January 13, 2026 // Bishop

Bishop: Christian Unity ‘Is a Divine Mandate’

Scott Warden

Editor-In-Chief

Before the sun had risen over Fort Wayne on the morning of Wednesday, January 7, dozens of Christians of various denominations gathered on the city’s north side to worship together and pray, as Christ did, “that all may be one.”

Invited to speak at the monthly ecumenical prayer breakfast hosted by Love Fort Wayne at the Parkview Mirro Center, Bishop Rhoades, perched on a stool next to Pastor Chris Norman of Grace Gathering Church, didn’t mince words about the Catholic Church’s position on Christian unity, calling it not just a priority but “a divine mandate.”

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

To intentionally foster this call for oneness among followers of Christ, Bishop Rhoades said, the Church patriciates in the observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, held annually from January 18 (the feast of the Confession of Peter, the Protestant variant of the ancient feast of the Chair of St. Peter) through January 25 (the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul).

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity dates back more than 100 years. First celebrated in 1908 as the Octave of Christian Unity, the week was established by Servant of God Father Paul Wattson, an episcopal priest who founded the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement before his conversion to Catholicism in 1909. Upon Father Paul’s conversion, Pope Pius X gave his blessing to the Octave of Christian Unity. His successor, Pope Benedict XV, encouraged its observance throughout the universal Church in 1916.

Decades later, the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio, promulgated in 1964, ushered in a new era of the ecumenical movement, as the document stated clearly that “the restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council. Christ the Lord founded one Church and one Church only” (No. 1).

With this renewed commitment to ecumenism, beginning in 1968 the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity have collaborated annually in selecting scriptural themes and providing other resources to promote this worldwide observance. The theme for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is taken from St. Paul’s 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).

Ecumenical Prayer Service

At the prayer breakfast in Fort Wayne, Bishop Rhoades noted that it has been “a number of years” since the diocese has marked the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with an observance in Fort Wayne, and when there have been events, they’ve “been celebrated separately,” he said. However, he stressed, “it should be celebrated together – as brothers and sisters in Christ.”

To mark the opening of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Bishop Rhoades will join Pastor Norman of Grace Gathering Church, Pastor Anthony Opliger of Northeast Christian Church, and Father Emmanuel Abuh of St. Jude Catholic Church to lead an ecumenical prayer service at 5 p.m. Sunday, January 18, at St. Jude in Fort Wayne.

Pastor Norman, who has served the Grace Gathering community for more than 30 years, told the audience at the Love Fort Wayne prayer breakfast that, among Protestants, “I don’t think it’s as well known how committed the Catholic Church is to Christian unity. And I think this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that focuses on praying for Christian unity is just so meaningful.”

Pastor Norman shared a story with the crowd, telling them that while he was on sabbatical a couple of summers ago traveling to learn about different worldwide prayer movements, he met a Catholic in Paris who contributed to the resources of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Pastor Norman said it made a big impact on him “being able to see that there is a desire for us to come together and to pray together under the banner of Jesus, that it actually is possible to pray together and be united, even though we do have differences theologically,” he said. “I just think it’s really, really important. I’m just so grateful that the Catholic Church really desires to pray for that unity.”

‘No Holiness Without Humility’

At the prayer breakfast, both Bishop Rhoades and Pastor Norman noted that while there are serious theological differences among Catholics and Protestants that cannot be ignored, it is important to remember what unites us – namely, that we profess Jesus as Lord and acknowledge that the foundation of His church is based upon holy Scripture, giving most Christians a shared moral code derived from the teachings of Christ.

To advance this unity, Bishop Rhoades said, “I think we have to be focused on what God has revealed to us through His son, Jesus Christ, through His holy word in the Scriptures, and I think that keeps us very well grounded.”

One of the keys of fostering unity among Christians, Bishop Rhoades said, is humility.

“There’s no holiness without humility,” Bishop Rhoades stressed. “In the ecumenical sphere, humility is essential, and that means that even though we have our own particular beliefs … what is so important … is that we respect one another and that we listen to one another. … Rather than kind of presuming that a particular church or community teaches something or believes something, really listen to how the other understands that particular doctrine or that particular teaching. When we do that, I think a lot of times we find out we’re really not as far apart as we thought.”

Ultimately, Bishop Rhoades told those gathered for the pray breakfast, unity “is something that’s at the core of our Christian identity. It’s not simply an ideal. It is of the essence of the Church’s calling, the Church’s vocation, a call to reflect the harmonious oneness of our life in Christ amidst our diversity. And Love Fort Wayne is an example of truly living and celebrating, praying together. This is an expression of our unity in Christ.”

Scott Warden is editor-in-chief of Today’s Catholic. Email him at [email protected].

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Prayer for Christian Unity

God of all, we pray as one, that we may be one, just as the Lord Jesus prayed we may be one in Him. Your son Jesus compels us to be reconciled to one another. May our spirits be joined to your Holy Spirit, that we may witness to the visible unity of your Church. May we all recognize that we are truly one with you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and grow together in peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus Our Lord. Amen.

– Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

January 18-25

“There is one body, and one spirit, just as you are called to the one hope of your calling.” – Ephesians 4:4

The theme for the 2026 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was approved by the Catholic Church’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches. The chosen passage for reflection is Ephesians 4:4, where the apostle Paul reminds the early Christians in Ephesus of the unifying power of the Holy Spirit: “There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called.” This verse calls believers to remember that, despite differences, all are part of the one Body of Christ and share a common hope through the Spirit.

For more information and resources for the 2026 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, including daily reflections and prayers, visit geii.org/week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity.