LAGRANGE-During the Week of Christian Unity, Father John C. Kieran, pastor of St. Peter's Parish in LaGrange, responded to That All May Be One, a letter on ecumenism issued by Pope John Paul II in May 1995. In the letter, the pope said that it was time that "we move forward" to fulfill Christ's plea for Christian unity.

The encyclical marked the 30th anniversary of Vatican II's landmark decree on ecumenism. In writing it, the pope wanted to remind the Church that ecumenism should be actively pursued at all levels since unity "stands at the very heart of Christ's mission...it is not just some sort of appendix to the Church's activity." He urged Catholics to ask themselves, "Have we been faithful to Christ's plan for the Church" in striving for Christian unity?

Father Kieran's studies of the document led him to try a new venture during Christian Unity Week Jan. 18 to 25. On Jan. 25, members of the First United Methodist Church of LaGrange and St. Peter's Catholic Church met to talk about recent ecumenical initiatives in their churches.

Rev. Larry Caywood, Methodist pastor, led the opening prayer service and Rev. Dana Overton-Garrett, associate pastor, presented a paper on ecumenism in the United Methodist Church. Father Kieran presented the Catholic position using material from That All May Be One. Moderator was Dr. John Cook, assistant professor of religion at LaGrange College.

The response and attendance was greater than expected, according to Father Kieran. And the level of dialogue showed that sincere Catholics want what the pope seeks: "fraternal relations which will be something more than a mere cordial understanding or external sociability."

Rev. Overton-Garrett gave an overview of the United Methodist Church's commitment. Drawing from the denomination's statement on ecumenism, she read, "The discrepancy between the Gospel we proclaim and the divisions we exhibit amounts to a contradiction. Increasingly in our time, the call to unity is made more urgent by our awareness that a divided Christendom is a hindrance to the effective mission of the Christian church in the modern world."

Faithful ecumenism, she continued, also includes the goal of eventual "unification of membership and ministries, to the end that amidst the diversity and pluralism that belong to the true genius of the Christian community, Christians can worship and witness in a truly inclusive fellowship..."

The meeting, Father Kieran said, was what Pope John Paul II described as a "dialogue of conversion."

"We met in prayer," the pastor said. "We presented our teachings in ways that could be understood by all; we heard responses from the assembly; we resolved that the work of Christian unity must continue."