The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18-25 January) was always important for Fr Gerry Reynolds (d. 2015). My biography of Fr Gerry, Unity Pilgrim, recounts a number of events during Weeks of Prayer for Christian Unity in Belfast, including being confronted by angry protesters inspired by the Rev Ian Paisley.
We are part-way through this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Today at noon, the annual ‘Fr Gerry Reynolds Unity Week of Prayer Walk’, remembering Fr Gerry and his passion for the unity of all Christ’s disciples, takes place, starting at Clonard Monastery. The walk will encircle the Falls/Shankill Peace Wall and last approximately 45 minutes.
(Image of a previous Fr Gerry Unity Week Prayer Walk, sourced on Clonard Monastery’s Facebook page)
Earlier this week, Clonard Monastery announced a new initiative inspired by Fr Gerry’s life and witness. The project is based partially on Unity Pilgrim:
FR GERRY REYNOLDS C.Ss.R LEGACY PROJECT
A New set of resources considering the legacy of Fr Gerry, primarily in inter-church relationships and peace-making to be launched in the spring.
Over the past two years a small working group have been developing a brand new set of resources for peace building,church unity and youth ministry. The project has been supported by a Queen’s University Belfast impact grant, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (UK). The information has been compiled from focus groups with unity Pilgrims, youth workers, young people,clergy and other people who have taken part in visiting communities of faith, reconciliation work and youth ministry programmes.
Over the coming months Clonard will be sharing different elements of the resource and look forward to launching them in the spring.
Clonard’s social media accounts have been active this week, offering prayers for Christians of other denominations.
Today their prayers focus on the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, so as someone who attends a Presbyterian church, I took special notice. Rev Jonny Frazer of Garnerville Presbyterian in East Belfast also spoke today at Clonard’s 9.30 am Mass.
I wrote in Unity Pilgrim how Fr Gerry often recorded his prayers in his diaries. I was struck by how he petitioned not just saints in his own Catholic tradition, but also the great Protestant Reformers, including John Calvin.
In a blog post I wrote for Evangelical Alliance’s 500 Project, I noted:
… in the personal prayers he wrote in his diaries, Fr Gerry re-imagined Calvin as an ally in supernaturally facilitating the church’s continued mission on earth. So in October 2011 Fr Gerry prayed:
‘John Calvin, pray for us. We want to help our Irish Presbyterian brothers and sisters to complete your reform.’
Fr Gerry believed that the wider church is always in need of reformation, and that Christians from various traditions could work together in reforming it. He could see that the Catholic Church could itself receive wonderful gifts of faith from the Protestant churches in Ireland.
You can read the full post here.
… And continue Fr Gerry’s prayers for Christian unity.