Pious Exercise for Church Unity

The eight days between January 18th (Feast of St. Peter) and January 25th (Conversion of St. Paul) has been established by Pope Leo XIII as a special time for Catholics to pray for the conversion to the Catholic Faith for all unbelievers. The faithful are encouraged to recite the following prayers as a part of their daily routine during the octave:

ANT: That all may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in US; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.
V: I say unto thee, that thou art Peter.
R. And upon this rock I will build My Church.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst say to Thine Apostles: Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; consider not my sins, but the faith of Thy Church; and deign to keep it i peace and unity according to Thy will: who livest and reignest, God through all eternity. Amen.

For the Propagation of the Faith
(From the Mass of the same purpose)

O God, Who willest that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, send, we beseech Thee, laborers into Thy harvest, and give them to speak Thy word with all confidence, that Thy Message may run and may be made plain, and that all peoples may know Thee, the only True God, and Him Whom Thou hast sent, Jesus Christ our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

+ This octave is not liturgically observed, that is, there is no special Collect, Secret, or Post Communion in the Masses said throughout this period. however, these prayers were approved and sanctioned by Pope St. Pius X during whose reign it was well received by the Bishops in America, Canada, England, and throughout the world. Furthermore, Pope Benedict XV, by a Papal Brief of February 15th1916, extended this observance to the whole Church and attached special indulgences to its observance. In 1921, at the Annual Conference of the Hierarchy in Washington DC, the observance of this Octave was determined to be adopted in all the dioceses throughout the United States.

It is very interesting to note that this Octave originated from the Society of Atonement at Graymoor, at Garrison, NY in 1880. The amazing aspect of this spiritual practice is that this Society of Atonement was not yet Catholic and were received into the fold of the Catholic Church after two years of observing this Octave for Unity.

Besides the gaining of 200 days indulgence each day for the recitation of the authorized prayers during the Octave, all the faithful can also receive a Plenary Indulgence under the usual conditions after the completion of this devout exercise.+

Specific Conversion Intentions for Each Day

Jan. 18 -- The return of all "other sheep" to the one true fold

Jan. 19 -- The return of all Greek and Russian Schismatics

Jan. 20 --The return of Anglicans the True Church

Jan. 21 -- The conversion of the Lutherans

Jan. 22 -- The conversion of all other Protestants

Jan. 23 -- The return to the Sacraments of all lapsed Catholics

Jan. 24 -- The conversion of the Jews

Jan. 25 -- The Missionary conquest of the world for Christ

* From the Sunday Bulletin, Mary Immaculate Queen parish, January 16,2022.