Catholic Archdiocese hosts Week of Prayer for Christian Unity prayer service

BRAINTREE -- Representatives of Christian communities throughout Greater Boston gathered with Archbishop Richard G. Henning at the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Center's Bethany Chapel in Braintree for an ecumenical prayer service on Jan. 21 in honor of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The service was presided over by Metropolitan Methodios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston.

"The focus was on our faith, and here we find the common ground on which we stand," Vito Nicastro, associate director of the Archdiocese of Boston Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, told The Pilot. "Our faith in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is what enables churches with very different approaches to many questions to witness together."

The theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is "Do You Believe?" referencing that 2025 is the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea and the Nicene Creed. That creed, and the Our Father, were recited by Metropolitan Methodios, Archbishop Henning, and all Christians in the chapel. Despite their differences, Nicastro said, their baptisms and professions of faith make them all part of Christ's body.

"It was unusual to have, all praying together, members of ancient far-flung churches like the Armenians of Silicia together with Hispanic Pentecostals, Coptic Orthodox, Lutheran pastors and bishops, and the very distinguished metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox metropolis," he said.

Metropolitan Methodios has been a close friend and partner to Boston's archbishops for 40 years. His presiding over the prayer service was a testament to that relationship. "His presence today with the archbishop and the other church leaders speaks to the depth of his faithfulness to the Lord's will for unity and to his own church's commitments and contributions to ecumenism," Nicastro said.

Readings were given by the metropolitan, the archbishop, and leaders from several other denominations: The Rev. Dr. Gregory Groover, president of the Black Ministerial Alliance and pastor of Charles Street AME Church in Dorchester; Archpriest Yaroslav Nalysnyk of Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic Church in Jamaica Plain; Scott Brill, assistant regional director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in New England; Father Samuel Hanna of St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Natick; Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Barbara Gutierrez; and Rev. Mark Booker, pastor of Park Street Church in Boston.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a tradition for the archdiocese, Nicastro said, "but it's a tradition that needs to be reinvented for each successive anniversary to address the needs of our church and our world."

"Today's gathering very explicitly recalled that purpose of building unity in order to enhance and enable the witness of the body of Christ," he added.

In his remarks, Archbishop Henning recounted the martyrdom of St. Agnes, whose feast day was on the same day as the prayer service. Archbishop Henning has a special devotion to St. Agnes, the patroness of his former Diocese of Rockville Centre and the namesake of his beloved pet dog. The archbishop gave the story of St. Agnes, who was arrested, tortured, and martyred for refusing to renounce Christianity, as an example of strong faith. The power of her faith overcame the worldly power of the Roman leaders who sentenced her to die in the arena.

"I'm so grateful for her witness, and I'm so grateful for our shared witness on her day, here in this place," the archbishop said. "And so I welcome you here. And I hope and pray that, in gathering together, we will all be strengthened in that same power of Gospel, in the midst of a world that is too often about violence, hatred, and taking, to give that witness of solidarity, of compassion, and faith in God."

Bishop Nathan Pipho of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America delivered the sermon.

"I'm here today giving thanks for the Roman Catholic and Lutheran dialogue that has gone on," he said. "And I'm glad to be here standing on the shoulders of those who have been in conversation and those who continue to be in conversation around our unity in Christ."

In his sermon, Bishop Pipho recalled how he used to hate going to church on Sunday as a child, but his parents did not give in to his complaints. They continued to make him go, and over time, his faith deepened as he saw Christ and the Resurrection through the witness of his parents, pastors, Sunday school teachers, and church community.

"I share all of this because belief is what unites us today," he said. "We are here today because we have come to believe. We are here at the archbishop's gracious invitation in this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity because of our shared and one belief in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit."

He acknowledged the diversity of the Christians in the room.

"No one is pretending today that we've arrived at agreement on all matters of life and faith, but we are here to recognize, honor, and celebrate that, together, we stand as one people on the common ground of the unchanging faith of the church," he said.

He said that the mission of unity should not be confined to this single day of prayer, but instead should be seen as a mission to evangelize throughout the world. Christian unity should be a witness, inspiring believers and nonbelievers.

"Our unity in Christ," he said, "in the faith, is our proclamation of faith to a world, as the archbishop said, who needs to see people who can get along, who can love one another, who can unite with one another, who can persist with one another, who can be in relationship with one another."

Nicastro said that the service was a time to pray the same prayer Jesus himself prayed -- that all of his disciples may be one.

"Today, we did what our church asks us to do," he said.

Archdiocese hosts Week of Prayer for Christian Unity prayer service. Published Jan. 24 2025. Local.