The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity invites all to reflect on the fellowship we share in Christ and love of God that unites Christians throughout the world.

This observance dates back to the late 1800s, beginning with Pope Leo XIII, who encouraged an octave of prayer and urged Catholics to pray the Rosary for Christian unity. In the early 1900s, a formal “Church Unity Octave” was observed in the United States before Pope Benedict XV brought its observance to the universal Church in 1916. Although it began as an initiative of the Catholic Church, a French priest extended its reach to other Christian denominations and promoted what became known as the “Universal Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.”

The theme for the 2026 Week of Prayer is: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you are called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4). The theme was prepared by the faithful of the Armenian Apostolic Church and was ultimately chosen in a collaborative process between the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches. Their work ensures that the theme highlights the importance of unity and the shared call to live out the Christian faith.

In addition to the week’s overall theme, each day includes a specific focus for prayer and reflection:

Day 1: Our calling

Day 2: Bearing with one another in love

Day 3: The one bond of peace

Day 4: Called to one hope

Day 5: One faith, one baptism

Day 6: One Lord and Father

Day 7: Grace given to each

Day 8: Growing into the One Christ

Click here for the daily reflections. These begin on page 24.

Additionally, a prayer was written for this important week, and all are encouraged to pray daily:

Lord our God, we confess together our faith in the mystery of your perfect unity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one and only God. We pray for the grace to grow in unity together as your Church. By baptism, we profess this unity in the gift of your Holy Spirit, born again as your sinless children, yet we quickly surrender to the temptation of division.

Forgive us this sin and lead us to the miracle of being reconciled by the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sin and division lead to death and destruction. In Jesus, who conquered death forever by his supreme act of love, we are empowered in this world to build his kingdom of forgiveness and peace. We pray, heavenly One, to you as our Father, that we truly believe and trust in the promise of the Gospel “that they all may be one.” We ask this through Jesus Christ, our brother and Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us remember to pray for unity within the Christian faith always, but especially during this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

For more information about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, click here.