Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

2010: You are witnesses of these things
(Luke 24: 48)

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

2010 : De tout cela, c'est vous qui êtes les témoins
(Luc 24, 48 )

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

New in 2009, we have started a Facebook group for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This is a public group. If you are a Facebook user, please join the group and view the resources listed on the page.

Resource kits

The annual resource kits contain a worship service, an 8 day biblical reflection, and additional prayer material.
• International kit (333 Kb, PDF)
• International kit (899 Kb, DOC)
• International kit (HTML)

To order the Canadian resource kit:
• download the order form
• phone: 1-800-387-7164
• fax: 1-877-278-3087
• email:

To order the US resource kit:
• US resource order form (26 Kb, PDF)

Additional resources

• "A brief history of the Week of Prayer". This text can be freely duplicated in church bulletins or newsletters.

• "A Model for Visits to Neighbour Churches during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity", an article by Angelika Piché in Ecumenism (no. 151, Sept. 2003).

• Liturgies for Christian Unity: The First Hundred Years, 1908-2008. This resource is the fruit of rich editorial work by the Faith and Witness Commission of the Canadian Council of Churches. ISBN-13: 978-2-89507-958-3 • Price: $27.95 • Paperback, 200 pp., 8.5 x 11

Kits de ressources

Les kits de ressources contiennent un culte, une réflexion biblique pendant huit jours, et du matériel supplémentaire.
• Kit internationales (333 Kb, PDF)
• Kit internationales (899 Kb, DOC)
• Kit internationales (HTML)

Pour commander des ressources canadiennes :
• télécharger le formulaire de commande
• téléphone : 1-800-668-2547
• télécopieur : 1-877-278-3087
• courriel :

Pour commander des ressources des États-Unis :
• US resource order form (Anglais ou espagnol seulement, 26 Kb, PDF)

Ressources supplémentaires

• "A brief history of the Week of Prayer". This text can be freely duplicated in church bulletins or newsletters.

• « Un modèle pour la semaine de prière pour l'unité chrétienne », une article par Angelika Piché pour la revue Oecuménisme (numero 151, sept 2003).

Eight days of prayer
The traditional period in the northern hemisphere for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is 18-25 January. Those dates were proposed in 1908 by Paul Wattson to cover the days between the feasts of St. Peter and St. Paul, and therefore have a symbolic significance. In the southern hemisphere where January is a vacation time, churches often find other days to celebrate the Week of Prayer, for example around Pentecost (which was suggested by the Faith and Order movement in 1926), which is also a symbolic date for the unity of the church.

Mindful of this flexibility concerning the date, we encourage you to understand the material presented here as an invitation to find opportunities throughout the whole year to express the degree of communion which the churches have already received, and to pray together for that full unity which is Christ’s will.

Canadian observances
In Canada, the Week of Prayer is normally observed in January on dates that include the two Sundays upon which, or between which, January 25 falls. Of course, people are encouraged to pray for Christian unity at whatever time is most appropriate for local circumstances. Some communities have celebrated a Week between Ascension and Pentecost, others have chosen an autumn date. Whatever you choose, the resources are available to support your planning.

These words, known as the "Testament of Cardinal Mercier," are an 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. Since 1968, the theme and focus biblical texts have been prepared by a joint committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. Until 2004, materials were published and distributed separately by the two agencies, leading to some differences in the resources available. In 2004, the WCC and the PCPCU agreed that the resources would be jointly published and produced in the same format by the WCC and the PCPCU. National and regional councils of churches are encouraged to adapt and add to these resources as appropriate in their local context.

The Canadian resources are prepared by an ecumenical committee coordinated by the Canadian Council of Churches' Commission on Faith and Witness. Various adaptations are made for the Canadian context. After revision by the CCC's WPCU committee, the resources are passed to Novalis for publication and distribution. The Canadian resource pack contains English and French material and a bilingual worship service.

In the United States, local revision, publication, and distribution is undertaken by the Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute. The resource package is available in either English or Spanish versions.

In some countries, the Week of Prayer resources are used at other times of the year. As well, ecumenical groups regularly draw upon the resources for ecumenical worship. A recent publication entitled Liturgies for Christian Unity: The First Hundred Years, 1908-2008 has collected together worship material from the Week of Prayer. This collection of individual prayers and complete worship services serves well as a resource for ecumenical groups preparing prayer for meetings and public gatherings. Other Week of Prayer material listed below, though dated, will be useful for ecumenical worship in local communities.