Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026
Our three spirituality centers — Marillac Center in Leavenworth, Kansas, Sophia Center in Atchison, Kansas, and Precious Blood Renewal Center in Liberty, Missouri — invite everyone in our communities to join us in a week of prayer.
Many local churches and ministerial alliances sponsor ecumenical prayer services during this week; we encourage you to participate in those events.
We also invite you to pray with us virtually throughout this week. On each of our websites and social media, we will post short reflections and prayers for each of the days between January 18-25, highlighting leaders in the ecumenical movement. We encourage you to share these prayers with members of your family and circle of acquaintances, including those who belong to other faith traditions.
The theme for The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the year 2026 is a verse taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 4:4: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.”
There is ONE body and ONE Spirit, just as you were called to the ONE hope of your calling.
Unity is a divine mandate at the core of our Christian identity. More than simply an ideal. it represents the essence of the Church’s calling — a call to reflect the harmonious oneness of our life in Christ amidst our diversity. This divine unity is central to our mission and is sustained by the profound love of Jesus Christ, who has set before us a unified purpose. The quote from St. Paul’s Letter captures the theological depth of Christian unity.
Watch this video, which includes a special message from Archbishop Shawn McKnight of Kansas City, Kansas, to learn more about the theme of the prayers this week and how to connect with the prayers we will post daily on our websites and social media.
Let us unite in prayer.
A Meditation on Ephesians 4:4
The theme for The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 is a verse from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 4:4: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.”
Ephesians 4:4 summarizes the teachings of Paul about unity, emphasizing that the followers of Christ represent “one body and one Spirit,” united in a single hope. This metaphor signifies the Church as a unified entity transcending barriers of geography, nationality, ethnicity, and tradition.
Paul uses the metaphor of the Church being the Body of Christ to describe its unity with the diversity of its members. Christianity transcends cultural and national boundaries and unites believers worldwide in faith and hope. All believers strive towards the same goal – eternal life with Christ. This is the ultimate goal and motivation for Christian living, providing a common vision and purpose for all believers and uniting them in their faith journey and daily lives.
This shared vision bridges confessional and cultural divides, encouraging Christians to work together in every way they can.
The following video offers a visual and musical meditation on Ephesians 4:4.
All of the prayers in this series can be found here: Witnesses to Unity: Prayers for Christian Unity.
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Learn more about these Catholic Spirituality Centers:
The Marillac Center, the retreat and spirituality center of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, in Leavenworth, Kansas.
The Sophia Center is a ministry of the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas.
Precious Blood Renewal Center, in Liberty, Missouri, is a ministry of the United States Province of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, a Catholic religious order.
