Document:  taize.doc

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A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TAIZE COMMUNITY:
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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 community@taize.fr  or  info@taize.fr