RECAP: THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

The theme of this year's prayer service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was to ask the Lord for forgiveness for the building of walls that keeps us from unity. "The Love of Christ Compels Us" (2 Cor 5:14-20) to break down the walls of "lack of love," "hate and contempt," "false accusation," "discrimination," "persecution," "broken communion," "intolerance," "religious wars," "division," "abuse of power," "isolation," and "pride." Each service ended with the prayer that we can all become ministers of reconciliation, to heal the churches' divisions so that we may better serve the works of God's peace in the world.

• Fr. James Loughran, SA, Vicar General, and Director of the Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute was interviewed by radio host Kyle Heiman on Redeemer Radio. He talked about the history of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and what ecumenism is about.
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• The Friars and Sisters of the Atonement in Assisi celebrated each day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2017, with its theme: "L'amore di Cristo ci spinge verso la reconciliazione" in the most Franciscan of ways. Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement and Friars Fr. Ken Cienik, SA, Brother Gregory Lucrezia, SA, and Novice Paolo Nicosia, NSA, joined ecumenical celebrations with Bishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi at each of the services throughout the week. Our Minister General, V. Rev. Brian F. Terry, SA, was with us for the first evening which took place at the Monasteo di Bose. Pawel Andrzej Gajewski, the Pastor of the Chiesa Evangelica Valdese, preached in commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. The second celebration was marked by Solemn Vespers according to the traditional the Romanian Orthodox Church in the Papal Basilica of San Francesco in conjunction with Conventual Franciscan Friars. On the third night of the octave, the Friars and Sisters joined an ecumenical gathering at Santa Maria Maggiore, which was recently designated as the Santuario della Spogliazione (the location where Saint Francis stripped himself of his clothing and returned them to his father, symbolically beginning his journey under the patronage of Bishop Guido of Assisi). The fourth night of the octave at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli concluded with a candlelight procession coordinated by the Friars Minor who are entrusted with the pastoral care of this Papal Basilica that houses the Porziuncola, a chapel held sacred to Franciscans throughout the world. Solemn Sunday Vespers with the Poor Clares at the Basilica of Santa Chiara was the location for the ecumenical gathering on the fifth night of the octave. On Monday night the Benedictine Community of the Parrochia San Pietro hosted those who had come to pray for the unity of the Church, and their choir provided inspirational meditative music for the ecumenical service. The seventh evening of the octave was special to the Friars and Sisters in that we joined the Franciscans Friars of the Third Order Regular at their church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in the planning and participation of the service. Fr. Ken Cienik, SA, along with Fr. Marcello, TOR. The TOR Provincial presided and preached after the Anglican Chaplain to Assisi, the Reverend Timothy Daphyn read the Gospel. Our Novice Paolo Nicosia, NSA, began the service with an introduction to the history of the Week of Prayer and the ecumenical and interreligious ministry of the Friars and Sisters of the Atonement. Sister Alessandra Sciaboletta, SA, read the prayers of intercession. The final night of the octave took place in the Cathedral of San Rufino where a reflection on the theme was given by Assisi's Bishop. The seminarians of the Regional Seminary provided the music for the service to close the Week of Prayer 2017 in Assisi.
  

• St. Clement's Episcopal Church in rural Maryland, the place where the father of Father Paul of Graymoor served as pastor and where Father Paul's faith formation began as a child, was the site of a prayer service for Christian unity. Fr. Jim Gardiner, SA, Director of Special Projects for the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington, joined with Lay Pastor Mark Hansen of St. Clement's and many others, including Dr. John Borelli, Special Assistant to the Interreligious Initiatives at Georgetown University and the 2016 Paul Wattson Lecturer at University of San Francisco, The Rt. Rev. Santosh Marray, Bishop of Easton, Rev. Bishop Charles Tilghman, President, NCAA of Kent County, Rev. Thomas Mercer, Trinitarian Church of the Apostles in Dover, DE, Rev. John Wallace, Sacramentalist Priest of St. Clement's Church, and Dr. Joseph Prud'Homme, Director of the Institute for the Study of Religion, Politics, and Culture, Washington, DC.
  
  
  
  
• Prayers for Christian Unity were heard loud and clear in the Friars' Chapel of Our Savior in Brockton, MA, on Sunday afternoon, January 22, 2017. Following a program organized by the Christian Churches in Germany for Christians throughout the world, 65 people from local Christian Churches - Catholic and Nazarene - joined together in heartfelt prayers. The program was presided over by the Rt. Rev. James Hiles, Bishop and Pastor of St. Paul's Anglican Church, Brockton. A powerful sermon was delivered by the Rev. Gregory Davidson, Lutheran Chaplain at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton.
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• Eight days of services were planned for Graymoor; the Nor'easter resulted in the cancellation of the Tuesday event. Friars, Sisters and staff joined local guests for a morning service, with Fr. Joseph DiMauro, SA, leading the prayer service and Fr. John Kiesling, SA, as the homilist. Monday's service at Graymoor brought the energy of the choir from Pastor of Mount Lebanon Baptist Church in Peekskill with their pastor, the Rev. Gary Colter, Pastor presiding.
  

GRAYMOOR SPIRITUAL LIFE CENTER 2017 RETREAT SCHEDULE

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DISCERNMENT WEEKENDS FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Are you a single, Catholic young adult man or woman, 18-40, considering God's call to servanthood, whether that is as a priest, sister, brother or lay person, you are invited to participate in a discernment weekend retreat Discernment Weekend.

Four Discernment Weekends at Graymoor for young men and women seeking to discern God's call will take place on February 17-20, March 16-19, October 19-22, and November 30-December 3.

Those who participate will learn discernment tools and hear how religiously vowed and lay persons came to hear God's call. Participants will also engage in rich prayer and discussion with other young adults.

The discernment retreats run from Thursday evening through lunch on Sunday and cost $100. (Note, the February retreat—Presidents' Day Weekend—runs from Friday evening through lunch on Monday.)

PAUL WATTSON LECTURE AT UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO

8TH SUNSET ON THE HUDSON SUPPORTS FRIARS MINISTRIES

The Franciscan Friars of the Atonement are hosting their eighth annual Sunset on the Hudson cocktail party on Thursday, May 11 at 6:30 pm at X20 - Xaviars on the Hudson restaurant, 71 Water Grant Street, Yonkers, New York. This promises to be an "Extraordinary Evening" with outstanding hors d'oeuvres and dessert from the kitchen of acclaimed chef-owner Peter X. Kelly. Peter personally determines a delightful menu of passed appetizers, hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, portions of his famous entrees, sushi and deserts. His signature dishes integrate French technique with Italian and Spanish influences and Asian embellishments to create a wholly original cuisine unique to the Hudson Valley. Live music and an incredible silent auction are also part of the festivities. The evening's honorary chair is renowned author Mary Higgins Clark. Kacey Morabito, of Hudson Valley radio station WHUD, is the master of ceremonies.

Tickets for Sunset on the Hudson are $185 per person and reservations will be accepted until May 8. Journal ads are due by May 5. For information and tickets, call (845) 424-2137 or visit www.AtonementFriars.org/Sunset.

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