Dear Friends,
On Dec. 7, 2024, Pope Francis made Metropolitan Archbishop Francis Leo a cardinal, assigning him, as a member of the order of cardinal-priests, the title of Santa Maria della Salute a Primavalle. And on Wednesday evening, Jan. 15, a Mass of Thanksgiving was held in honour of His Eminence Frank Cardinal Leo at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica in Toronto. Canon Philip Hobson, Deacon James Leatch and I were among the ecumenical partners present for the grand celebration. The Assembly of Catholic Bishops, priests, deacons, religious and lay leaders from across the Archdiocese of Toronto were present. The cathedral was full to the brim. It was a wonderful celebration, full of pageantry and solemnity mingled with joy and gratitude. It was an honour to be present and to deepen our ecumenical relationships. The Mass of Thanksgiving dovetails well with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
In the northern hemisphere, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is held between Jan. 18 (the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter) and Jan. 25 (the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul). In the southern hemisphere, the week is usually held in the season of Pentecost. The week gives opportunity for Christian communities, large and small, to come together in prayer and worship to celebrate our unity in diversity and to build bonds of affection. The prayers and resources for this year’s celebration were prepared by the Brothers and Sisters of the monastic communities of Bose, Italy. 2025 marks the 1,700th anniversary of the first Christian ecumenical council held in Nicaea in 325 CE. This year’s gatherings give us an opportunity to honour our common faith as expressed in the Creeds.
Years ago, when I served as incumbent of St. Alban’s Church in Acton (it’s worth the drive), a decision was made among the Christan communities in the town to do something bold during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Rather than have clergy from each denomination do a pulpit exchange, we wondered what would happen if we cancelled our regular Sunday worship services and came together in one place to worship. We did just that. We gathered in the one space that could accommodate the crowd – at the local Legion Hall. We were Anglican, Baptist, Pentecostal, Christian Reformed, United Church, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army and Community Churches. It was a huge celebration that marked a new level of commitment to each other. Perhaps your local community will be marking this special week in a similar way.
Along with other clergy and lay leaders, I will be present at the GTA celebration that takes place this Sunday, Jan. 19 at the North City Community Church, which meets in the Toronto District Christian High School, located at 377 Woodbridge Ave. in Woodbridge (Vaughan). The service begins at 4 p.m. All are welcome. If you have some free time, please join us and demonstrate our common commitment to unity. It will be worth the drive!
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Andrew Asbil
Bishop of Toronto
