LATROBE, PA – Saint Vincent College will commemorate the 2020 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 18-25 with a series of programming following the theme “Life in Christ."
In addition to the special daily programming, Saint Vincent College Campus Ministry will be encouraging students and SVC community members to perform random acts of kindness throughout the week. Additionally, pamphlets offering information about hope and healing after abortion, developed by the support group Rachel’s Vineyard, will be available around campus.
“This is an important and impactful week not only for Saint Vincent, but also for members of our greater community as a whole,” said Saint Vincent College president Father Paul R. Taylor, O.S.B. “Focusing on togetherness, we look forward to participating in a number of inspirational worship services and service opportunities, while also engaging in thought-provoking lectures. In a world in which we see increased division and strife, it is essential that we join our brothers and sisters worldwide in prayer and celebration as followers of 
Christ.”
Saturday, Jan. 18
The week will open up with a contingent of 45-50 Saint Vincent College students, under the guidance of Kelly King, director of service learning and community outreach, volunteering at the Westmoreland County Food Bank in Delmont. To register or for more information, contact kelly.king@stvincent.edu.
Sunday, Jan. 19
At 2:30 p.m., clergy and congregants from Christian churches across the Latrobe area will join Saint Vincent Campus Ministry in the Saint Vincent Basilica Crypt for a non-denominational, ecumenical worship service developed by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, with Dr. Patricia Sharbaugh, associate professor of theology, delivering the reflection and eight Saint Vincent College students sharing in the reading of various intentions. The service is open to the public and will be followed by a reception in the Saint Vincent Parish Assembly Room.
At 7 p.m. that evening, Saint Vincent Campus Ministry will celebrate a special Mass for Life and Unity in the Mary, Mother of Wisdom Student Chapel in the Robert S. Carey Student Center, with an ice cream social to follow immediately afterward.
Monday, Jan. 20
The Office of Campus and Multicultural Student Life and the Uniting All People Club will sponsor a special Dream Center in commemoration of the life and achievements of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from 1 – 3 p.m. in the Robert S. Carey Student Center Lounge.
At 4 p.m., the Office of Campus and Multicultural Student Life and the Uniting All People Club will sponsor the annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration dinner in the Fred M. Rogers Center. The dinner will include a keynote speech by Rev. Dr. Quiana Golphin, C’00, a counselor and assistant professor at California University of Pennsylvania. The winners of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Poetry Competition will be announced and the poems recited.
Tuesday, Jan. 21
The SVC Center for Catholic Thought and Culture will welcome Eric Failing, executive director of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, for a 4 p.m. discussion in the Fred M. Rogers Center on the positive alternative that adoption can be for families and challenges facing religious adoption agencies in Pennsylvania in the coming years. Following the discussion, a reception and dinner will be held, during which those with adoption experiences will give short testimonies.
That evening, Saint Vincent will welcome award-winning contemporary Christian artist Mark Schultz for a 7:30 p.m. concert in the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica. Since his debut in 2000, Schultz has released 11 albums, garnered 13 number one singles and sold more than 1.3 million albums, while he has also been a tireless advocate for a number of charities, including the James Fund, a non-profit that meets the needs of widows and orphans. Saint Vincent College students, faculty and staff will be admitted free with valid ID, while general admission tickets are available for $20 and tickets for non-Saint Vincent students are $10. Tickets can be ordered by calling 724-805-2177.
Wednesday, Jan. 22
The Center for Catholic Thought and Culture will welcome attorneys Nik Nikas and Dorinda Bordlee, the president and vice president, respectively, of the Bioethics Defense Fund, to discuss the impact of state legislation restricting abortions and new developments in abortion law at the state level. In the afternoon, they will host the Saint Vincent College Respect Life Club for an informal discussion, before holding a 7 p.m. public lecture in the Fred M. Rogers Center at which they will discuss state laws and abortion as well as the upcoming Supreme Court case June Medical Services v. Gee.
Thursday, Jan. 23
A 9:30 p.m. Mass will be celebrated in the Mary, Mother of Wisdom Student Chapel for all members of SVC attending the March for Life at the National Shrine in Washington, D.C., as well as those who cannot attend but want to join in prayer for the March. The Mass is being organized by the Saint Vincent College Respect Life Club, while the Saint Vincent College Council of the Knights of Columbus will organize Adoration all evening as members of the Saint Vincent community prepare to depart for the March for Life.
Friday, Jan. 24
Students from Saint Vincent College will travel to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life. The trip will be coordinated by the Saint Vincent Respect Life Club and open to all students.
Saturday, Jan. 25
A festival of praise will be held at 7 p.m. in the Student Activities Center with all seminarians and those who attended the March for Life. This will be an Ecumenical Festival of Praise open to the entire student body to mark the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
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