On Tuesday night, 12 May, Bishop Michael Kennedy led an ecumenical worship service at Sydney’s Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel as part of the May plenary gathering of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

The service was initiated by the Bishops Commission for Christian Unity and Interreligious Dialogue, ahead of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity beginning on May 17. It brought together representatives from more than a dozen Christian denominations. 

Among those attending were National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) president Rev John Gilmore, NCCA general secretary Liz Stone, Uniting Church of Australia president Rev Charissa Suli and Archbishop Mar Meelis Zaia of the Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East. 

Image credit: “Paul Osborne/Australian Catholic Bishops Conference”. 

In the homily, Bishop Greg Homeming reflected on the “madness” present in today’s world and the Christian call to respond with faith and love. 

“We gather together this evening because we all have one thing in common – we have Jesus Christ and he’s the light that has come into the darkness,” Bishop Homeming said. 

The gathering was an opportunity for prayer, reflection and shared witness among Christian communities, with bishops and guests continuing conversations over a shared meal after the service.