What is it?
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an annual ecumenical celebration. Christians around the world are invited to pray for the unity of all Christians, to reflect on scripture together, to participate in jointly-organized ecumenical services, and to share fellowship.
When does it take place?
In the northern hemisphere, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally held every year between January 18th (the Feast of the Confession of Saint Peter) and January 25th (the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul). In the southern hemisphere, it is often celebrated during the Pentecost season.
Why does it matter?
In the Gospel of John, Christ prays for his disciples before going to the cross. He asks that his followers “may all be one,” as he and the Father are one, “so that the world may believe” and have life in his name (John 17). Christian unity is here made central to the very being of the church and to its mission and witness.
The worldwide celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is both the seed and and the fruit of this striving for ‘unity in diversity’. This time of shared prayer, reflection, and fellowship invites Christians of different traditions to deepen our relationships and to live and witness together throughout the year.
For 2026, the prayers and reflections for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity have been prepared by the faithful of the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with their brothers and sisters of the Armenian Catholic, and Evangelical Churches. Resources draw upon centuries-old traditions of prayer and petitions used by the Armenian people, along with hymns that originated in the ancient monasteries and churches of Armenia, some of which date as far back as the fourth century.
As the Apostle Paul asserts in his letter to the Ephesians, “there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (4:4). This Bible verse, chosen for this year, encapsulates the theological depth of Christian unity.
The Canadian Council of Churches, of which the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada is an affiliate, has the following commitments to the WPCU:
- To produce yearly resources, based on the international material created by the World Council of Churches, which reflect a specifically Canadian context.
- To encourage local, regional, and national communities across Canada to celebrate the WPCU, and
- To promote the WPCU as a point of encouragement for dialogue, relationship, and witness to ecumenical work throughout the year.
To learn more about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, go to https://www.weekofprayer.ca/2026-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-theme/