On Monday, November 23, 2020, St. Charles Parish sponsored a Taizé Worship Service hosted by the Chemin Neuf Community and live-streamed from St. Charles Retreat Centre. The event will remain on the St. Charles Parish YouTube channel. The link is www.youtube.com/stcharleswpg
Taizé is an ecumenical Christian community in Taizé, France https://www.taize.fr/en_rubrique8.html. It was founded in 1940 by Brother Roger Schultz, a Reformed Protestant. The community is composed of more than 100 brothers, from Catholic and Protestant traditions, who come from 30 countries across the world.
Taizé is one of the world’s most important sites of Christian pilgrimage, with a focus on youth. Over 100,000 young people from around the world make pilgrimages to Taizé for prayer, Bible study, sharing and communal work. Through the communities ecumenical outlook, they are encouraged to live in the spirit of kindness, simplicity and reconciliation.
Taizé worship incorporates the use of icons, music, prayers and chants from the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The music emphasizes simple phrases, usually lines from Psalms or other pieces of scripture, repeated and sung.
Ecumenical services based on this model and music are held in many churches throughout the world.