MACAU (UCAN) -- Local Catholics and Protestants jointly organized a torch relay and prayer meeting to mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The torch relay, held before the prayer meeting started late in the afternoon of Jan. 19, dramatized the theme of the local event, Passing on the Fire of Unity through Incessant Prayer.

Many places around the world observed the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 18-25. The Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches chose this year's theme, Pray Without Ceasing. For several years these two organizations have jointly set the theme and prepared materials for use during Unity Week services.

In Macau, the torch relay started at 3 p.m. from three churches -- St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Macau Methodist Church and the Catholics' Church of Our Lady of Fatima. About 80 Christians joined in the relay, bringing the three torches to the Church of St. Joseph the Worker. The prayer meeting started at 4 p.m. at that Catholic church.

The main coordinator, Anglican Reverend Woo Kak-pui, told UCA News that for this centenary of Unity Week, they borrowed the idea of a torch relay from the Olympic Games, which will be held in Beijing this coming August. It symbolized continuation of the Christian unity movement, the Protestant pastor explained. Various Churches and denominations were invited to take part to show the far-reaching significance of unity among Christians, he added.

Ah Ying, one of the torch carriers, told UCA News it was her first time to participate in this "new way of evangelizing." The Catholic woman signed up as a torch carrier when the event was announced last October because she wanted "to see more people have a better understanding of the Christian faith through their public action."

There was no minimum age for being a torch carrier. The youngest, 8-year-old Wong Tzu-jou, was accompanied by her 11-year-old sister. Wong told UCA News she was honored to be part of the event.

After the torches reached St. Joseph the Worker, Catholic Bishop Jose Lai Hung-seng of Macau started the prayer meeting by lighting candles with fire from the torches.

After a reading from the Bible, Father Pedro Chung Chi-kin, vicar general of Macau Catholic diocese, asked the Christians to cultivate a spirituality of prayer. Christians not only have to pray every day, he said, but should also learn to be "appreciative" in their prayer. He explained this means appreciating the merits of the various Christian denominations and letting go of misunderstandings, prejudices and division.

"How can there be honor in fragmentation? We Christians should work hard for unity," Father Chung added.

Macau Catholic diocese, the Anglican, Lutheran and Methodist Churches, and a few other Protestant denominations co-organized the prayer meeting. About 30 foreigners joined 400 local Chinese Christians at the event. Members of the worldwide Focolare Movement, a lay Catholic initiative, provided simultaneous interpretation into English during the meeting, which was conducted in Cantonese, the local Chinese dialect.

Besides prayers, it also featured hymns, small group discussion and blessing of the congregation before ending with a tea party.

According to Reverend Woo, assistant pastor of St. Mark's Church, such ecumenical prayer meetings began in Macau three or four decades ago but later stopped. Since resuming in 2002, they have continued annually, with about 400 Christians coming each year to pray together for unity, the Anglican priest said.