Women’s World Day of Prayer
6th March 2009
Papua New Guinea

'IN CHRIST THERE ARE MANY MEMBERS YET ONE BODY’

On Friday 6th March over 3 million people worldwide, including many members of the Catholic Women’s League, prayed and worshipped together during an annual day of prayer, using a service prepared by Christian Women in Papua New Guinea.

Emma Wilcock, President of the National Committee for Women’s World Day of Prayer in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, says:
‘This is always an exciting day. The extent of unity in prayer is shown by the fact that the first service will begin at sunrise in Tonga and travel around the world until the sun sets in neighbouring Western Samoa. By then, the Day will have been celebrated in over 170 countries and throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland alone over 5,000 services will have been held.’
Papua New Guinea is a land of many ethnic groups and over 800 distinct languages of which more than half are unrelated. As a result, there is great cultural diversity, yet the women of Papua New Guinea have emphasized the oneness there is in Christ.

In spite of gender inequality, women in Papua New Guinea are beginning to take their place in professions previously closed to them. There are now women who are pilots, engineers, doctors, lawyers, judges, lecturers and also officers in the military forces.
In this way, they make a very positive contribution to their nation. Further information and resources can be found on the Women’s World Day of Prayer website at
www.wwdp-natcomm.org

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