Bishop John Noonan | Diocese of Orland website

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has called on Catholics to participate in the 9 Days Novena for Life, beginning January 16 and running through January 24. The novena consists of nine consecutive days of prayer, offering prayers and penance in observance of the annual Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children on January 22. This date marks the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court rulings in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton that legalized abortion, decisions reversed in 2022 by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The bishops stated, “While God, in His mercy, ended the nearly fifty-year nationwide regime of abortion on demand, right now state and federal laws, in many instances, are still hostile to pre-born children. So, great prayer and advocacy is very needed.” The General Instruction of the Roman Missal designates January 22 as a day for prayer focused on legal protection for unborn children.

Catholics are encouraged to join Mass celebrations on this day as part of a concentrated effort led by the Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

Separately, from January 18-25, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be observed with participation from the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. The theme for this year is "Do you Believe?" based on John 11:26.

Father James Loughran from Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute emphasized that spiritual ecumenism is essential to this movement: “It is our common faith in the Risen Christ that brings us together for prayer. In turn, the prayer itself is effective in nourishing and confirming our unity.”

Resources for this week-long event are available online.

Additionally, 2025 marks a significant milestone as Christians commemorate 1,700 years since the First Council of Nicaea held in A.D. 325 under Roman Emperor Constantine's call to clarify Catholic doctrine with what became known as the Nicene Creed. This creed articulates beliefs about God's nature as Trinity and Jesus' dual nature as human and divine.

In an unusual alignment between Eastern and Western Christianity regarding Easter dates—a subject addressed at Nicaea—Easter will be celebrated on April 20 in 2025 across all denominations globally. Over two billion Catholics worldwide recite this creed during Mass services today celebrating unified belief systems across regions worldwide.