Preparation of Texts for 2027 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The international editorial group jointly sponsored by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (DPCU) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) gathered at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, in Ireland, from 31 August to 5 September, to finalise the texts and prayers for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2027. The preparation of the materials had been entrusted to an ecumenical group convened by the Irish Council of Churches and the Council for Ecumenism and Dialogue of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The working sessions took place in the Columba Centre on the campus of St Patrick’s College, which is the headquarters of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

Although the island of Ireland is divided between two political jurisdictions, the churches represented by the Council of Churches and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference are organised on an all-island basis. The leaders of the churches meet regularly and, acting together as the Church Leaders Group, they engage with governments, public bodies and various communities in order to bring the voice of the Gospel into public discourse. The drafting group which prepared the prayers and reflections for the week included members from both sides of the border.

The Irish drafting group chose a line from chapter 12 of St Luke’s Gospel as the theme for the 2027 Week of Prayer for Christian unity: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Lk 12:32). In focusing on this verse, they seek to invite their fellow-Christians in Ireland and around the world to reflect on what it means to be a follower of the Good Shepherd and how letting go of anxiety, keeping watchful hearts and stewarding gifts in solidarity can become powerful catalysts for reconciliation and shared witness.

The meeting was chaired jointly by the World Council of Churches programme executive for Spiritual Life and for Faith and Order, Revd Dr Mikie Roberts and Fr Martin Browne OSB, official of the Western Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.

The previous meeting of the international committee, finalising the prayers and reflections for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026, took place from 13 to 17 October 2024 at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in Armenia.