In upholding the Virginia LARCUM covenant for Christian unity, Bishop Barry C. Knestout of the Diocese of Richmond, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington and leaders of Lutheran, Anglican and United Methodist churches will gather together at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Virginia Beach the weekend of Nov. 22-23.
The LARCUM Conference was developed with the goal of developing relationships between the Roman Catholic dioceses and the three Episcopal dioceses, two Lutheran synods and the United Methodist conference in the state.
Msgr. Joseph Lehman, pastor at St. Bede, Williamsburg, has served as ecumenical and interreligious officer of the Diocese of Richmond since July 2019.
Because sponsoring ecumenical prayer services is the second point of how to live out the covenant, Msgr. Lehman explained that the LARCUM Conference is intended to “jumpstart the awareness” of the covenant within people and “to get them to begin thinking of joining together, for this week at least, for the unity that Christ prayed for and wills for his Church.”
The conference will feature three presentations by Father James Loughran, a Franciscan Friar of the Atonement and director of Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute, on the historical development, modern observations and the celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Jan. 18-25, 2020, with the theme “They Showed Unusual Kindness.”
“The Ecumenical Directory of 1993 says that wherever ecumenical acts are not happening, Catholics should be the ones who initiate it,” Msgr. Lehman said. “This is just a reminder that this is a perfect opportunity for us to invite other churches to be part of this week of prayer.”
Editor’s note: For more information about the LARCUM Conference and to register, visit virginialarcum.org or call 703-451-8576.