The Archdiocese of Chicago will join other Christian churches in praying for unity during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, beginning on Thursday, Jan. 18. Started in 1908, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated annually around the world. Those eight days form an “octave” from the traditional feast day of the Confession of St. Peter to the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2024, “You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27), was selected by the Pontifical Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, the World Council of Churches, and the Christian Churches in Burkina Faso, coordinated by the community of Chemin Neuf, a French Catholic and ecumenical community of vowed and lay people. The theme reflects the connection between love of God and love of neighbor with a particular concern for challenging the boundaries of who is considered “neighbor.” It is a call for charity, mercy, justice, and unity. The following are local ecumenical prayer services commemorating the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:

Saturday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m.
St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic Church, 2132 E. 72nd St., Chicago

Sunday, Jan. 21 at 10:30 a.m.
St. Nicolai United Church of Christ, 3000 N. Kedzie Ave., Chicago (in English and Spanish)

Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.
Christ Centered Church Ministries, 9701 49th Ave., Oak Lawn 

For more information, please visit https://eia.archchicago.org/ or call 312.534.5325.