WCC News: WCC prayers focus on Ash Wednesday, Seven Weeks for Water

During a prayer held at the St Hippolyte Roman Catholic Church in Geneva, the World Council of Churches (WCC) and its ecumenical partners focused on the beginning of Lent for many western Christian traditions, as well as the Lenten campaign Seven Weeks for Water, led by the WCC Ecumenical Water Network. Rev. Dr Katrin Hildenbrand, pastor at the German Lutheran Congregation in Geneva. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC 06 March 2025 Rev. Dr Katrin Hildenbrand, pastor at the German Lutheran Congregation in Geneva, reflected on the tradition of fasting in connection with Lent, and how, these days, many people have rediscovered the old tradition of fasting, which exists not only in the Christian world but has roots in most religious and spiritual traditions.  “From what I witness, though, fasting is mostly related to self-search and questions of individual consistency, rather than being connected to my relationship with God,” she said, adding that perhaps the purpose of fasting instead should be to create space in order to do good for others—which does at the same time time always mean to create space for God.  “A world has been changed for the better due to people’s behavior,” she pointed out. “Maybe it does make a difference if I create space.” She noted that she might not meet many people in the Geneva area that she can feed and clothe. “Maybe I can create space by working productively with my colleagues for the better instead of finger-pointing at their mistakes,” she reflected. “Maybe I can creates space by letting go of something or someone I have been doing wrong for a long time. If we create space for real relationships between us and our fellow human  beings, God will touch us.” Photo gallery of the Ash Wednesday prayer At the Ash Wednesday prayer held at the St Hippolyte Roman Catholic Church in Geneva, the World Council of Churches (WCC) and its ecumenical partners marked the beginning of Lent.  Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland