History

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

International:

Since 1812 women in the United States encouraged one another to engage in personal prayer and to take leadership in communal prayer in their missionary associations. This emphasis on prayer gradually led to annual days and weeks of prayer across the country.

In 1887 Presbyterian women in the USA set aside one day each year for prayer and the donation of gifts for Home Missions. Later Methodist women and other denominations followed their example and by 1897 women from seven denominations had formed a committee for a United Day of Prayer for Home Missions with women of different denominations writing the programme each year.

In 1895 the Women’s Auxiliary of the Anglican Church of Canada initiated a day of corporate intercessions for mission. By 1912 Canada had an interdenominational Day of Prayer for Foreign Missions.

In 1920 Women in the USA organised the first United Day of Prayer for foreign and home missions on the first Friday in Lent. Canadian women took up the same date in 1922.

In 1926 the women of North America distributed the 1927 service to many countries and to their partners in mission overseas and invited them to use the service to join in prayer. The response was so enthusiastic that the 4 March 1927 was truly a World Day of Prayer. Roman Catholic women, however, did not participate in services until after Vatican II.

By 1930 the Day of Prayer was observed in at least 33 countries. The Federation of Women’s Board of Foreign Missions of North America co-opted ten women from around the world as corresponding members. The programme also had its first international writer that year, Helen Kim, a Methodist from Korea.

Scotland started holding its own services in 1930, England followed in 1932, Wales in 1933.

An International Committee was eventually formed, meeting for the first time in 1968. One of its first decisions was to agree a regular date for the annual World Day of Prayer, since the first Friday in Lent did not fall in the same day around the world, because Easter is not a common date for Western and Orthodox Churches. Furthermore the wide fluctuation for the date for Easter each year, and thus the first Friday of Lent, also presented complications for planning. The first Friday in March each year was agreed as this date retaining a close proximity to Lent and the connection with prayer, self-denial and sacrifice. This date was first implemented in 1969.

That same year, 1969, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations changed their international day of prayer in order to be able to participate in the World Day of Prayer.

Ireland:

The first World Day of Prayer services were held in Dublin, Dun Laoghaire and Greystones in 1934. The movement was introduced here by two former missionaries to Manchuria, Mrs. Caroline Lyle, wife of the Presbyterian minister in Greystones, and Miss Rosa Hudson.

Ireland was part of the writing group for the 1945 service on the theme of “That Ye Should Show Forth The Praises Of Him Who Hath Called You Out Of Darkness Into His Marvellous Light.”

In 1964 the National Committee of the Republic of Ireland was recognised by the International movement, two years after it had started editing its own services, which up to this had been edited in England.

In 1973 twenty members of the Catholic Women’s Federation attended a service in Dublin and following that two Catholic women joined the National Committee.

Women from all over the island of Ireland were responsible for the preparation of the 1982 service with the theme “The People of God – Gathered for Worship, Scattered for Service.”

From 1982 to 1990, Mary Breslin from Dublin served on the WDP International Executive Committee.

Ireland’s Silver Jubilee Celebration was held in the National Concert Hall in 1984 and three years later the Worldwide Centenary was also celebrated in the same venue.

In 1982 the first radio broadcast of the service took place from Abbey Presbyterian Church in Dublin. Since 2000 the service has been televised from the RTE studios on the last Sunday in February.

In 2009 Ireland celebrates the 75th Anniversary of the holding of the first services here.