To mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Jan. 18-25, and foster unity among Christians in the islands, the Diocese of Honolulu is hosting an ecumenical evening prayer service at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace on Jan. 24.

Bishop Larry Silva has invited Christian leaders from various denominations in Hawaii to participate in the 7 p.m. Vespers (evening prayer) service, which is being planned by the diocesan ecumenical commission and is open to the public.

“Our gathering together in prayer will witness to our common desire for Christian unity, and I certainly look forward to working with you to strengthen our bonds of fellowship,” wrote the bishop in his Dec. 17 invitation letter to 20 members of the Protestant, Greek Orthodox and Coptic clergy.

The prayer service is expected to last about an hour. The Rev. Murray Finck of Yorba Linda, Calif., bishop of the Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, will preach. A reception will follow.

Father William Kunisch, the diocesan ecumenical officer and pastor of the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa, said, “It’s an opportunity for us to come together as Christian leaders and pray for unity, remembering Jesus’ prayer that we all be one.”

“I think it’s the first time in a long time that we’ve had such a gathering of Christian leaders, especially at our invitation,” he added.

On Jan. 4, the diocesan ecumenical commission mailed every parish a booklet on ecumenism published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that gives resources for marking the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, as well as background on ecumenism.

The commission’s work for the upcoming year includes developing a local resource for parishes on reaching out to people of other faiths, a survey of Hawaii parishes on ecumenical and interfaith activities, and interaction with Hawaii’s Jewish community.