Chrisitan communities in Yass join hands for peace in the Middle East

World Day of Prayer has been held globally since 1927. In Yass it is hosted by a different church each year. This year it was the turn of St Augustine’s Catholic Church, Yass. Next year the Vine Church

The beauty of Christian unity was displayed last Friday when local Catholic and Protestant faith communities at Yass joined hands to pray for peace in the Middle East.

Friday’s service at the town northwest of Canberra was held on the World Day of Prayer, an event held globally since 1927. 

Each year, the Christian communities in Yass take turns to host, and this March, it was the turn of St Augustine’s Catholic parish, which did so at the parish’s historical Lovat Chapel. 

Event coordinator and St Augustine’s parishioner Lara Kirk was pleased with the day’s success.

“It was wonderful to see such strong representation from the different denominations and church communities in the Yass Valley,” she said.

“Yass has been doing these ecumenical services for nearly 40 years. Not only did all the communities come along this year, they mentored me through the process. It was a great experience for me.”

The guest speaker at Friday’s service was Selina Hasham, an Australian-born Lebanese Christian who spoke on her reflections on the plight of Christians in the Middle East.

Ms Hasham is the CEO of Harvest Journey, a pilgrimage company that organises regular faith-focussed tours to the Holy Land and other locations. 

Ruth Thompson of the Yass Uniting Church told the Catholic Voice she had been participating in the local ecumenical services for 38 years. “It’s been a great showing of ecumenical support today,” she said.

Di Brown from the Yass Vine Church agreed. “There is a beautiful sense of unity within our town and the churches,” she said. “Where there’s unity, God commands a blessing.”

Jenny Starling, also from the Vine Church, shared Di’s impressions. 

“The public sees us together, and that makes them realise that we are one, as the Father and Son and Holy Spirit are one,” she said.