Churches Will Join for Christian Unity

Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Greek Orthodox and other Christian congregations in Orange County will gather together for a worship service Sunday to mark the International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

“The intent is to create a place where we can encounter one another in prayer,” said Steve Tsichlis, a priest at St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine. “It’s a place for dialogue and also a gathering of Christians from many different backgrounds.”

Episcopal priest Paul James Wattson created the event in 1908 to bring the various Christian sects together. In Orange County, religious groups have observed this week nearly every year since 1988. This year the worship service will be held at St. Paul’s, 4949 Alton Parkway, Irvine.

The Roman Catholic bishop of Orange, Tod D. Brown, will join the religious leaders at the 7 p.m. service. Valerie Karras, a professor of early Christian theology at Saint Louis University, will be the featured speaker. The organizers invite the public to attend.