”Welcome, as we continue the journey to Christian unity,” said Friar Kevin Lynch in welcoming a large crowd to the fourth annual Day with the Bishops, January 26, at St. Michael’s Retreat Ministries here.

Three Christian faiths were represented, Anglican, Evangelical Lutheran and Roman Catholic. Two bishops were absent and sent representatives: Very Reverend Michael Sinclair Dean of the Qu’Appelle Diocese and Saskatoon Bishop Don Bolen stood in for them. Evangelical Lutheran Bishop Cindy Halmarson was in attendance. Franciscan Provincial Friar Dennis Vavrek was the fourth member of the panel. All had different subjects to discuss but all presentations related to Christian unity.

Bishop Bolen gave a brief history of the Anglican – Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) established in 1969 to explore common ground between the two. There are several phases to the discussions that have resulted in substantial agreement on many issues but several remain notably the issue of Authority and the Infallibility of the Pope. There is however, according to Bolen, significant agreement that all authority comes from Christ. “We are in a real but incomplete communion,” said Bolen.

Rev. Sinclair’s presentation reviewed all the points of the Covenant signed in 2011 between the Anglican Diocese of Qu’Appelle and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina.  “It’s good for us to have agreements but to have meaning we have to join together and do things together.”

Bishop Halmarson reviewed the Waterloo Declaration signed in 2001 between the Anglicans and Evangelical Lutherans that brought the two together in what she called a real but not complete union. One of the purposes of the Declaration is continue the reform of the church which was Luther’s vision. For the future she hopes the declaration serves as an example to other churches.

Fr. Vavrek spoke about the Spirit of Assisi Prayer days held in 1986 and again in 2011 when first Pope John Paul II and then Pope Benedict called the world church leaders together in Assisi for prayers for peace. “Ratzinger did not approve,” he said  referring to the 1986 gathering, "but when he became Benedict XVI, he called them all together again in 2011. I guess you could say he had a conversion.” “Lasting peace has not been realized,” Fr.Vavrek added, “we need to pray together.”

During the day participants were encouraged to write on a brick sized 2 X 4 the words that divide us and use the brick as part of a short symbolic wall that divides us in front of the altar in the chapel. When the ecumenical service that ended the day was over, participants were encouraged to remove a brick from the wall thus symbolically eliminating the things that continue to divide us.