The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity commenced with an inaugural prayer service at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Mangalore, on the evening of January 18, 2025. The Unity Octave was jointly organized by St Joseph’s Seminary and Karnataka Theological College (KTC, Balmatta), Mangalore Christian Council, and the Commission for Ecumenism of the Diocese of Mangalore.

Most Rev. Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Mangalore, presided over the prayer service. Joining him in leading the service were Rev. Hubert M. Watson, Principal of KTC; Rev. Pranhu Raj; Rev. Steevan; Rev. Fr. Roopesh Madtha, Secretary of the Commission for Ecumenism; and Rev. Fr. Francis D’Souza, the local coordinator of the Unity Octave at the seminary.

Rev. Fr. Ronald Serrao, Rector of the Seminary, warmly welcomed the congregation. Rev. Steevan then invited everyone to reflect on the theme for the year: “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26). He highlighted Martha’s profound response to this question, even in the face of death, as a testament of faith. He noted that Martha’s declaration serves as an inspiration in our own context of a broken, divided, wounded, and conflict-driven world. We too cry out with Martha, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe’ he said. When we declare our belief together, we can roll away the stones—stones of fear, pride, prejudice, and misunderstanding. Unity requires us to move beyond denominational boundaries and build a unity that embraces all humanity. We are called to become ambassadors of unity.

The inaugural prayer service saw the participation of a large number of religious sisters from various congregations, students from both St. Joseph’s Seminary and Karnataka Theological College, as well as pastors, priests, and members of the laity.

The evening set the tone for a meaningful and prayerful Unity Octave, emphasizing the shared mission of promoting harmony and solidarity among Christians and beyond.