Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
For 2026, the prayers and reflections for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity have been prepared by the members of the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with their brothers and sisters in the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches.
This annual occasion is traditionally observed from 18 to 25 January – the octave of St Peter and St Paul. Each year, the international resources are adapted by a Churches Together in Britain and Ireland writers’ group and extra material is often written, such as meditations for each of the eight days.
These resources draw upon centuries–old traditions of prayer and petitions used by the Armenian people, along with hymns that originated in the monasteries and churches of Armenia, some of which date as far back as the fourth century.
Endorsing the theme for 2026, Bishop Michael Burrows, Chair of the Commission for Christian Unity and Dialogue, remarked: “This year’s material, One Body, One Spirit (Ephesians 4:4), comes from the ancient and resilient churches of Armenia. The Armenian Church – first to embrace Christianity as a national faith – has witnessed across centuries of persecution and genocide, yet remains steadfast in hope. May this Armenian witness renew our longing for unity, peace, and shared discipleship across the Irish Churches and beyond.”
The Sunday Service on RTÉ 1 television, at 11am, will celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. It will be hosted by Bray Churches Together, which is made up of representatives from 10 Christian churches in the town. Canon Tom O’Brien, Minister of Crinken Church, will participate along with the Revd Mark Forsyth of Bray Methodist Church, Fr Michael O’Kelly of Holy Redeemer Church, and David Reynolds, lay reader at Christchurch, Bray. Music will be provided by the Holy Redeemer Folk Group and Jim Feeley from Cornerstone Church. The programme can be played back after broadcast on the RTÉ Player at www.rte.ie/player
A service for the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from St Columba’s Church, Knock, in Belfast, will be broadcast as BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Worship, at 8.10am. The service will be led by the Rector of Knock, Canon John Auchmuty, and the preacher will be the Revd Dr Karen Campbell, General Secretary of the Irish Council of Churches. Music will include the singing of Psalm 133 and the hymns and anthems ‘Blest are the pure in heart’, ‘In Christ there is no East or West’, ‘Brother, sister, let me serve you’, ‘Ubi Caritas’ (Duruflé) and ‘Thy hand O God has guided’.
St Columba’s Cantors will be directed by Dr Joe McKee, accompanied by organist Graeme McCullough. The programme will also be broadcast on Radio Ulster and Radio Foyle at 9.03am, and can be played back here in the UK after broadcast.
Published in the Friday edition of The Irish Times