Glad You Asked That: What is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity About?

The intention of Martin Luther five hundred years ago was to renew the Church, not divide her.Pope Francis 

Dear Friends,

2017 marks the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, when Martin
Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the doors of the Wittenburg Cathedral in Germany. Over the years, the divide between Lutheran and Catholic churches has narrowed, and we have continued to pray for Christian unity for over 100 years in hopes of moving toward the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper “that they all may be one.” (cf. John 17:21)

Gathering of Catholic & Lutheran Leaders

Encouraged by the public dialog of Pope Francis and Martin Junge of the Lutheran World Federation, and recommendations from Declaration of the Way, a joint document, prepared by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Saint Patrick Catholic Church was recently invited to attend a gathering of local Catholic and Lutheran leaders at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church by the Narrows.

Hope for the Future

During a meeting on January 17, 2017, fifteen local Lutheran pastors and Catholic priests, deacons and pastoral coordinators, including myself and Father Jerry Graham, S.J., shared our experiences and hopes for the future and how we might better pray, worship and serve the Lord together as Christians.

Options we are beginning to explore for our communities, as suggested by the Declaration of the Way, include:

• Study the Bible together
• Attend joint adult education classes to teach our respective communities about each other and the progress being made in our relationships
• Work together to care for those with spiritual, emotional and physical needs in our communities
• Enter into covenants to pray for each other during our Sunday liturgies and other gatherings
• Gather local Catholic and Lutheran clergy together regularly for common prayer and study
• Attend the Interfaith Women’s Conference on March 4, 2017 sponsored by Associated Ministries

Join Us

We meet again on February 21, 2017. If re-connecting with our Protestant brothers and sisters is of interest to you, please let us know. We would love to have you involved in the conversation. Feel free to contact me directly at 253-274-4104 or via email.

God of all, we pray as one, that we may be one, just as the Lord Jesus prayed we may be one in Him.
Your son Jesus compels us to be reconciled to one another.
May our spirits be joined to your Holy Spirit, that we may witness to the visible unity of your Church.
May we all recognize that we are truly one with you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and grow with you in peace.
We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord.Amen 

Kevin Lovejoy

Pastoral Coordinator