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| Christian Unity Week - January 2007 |
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By Bishop Roger Chung
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ANTSIRANANA 070127-1
January 27, 2007
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[Diocese of Antsiranana - Indian Ocean] This season of celebration following the New Year festivities, has welcomed the Christian Unity week in 2007 in the Province of Antsiranana in North Madagascar.
The Roman Catholic Church, the FJKM Protestant Church of Madagascar, the Lutheran Church and the Episcopal-Anglican EEM churches gathered again as the Ecumenical Council, the FFKM met for the Unity week. Everyday a service is celebrated in a different church. On Sunday last it was held in the Anglican Cathedral of St Matthew and the Preacher was the president of the FJKM Church.
On Monday, 22 January, the ecumenical service was held in the magnificent circular Catholic Church of Victoire Rasoamanarivo (1848-1894), named after the woman martyred for her faith in the land of Madagascar. Bishop Roger Chung was the guest preacher at this service. He spoke on the relentless effort we all need to give to unity in the Christian Church so that the world may know that we are Christ's disciples.
The Rev. Father JP Ott is the rector of Victoire Rasoamanarivo Church. He came over to Madagascar as a missionary from France while his home colleague the Rev. Father Raymond Zimmerman went over to Mauritius and is now an inter-faith theologian in Mauritius. Bishop Roger Chung Jaomalaza used to work closely with The Rev father R Zimmerman while in Mauritius helping with the theological training of Pastoral workers in the Catholic Church in Mauritius before he went over to Madagascar. The ecumenical world is a closely knit fabric with intricately interwoven threads from the same bobbin!
"BEHOLD HOW GOOD AND HOW PLEASANT IT IS FOR BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY,
FOR THERE THE LORD COMMANDS A BLESSING, EVEN LIFE FOR EVERMORE..." PSALM 133.
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