December 29, 2016 - Diverse Faith Leaders Unite for Worship and Blessing Service in the Week of Pray

Braintree, MA - Today Greater Boston faith leaders announce Christian Unity 2017-The Love of Christ Compels Us To Witness and Reconcile. 

This collaborative event will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 2:00pm at Holy Name Church in West Roxbury, MA.  It will bring together hundreds of Catholic, Orthodox, Evangelical, Protestant Christians for the international Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the program celebrates the progress towards Christian unity and fosters dialogue around Christian approaches to the issues of our day including race, diversity, interchurch families and the global persecution of Christians.

Cardinal Seán O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston said, “Pope Francis has challenged the Catholic community to build bridges with our ecumenical colleagues by seeking unity in the name of the Lord.  Joined by our faith in Jesus Christ, we are called to work together to build a civilization of love. It is my prayer that this gathering will strengthen our shared mission of bringing Jesus’ love and peace to the people we serve.” 

The event will begin with noontime lunch followed by workshops on Christian unity’s relation to: evangelization, interchurch families, global persecution of Christians, racial reconciliation, the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Scripture in the Christian Life, and Pope Francis.

Cardinal Seán O’Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston, Metropolitan Methodios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Boston, Rev. Dr. Bryan Wilkerson of Grace Chapel, Rev. Dr. Roberto Miranda of Congregación León de Judá, Rev. Dr. David Wright of the Black Ministerial Alliance, Rev. Barry Kang of Symphony Church and other leaders will preside at a Worship and Blessing Service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at two o’clock. The event will conclude with a Mission and Volunteer Reception where participants can engage with various organizations in their ministries.

"For the first time in this region’s history, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will reflect the face of the new global Christianity,” explained Dr. Vito Nicastro, Associate Director of the Office of Ecumenical Affairs of the Archdiocese of Boston. “This event will join Asian, Pentecostal, Black, and Oriental Orthodox churches alongside the Evangelical and Mainline Protestants, Catholics and Eastern Orthodox- in countless variations, and on a new scale. Together, we will provide the tinder for God to spark a new local prayer movement drawing us closer to Christ and to each other.”

To date, partner organizations collaborating on the event include: Alpha New England, Black Ministerial Alliance; Community of Sant’Egidio; Congregación León de Judá; Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New England; E-Net New England; Emmanuel Gospel Center; Focolare; Glory of God in New England/Glory of God on Cape Cod; Grace Chapel; Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston; Institute for Christian Unity; InterVarsity New England; Lord’s Day Alliance; Massachusetts Council of Churches, Massachusetts Family Institute; Park Street Church; The Paulist Center; Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston; St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church, UniteBoston and a growing list of others.

"All the partner organizations seek to inspire a generation of prophetic leaders who will build relational, missional and theological bridges across historic divides in the Church," said Scott Brill, Co-Founder of The Institute for Christian Unity and Assistant Regional Director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Kelly Steinhaus, Executive Director of UniteBoston, the organization that created the local, week-long programming said, “We build relational connections through our events to show a more unified testimony to the strength of God’s love for every person. As Christians identifying with many different denominations, we can better serve our city together with dialogue around our common beliefs and values."

For more information on the event, please click here.

The event is free and open to the public. Lunch is $8 and free for those under the age of 35. Holy Name Church is located at 1689 Centre Street in the West Roxbury neighborhood of the City of Boston. Parking is available and the Church may be accessed via the MBTA. Take the 38 Bus from Forest Hills Station (Orange Line) to Wren Street via Centre Street.

For a complete schedule of events in Greater Boston for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, please click here.