength of this anthology is in the history of the Week of Prayer introducing each section of the text. These were written by J. Eileen Scully of the Anglican Church of Canada.

ISBN-13: 978-2-89507-958-3 • Price: $27.95 • Paperback, 200 pp., 8.5 x 11

Canadian resources

Canadian resources are prepared by an ecumenical committee coordinated by the Canadian Council of Churches. The materials are based on the international package provided by the World Council of Churches and the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Various adaptations are made for the Canadian context.

The following resources have been produced by the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism and the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism. They are not tied to the annual themes, so they may be used in any year.

International resources

The international resources are produced by the World Council of Churches and the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.