22.01.2013
Inaugural Service for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place in St George’s and St Thomas’s Church
The inaugural service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity took place in St George’s and St Thomas’s Church on Cathal Bruagh Street on Friday January 18.
The service was coordinated by the Indian Orthodox Congregation who use the Church of Ireland church and was attended by Church leaders from many Christian denominations including Archbishop Michael Jackson and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. Fr Brendan Leahy, bishop elect of Limerick, was also present.
The preacher was Revd Prof Fredrick Bliss, Professor of Ecumenical Theology at the University of St Thomas Aquinas, Rome.
In his reflection he said that they were indebted to the Indian Christian students who cited the great injustices done to the Dalits of India in their preparation of the background material for this years Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. They urged congregations to think about the havoc that castes or religious divisions caused for people, communities and the Christian Church.
“To live with Christian division is one option. Another is not to accept the status quo, but to become pro–active disciples of Christ for the restoration of the unity for which He prayed (John 17, 11),” he said.
Prof Bliss shared a series of stories of people and communities throughout the world who had chosen to make Christ’s prayer for unity their own.
You can read Professor Bliss’s full reflection here.