The Archdiocese of Chicago is set to participate in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, joining other local Christian churches from January 18 to January 25, 2025. This global observance began in 1908 and spans eight days, starting with the traditional feast day of the Confession of St. Peter and concluding with the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, emphasized the importance of unity among Christians in today's world. "In an increasingly fractured world, Christian unity is not just a pious hope," he stated. "It is essential to becoming a truly synodal Church where dialogue and discernment are not occasional events, but the very fabric of our lives and actions."

The theme for this year's observance is "Do you believe?" based on John 11:26 from the Gospel where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. This theme aligns with the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council held at Nicaea in A.D. 325, which resulted in the creation of what is now known as the Nicene Creed.

The theme was proposed by Italy's ecumenical monastic community of Bose in collaboration with an international team appointed by both the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches.

Local prayer services will be held on Saturday, January 18 at 5 p.m., and Sunday, January 26 at 7 p.m., commemorating this annual event.

For more details, interested parties can visit https://eia.archchicago.org/ or call 312-534-5325.