Christ the King Parish

Dear Fellow Parishioners,

The Christmas season is over and Ordinary Time is upon us! What you may not know is that we are now in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU). What a powerful force for good the Church could be if all believers were united as one. It is almost unimaginable! Yet, there is greater disunity in the Christian world today than ever, with over 30,000 Christian denominations.

In John 17:22, Jesus prayed to his Father, “I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” Whether one is Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical or any other Christian denomination, Jesus’ prayer is very challenging. Jesus prayed that all his followers would be united. That challenge to be united is what the founders of the WPCU responded to over 100 years ago. You may be asking, “What is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity?” Originally called the Church Unity Octave, this week was established by Episcopal Father Paul Wattson, in 1908 in a small chapel 50 miles outside of New York City. Fr. Wattson, along with Sister Lurana White, co-founded the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement, and were “Anglo-Catholics,” committed to the return of non-Catholic Christians to the Roman Catholic Church. Such was their conviction, that in 1909 they were received, with 15 members of their order, into the Catholic Church. A year later, Fr. Wattson was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. Upon the co-founder’s conversion to Catholicism, Pope Pius X blessed the Church Unity Octave, and in 1916, Pope Benedict XV extended this observance to the universal church.

The Octave of Unity is “book ended” by two significant feast days. Although the official Church calendar was modified in 1960, the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter was traditionally observed on January 18. According to Franciscan Media, “This feast commemorates Christ’s choosing Peter to sit in his place as the servantauthority of the whole Church.” So, starting on January 18th gives the week a “Petrine Anchor” at the beginning. The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, January 25, finishes the octave with a “Pauline Anchor.” It’s hard to imagine better anchors to such a week of prayer than St. Peter & St. Paul!

The 2020 theme for the WPCU is, “They Showed Us Unusual Kindness,” taken from Acts 28:2. This final chapter of Acts tells the fascinating story of Paul’s journey, as a prisoner, to Rome, where he would eventually be martyred. Along the way, they were shipwrecked on Malta, and the natives there showed them unusual kindness. Perhaps this is a call for us to show that same kindness to our separated brothers and sisters, and pray that we all be united as God would have it, rather than insisting that everyone sees everything “our” way.

The St. Stephen/Christ the King community is joining in this year’s observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. From January 18 through January 25, we will pray the official prayer for Christian Unity during the Prayers of the Faithful at each mass. A limited supply of the WPCU prayer cards will be available in the vestibules of both churches, and we invite you to take one with you. We also invite you to add this to the prayers you offer every day, even when this week is over. Blessings to all as we begin our journey through Ordinary time!

Deacon John

Weekday
8:00am
Saturday
8:00am, 5:00pm (vigil)
Sunday
7:00am, 8:00am, 9:15am, 10:45am, 12:15pm, 6:00pm - Youth Mass
Holy Days
8:00am, 12:00pm, 7:00pm
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
First Friday - 4:00pm-6:00 p.m. 
First Friday Mass
8:00 am, 6:00pm
Reconciliation:
Saturdays, 3:30-4:30pm

prayerline@ctkph.org