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.

The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is being held from January 18-25, 2009 in various Christian churches around the town. Everyone is invited to join in the daily prayer sessions and bible study, followed by a light lunch.

If you are near CFB Petawawa during the Week of Prayer, drop by St. George's Protestant Chapel. The Protestant Chaplain, Don Wright reports that they are hosting events through the Week, and are hoping to have a pulpit exchange with St. Francis of Assisi RC Chapel.

In Saskatoon we meet all over the city: both Sundays in the afternoon, each weekday morning for worship followed by breakfast, a noon service with lunch, and four evenings. Everyone is welcome at all services. Invite a neighbour and come! At some of the services, an offering will be collected for expenses or to support continued ecumenical ministry in Saskatoon. Please be generous. Cheques should be made out to the "Prairie Centre for Ecumenism." All donations are tax-deductible.

Those planning the morning services, Monday to Friday, are encouraged to reflect the worship tradition of the host community. They offer an opportunity to learn a little about the diversity of the christian community in Saskatoon.

Join us as we pray together for unity and experience different traditions of Christian spirituality! Refreshments to follow. For more information you may contact: Rev. Robert Polz, Ecumenical Liaison, Archdiocese of Winnipeg, telephone: 774-9467, .