“One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” - Ephesians 4: 5-6
VALPARAISO – Celebrating Pope Leo XIV’s call for a Week of Christian Unity, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton hosted its third annual Prayer Service for Unity with an ecumenical flavor and a spirit of peace.
“When the Lord enters into our discussion, we all get on the right page,” said Father Mick Kopil, pastor and host for the service that he concelebrated with four other ministers, including Father Douglas Mayer of St. Paul in Valparaiso, Father Michal Buchko of St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church in Merrillville, Father Lev Holowaty of Descent of the Holy Spirit Orthodox Church in Schererville and Pastor Esta Rosario of Chesterton United Methodist Church.
“I invited pastors from all the churches in our area, all of our neighbors, and was happy to welcome those who could attend,” added Father Kopil.
“The prayer structure changes every year,” noted Father Kopil in his homily. “This year it came from the Armenian Church, with the creed that we prayed tonight written by our Christian church 1,700 years ago. We pray for one Church, but even though we have not reached that goal, we can gather in the love of Christ.”
“This is a week dedicated to unity, and it is better to be with a community that prays for understanding. That is important,” said Father Buchko.
Father Holowaty said he was “glad that I could make it tonight, because our Christian community needs to come together whenever we have the opportunity. It is a blessing to be in community.”
Setting the tone for the prayer service was the opening hymn, “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love,” led by cantor Caitlin Pszonka, and the proclamation of a common prayer, “The Our Father,” by the entire congregation. Each of the ministers led a psalm or prayer and proclaimed a gospel reading.
“I believe it’s a beautiful thing when Christians come together across the denominations,” said Pastor Rosario, who attended for the first time. “We pray for unity in Christ.”
Father Mayer, a former St. Elizabeth Ann Seton pastor, noted that “ever since Vatican Council II, the Catholic Church has opened its heart to ‘one faith, one Eucharist, one baptism’ and changed its entire paradigm. We are all participants in the mystical body of Jesus … we have heard that Jesus wants us to pray, we believe in our baptismal relationship in Christ, and the Kingdom of God is unfolding in our midst. It is not here yet, but we can come together as Christ leads us to the Heavenly Father (by) preaching the Father.”
In a reading from Ephesians, Father Holowaty spoke of the theme shown on the prayer service booklet: “There is one body and one spirit, just as you are called to the one hope of your calling.” (Eph. 4: 4)
“I haven’t attended before, but I came tonight for the spirit of unity,” said St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parishioner Gretchen Bergstedt. “I wanted to see who was interested, inspired and involved in (promoting) unity.
“I am friends with others from different parishes, and I am open to inviting people of other faiths to more events,” she said. “I am hoping this call to unity leads others to become more inspired to join us, whether they have been away from the Church for a time or just want to join us.”
Nancy Moore, a parishioner at Chesterton United Methodist Church, has attended all three Prayer Services for Unity held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. “I believe that the more we unify, the more strength we have as Christians,” she said.
Sitting with Moore at a fellowship hour after the service, Ziggy Kula of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton agreed. “I thought this service would be a really neat experience. We’ve got to increase our numbers, and the more we can get together, the better it will be.”
Happy that the unity prayer service “is becoming a tradition,” St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parishioner Michael Sosinski called such events “something we strive for to bring us back under one umbrella. We can make a difference by our prayers, and I wish we would do it more.”
Father Kopil said he first experienced the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity while in Jerusalem in 2006. “A different church would host a service every night of the week, and I was able to attend four of them,” he said. “Most people here tonight are from our parish, but some came from other churches, too. It’s about ecumenism – that’s what Jesus prayed for the night before he died.”
Father Kopil said he would welcome an effort to hold a full week of unity prayer services hosted by a different faith community each night. “That would be great,” he said.
Caption: Reviewing the schedule for the Prayer Service for Christian Unity in the sacristy at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Valparaiso on Jan. 22 are (second from left} Father Michael Kopil, pastor, and guest celebrants (from left) Father Michal Buchko of St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church in Merrillville, Father Lev Holowaty of Descent of the Holy Spirit Orthodox Church in Schererville, Pastor Esta Rosario of Chesterton United Methodist Church and Father Douglas Mayer, pastor of St. Paul Catholic Church in Valparaiso. (Marlene A. Zloza photo)
