Clockwise from top left: (1)This year´s logo for the World Day of Prayer in 2017 with the title “A Glimpse of the Philippine Situation” was made by Philippine artist Rowena Apol Laxamana Sta Rosa; Weltgebetstag celebrations in Berlin – (2) Katholische Kirchengemeinde Heilig Geist, Bayernallee; (3) International Communion of Charismatic Episcopal Church, Berlin; and (3) Evangelischen Kirchengemeinde, Berlin-Karow.
Berlin –This Philippines is this year´s focus country in the World Day of Prayer Celebration on 3 March 2017. The World Day of Prayer is an international ecumenical Christian laywomen’s initiative with the motto “Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action,” and is celebrated annually in over 170 countries on the first Friday in March.
The Philippine Embassy in Berlin and the Philippine Department of Tourism office in Frankfurt received numerous requests for informational materials on the Philippines in line with the celebration of Weltgebetstag (World Day of Prayer) across Germany.
(Clockwise from top left) (1) World Day of Prayer was also celebrated in German schools. The students of the Grundschule Nordhausen (primary school) celebrate the Weltgebetstag 2017 inside their gym with a service wherein they also learned about the Philippines (photo courtesy of Evangelische Grundschule Nordhausen); (2) This little girl put the candle up to the altar at the beginning of the Weltgebetstags-service in Niedergebra/Thüringen (copyright Evangelischer Kirchenkreis Südharz); (3) Men and women, young and old came to celebrate Weltgebetstag in Niedergebra. They listened to talks about the Philippines and tried meals following Philippine recipes. The children decorated the tables with drawings of the Philippine flag and little tarsiers. The teens also gave little bags filled with rice to the guests, to cook them with their meals at home – having the Philippines women and families in their minds (copyright Evangelischer Kirchenkreis Südharz).
Clockwise from top left: Weltgebetstag (World Day of Prayer) celebrations in (1)Potsdam, (2) Bielefeld, (3) Cologne and (4) Dillingen.
Clockwise from top left: Weltgebetstag celebrations in (1) Eberbach, (2) Hamburg, (3) Hannover and (4) Hellersdorf.
The liturgy for the one-day event this year was written jointly by an ecumenical team of 20 Filipino women in the Philippines. The German title of the worship on Weltgebetstag is: What is fair?
Every year. the World Day of Prayer (Weltgebetstag) National / Regional Committees in many countries would organize themselves in a way that engage their strengths and their resources for collaboration and for building sustainable networks.
Clockwise from top left: Weltgebetstag celebrations in (1) Prienbach, (2) Berlin – Auenkirche, (3) Reiden and (4) Schwedt.
Clockwise from top left: Some Filipino communities across Germany even put up pop-up exhibits showcasing Philippine products such as the ones done in (1) ICCEC Berlin, (2)Hechingen, (3) Seeheim and (4)Hellersdorf. (2)Hamburg, (3) Hannover, and (4) Hellersdorf.
Filipino dances were also showcased as part of the program following the service for Weltgebetstag in (top photo) Reiden and in (bottom photo) Berlin.
Clockwise from top left: (1-3) All guests were treated to a wide variety of Filipino food after the prayer service like pansit, banana turon, lumpia, puto and fresh mangoes;(4)Some even tried to teach Germans traditional Filipino games such as sungka.
In Germany, women, regardless of religion, were invited to pray together for the Philippines, to learn about the country and its people, to taste its food, to listen to its music and to reflect on societal challenges. The Filipino communities in Germany pooled resources and time in presenting the Philippines to their respective parishes by way of dance numbers and cooking local dishes.
One of the results of the discussions which happened was an appeal for the Philippines not to pass a death penalty law. Letters were submitted to the Embassy. END
