Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Archbishop Justin Welby launched a joint initiative on Sunday to encourage Catholic and Anglican followers to pray and work together in service of the poorest and most vulnerable people in their parishes.
On April 6th the Catholic and Anglican Church leaders visited the Giuseppe Conlon House providing temporary shelters for new immigrants. This project is run by the Catholic Worker Movement. On Palm Sunday April 13th, they will travel together to Rainbow Centre in Folkestone, Kent. This centre is supported by the diocese of Canterbury to help poor people and families with difficulties.
Throughout the week, Catholic and Anglican followers are encouraged to pray together and to share information about similar initiatives or ecumenical efforts in parishes and dioceses around the country. More information on the week of prayer and prayer resources are available on both the website of the diocese of Westminter and Canterbury.
Cardinal Nichols said that “It started when we had a roundtable discussion about 'Joy of the Gospel' of Pope Francis and the way in which that document brings together a deepened radical renewal of our life in Christ and an attentiveness to the social needs especially of the poorest. So we took the title of this week of prayer as 'Listen to God, hear the poor'. Because we want to express that in action so we have two joint events on the two Sundays and then prayer throughout the week.....”
Thanh Minh
