Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in New York City


December 31, 2016

Each year from January 18–25, the Church encourages all Catholics to unite their prayers for the unity of the Church and the unity of Christians. In January 2017, the Dominican Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Catherine of Siena will host a series of events aimed at developing bonds of unity and fellowship among Christians and at helping Catholics to deepen their efforts at working for unity.

Particularly notable are three events:

Ruddy posterOn Thursday, January 19, Dr. Christopher Ruddy of the Catholic University of America will give a lecture titled “That the World May Believe: Christian Unity and Evangelization.” Dr. Ruddy has written extensively on themes related to ecclesiology and Church unity, including an article on the work of the Dominican theologian Yves Congar. Dr. Ruddy’s talk will explore why ecumenism is a worthwhile enterprise, and how one may contribute to this work.

Lutheran-Catholic Prayer posterOn Friday, January 20, Pastor Gregory P. Fryer of Immanuel Lutheran Church and Fr. Innocent Smith, o.p. will lead an evening of Lutheran–Catholic Prayer focused on the theme of Music and Christian Unity. Pastor Fryer will speak on the topic “Music as Handmaid of Theology,” Fr. Innocent will speak on the topic “Music as Instrument of Tradition,” and Mr. James Wetzel, Organist and Director of Music at St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Catherine of Siena will play organ pieces from the Lutheran and Catholic traditions by Mendelssohn, Bach, and Messiaen.

Orthodox-Catholic Prayer posterOn Monday, January 23, the Parish will co-sponsor an evening of Orthodox–Catholic Prayer for Unity and Life, together with St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and the Church of St. John Nepomucene. The evening will consist of praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the Akathist for the Unborn as well as talks by Metropolitan Tikhon, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, and Sr. Virginia Joy of the Sisters of Life, a Catholic religious order dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the sacredness of every human life.

For full details about the series of events, please visit the website of the Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Catherine of Siena.

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