This was the second ecumenical Prayer Service during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Singapore. The first was held at Church of St. Ignatius on Jan 19, 2006.
Leaders of different denominations took turns to lead the prayer service. In his homily, Father Frans De Ridder expressed the joy of Christians praying together as “we are the Body of Christ with a common mission.”
He said, “We often argue about words, but words are only doors or windows to open and enter into that space, that immensity, which is the life of Christ.” He urged his audience to learn from each other, dialogue, and cooperate “for the common good of the world.” “People will recognise that you are my disciples if you love one another,” he echoed Christ.
After the celebration of the Word, Father Albert Renckens, who is coordinator of the prayer service, invited all present to fellowship in the church hall. There, Pastor David Cheah from the Yishun Lutheran Church expressed a general sentiment when he said, “It was a good experience to get to know many other Christians and that we can come together and worship together.”
Major P. Kunam, ordained pastor from the Salvation Army, was grateful to be part of the celebration. “I’m very happy and joyful to participate and see the unity of the churches.” Methodist Pastor Derrick Lau said it was “a great privilege to host this event” and “a joy to see so many people of different traditions and denominations affirm our unity as Christians.”
To the delight of the many Catholics present, eight Catholic priests were there. Father Damian De Wind explained that “as more and more marriages have partners from another denomination, it is important to bring about an awareness that we are working together in the spirit of ecumenism.”
“We must be encouraged to look at our strong common points rather than just criticising each other,” he added.
Curiosity brought Anthony Vaz, from Our Lady of Lourdes, to the prayer service. “I’ve never been to a Protestant church before and I wanted to see the different types of Christian leaders come to worship together and what the worship was going to be like.”
Joseph Kirk, a prayer intercessor at Toa Payoh Methodist, found the evening “very meaningful.”
Daphne Wang, a parishioner of Holy Family who studies the Bible in an ecumenical group, was inspired to bring her experience home. “We can do this on a parish level and even in our own homes, among friends, to promote our unity, focusing on what unites us than what divides us.”
Msgr Eugene Vaz said, “It’s important to come together and pray. Prayer will lead to working together. I hope it leads to something deeper, some common outreach.” One common outreach resulting from that evening was a collection for the flood and earthquake victims of Pakistan.
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