Ecumenical Affairs

The Office of Ministry Formation works to promote ecumenical ministry in the Diocese of Winona.  Such ministry may take the form of: 

• ecumenical prayer services (e.g., at Thanksgiving and during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity) and shared service activities (e.g., by providing food to the hungry and shelter to the homeless) organized jointly by local church congregations.
• shared initiatives and advocacy efforts on public policy issues which relate to the values and concerns of the Christian churches (e.g., issues such as hunger, homelessness and affordable housing, respect for human rights, etc.).  Many of these activities are coordinated by the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition.
• promoting dialogue between the Christian churches on matters relating to doctrine, worship, and church practice.
• building trust and strengthening the relationships between the different Christian churches, their local congregations, and their judicatory leaders.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is observed annually on January 18-25.  Celebrating the 100th anniversary of its initial observance in 1908, the Week invites the whole Christian community throughout the world -- Anglican, Protestant, Orthodox, and Catholic -- to pray in communion with the prayer of Jesus: "that they all may be one" (John 17:21).

The chosen theme for this year is: "Pray without ceasing," citing 1 Thessalonians 5:12a, 13b-18: But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters...  Be at peace among yourselves.  And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.  See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.  Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ for you.

There is a special web site devoted to promoting the week and providing ideas and resources: www.weekofprayer2008.org.  The Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute has also prepared materials, in both English and Spanish, for the observance of the week in the United States.  These resources and promotional materials are available on the Institute's web site (www.geii.org), and include:

• a brief history of, and background on, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
• an introduction to this year's theme: "Pray without ceasing"
• bulletin and pulpit announcements
• ideas and suggestions for promoting and observing the week
• an ecumenical celebration of the Word of God
• ideas and suggestions for promoting Christian unity throughout the year
• a list of resources for ecumenical and interreligious understanding.