The Catholic Women of the Cook Islands are geared up to host the visit of the World Day of Prayer (WDP) pilgrims on Sunday, January 26.

A group of 12 women have ventured from their respective homelands, including the international chairlady of the world wide movement known as the World Day of Prayer (WDP), to pay tribute to the Cook Islands women and their families.

World Day of Prayer is a global movement led by Christian women from various denominations in over 200 countries who gather in one another's churches to celebrate, using a Worship Service prepared by women of a different country each year.

Each year on the first Thursday in March, Cook Islands Womens’ Christian Church groups throughout the country join a worldwide movement of Christian women to observe a day of prayer ‘Te Rā Pureanga Maata a te Vainetini o Teianei Ao’ (Women’s World Day of Prayer).

The theme for the 2025 World Day of Prayer (WDP) is "I Made You Wonderful". The theme is based on Psalm 139:1-18. The Cook Islands WDP committee wrote the program. This committee is headed by the president– Luduina Williams, supported by women leaders from the six faith-based bodies affiliated to the Religious Advisory Committee.

This Sunday, the Catholic Women will host the visitors, who wish to worship at the St Joseph Cathedral at 10.30 am. After the mass they will visit the gravesite of Henrica Wilson-Marona, a past president of the WDP who was instrumental in seeking the international committee’s agreement for the Cook Islands to be the country to be focussed on in 2025. Her unexpected departure however did not lose any momentum as Mrs Williams stepped into the role.

The Catholic women are appreciative of the request from the international and national chairladies and encourages all Catholic women to begin preparing for the upcoming World Day of Prayer on March 6, 2025 to be celebrated at the National Auditorium for Rarotonga based faith-based womens’ organisations, and in the Pa Enua at their prescribed church venues.

Also planned is a special Mass on February 9, as a special dedication of the WDP by the catholic women and their families in the diocese. The mass will be celebrated by Bishop Reynaldo Getalado, and all are welcomed women and families, local and different ethnicities to launch our Catholic prayers and devotions for the upcoming WDP 2025.

Spokeswomen for the Catholic women, Odile Urirau and Ana Makara, encourage ‘Let’s all come together and share in the theme that we were all made wonderfully’.

Release