taize

Document: taize.doc

To: gsb1@cornell.edu (Gary S Bogart)
Subject: Taize – a little history
From: brother.roy@almac.co.uk (Brother Roy) Date: Wed, 9 Feb 1994 15:35:00 -0500
Organization: ALMAC: +44 (0)324 665371
Reply-To: brother.roy@almac.co.uk (Brother Roy) Status: RO

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TAIZE COMMUNITY:

The following provides some background information on the life and vocation of the Taize (pronounced te-zay) community.

“A PARABLE OF COMMUNION”: August 1940, with Europe in the grip of World War II, Brother Roger, aged 25, set up home in the almost abandoned village of Taize, in Eastern France. His dream: to bring together a monastic community which would live out “a parable of community”, a sign of reconciliation in the midst of the distress of the time. Centering his life on prayer, he used his house to conceal refugees, especially Jews fleeing from the Nazi occupation.

AN INTERNATIONAL AND ECUMENICAL COMMUNITY: Taize’s founder spent the first two years alone. Others joined him later and at Easter 1949, seven brothers committed themselves together to common life and celibacy. Year by year, still others have entered the community, each one making a lifelong commitment after several years of preparation. Today, there are 90 brothers, Catholics and from various Protestant backgrounds, from over twenty different countries. Some of them are living in small groups in poor neighbourhoods in Asia, Africa, North and South America. The brothers accept no donations or gifts for themselves, not even family inheritances, and the community holds no capital. The brothers earn their living and share with others entirely through their own work. In 1966, Sisters of Saint Andrew, an international Catholic community founded 750 years ago, came to live in the neighbouring village, to share the responsibility of welcoming people in Taize.

TAIZE AND THE YOUNG; THE INTERCONTINENTAL MEETINGS: Young adults, and less young, have been coming to Taize in ever greater numbers since 1957. Hundreds of thousands of people from Europe and far beyond have thus been brought together in a common search. Intercontinental meetings take place each week, Sunday to Sunday, throughout the year and they include youth from between 35 and 60 countries during any one week. The meetings give each person the opportunity to explore the roots of their faith and to reflect on how to unite the inner life and human solidarity. The meetings in summer can have up to 6,000 participants a week. Three times every day, the brothers and everybody on the hill come together for common prayer in the Church of Reconciliation, built in 1962 when the village church became too small.

“A PILGRIMAGE OF TRUST ON EARTH” The community has never wanted to create a “movement” around itself. Instead, people are called to commit themselves in their church at home, in their neighbourhood, their city or village. To support them in this, Taize has created what it calls “a pilgrimage of trust on earth”. At the end of each year, the pilgrimage has a “European meeting” which brings together tens of thousands of young adults from every part of Europe for several days in a major city. There have also been meetings in Asia and in the United States. Every year, Brother Roger writes an open letter to the young. Usually completed during a stay in one of the poor regions of the world, these are translated into thirty languages and provide themes for reflexion for the following year.

For more information about the Taize community, please mail either brother.roy@almac.co.uk or taize@dkauni2.bitnet