Taize in the U.S.A.
This is very good news, though hard to beat a pilgrimage to France:
CHICAGO (RNS) Every year, some 100,000 pilgrims trek to the Taize ecumenical community in France where the biggest attraction is the music, a throwback — way, way back, about 1,500 years or so — to repetitive plainchant.
This weekend (May 25-28), for the first time, the Taize brothers will bring their conference to the U.S., where several thousand people — particularly young adults — are expected to meet for prayer and song at DePaul University in Chicago.
Brother Emile, a Catholic and a spokesman for the group, said pilgrims seek out Taize for answers to questions about life in general and faith in particular.
“Young people, I think, feel respected at Taize,” said Brother Emile. “They’re welcome to come with their questions and their doubts. And they’re very relieved sometimes to feel that there’s a place for them as they are.”
Rest of the story here.
Young adults in worship…sounds promising!
I wish I had found out about this sooner..
I have attended quite a few Taize-style services in both Catholic and Protestant churches and even old fogies can find an amazing sense of peace and intimacy with the Godhead there. And the young people, while definitely the focus of Taize, don’t seem to mind the odd grey head who doesn’t need to turn down his hearing aids to participate.
I think that Wild Goose Festival sounds really interesting as well, though I don’t know the age of the attendees. It looks like it’s marketed as a family event.
Where will all of the young people be staying? At DePaul?
Irene, I read that they have arranged for attendees to stay with host individuals and families in the Chicago area:
“We will be asking families and individuals from nearby churches to host the young people coming from outside [Chicago]…we plan to do things [in Chicago] in the same spirit of simplicity that is found in the weekly meetings at Taizé.” (Brother Emile)
“By staying with host individuals and families in the Chicago area, participants and hosts will discover the importance of hospitality in transforming a large anonymous city into a place where people feel at home.” (Brother John)
http://www.taize.fr/en_article13652.html
Tim- that is such a very nice way to do it, it letting all of those host families be part of something special, too.
10-minute podcast of music and readings from Taizé.
http://www.taize.fr/IMG/mp3/taize_podcast_2012_05_25.mp3