What is Taize?
Taizé is a village near Cluny in Burgundy, eastern France, where an ecumenical community of Christian brothers famous for hospitality, liturgy, ecumenism and reconciliation is based.
Taizé's history of hospitality began in 1940, during World War II, when its young Swiss Protestant founder bought a house
there and gave refuge to Jews and others fleeing the Nazis. Betrayal forced him back to Switzerland until after the liberation of France in 1944, when he returned with a small group of companions. Taizé had an ecumenical dimension from its very beginning, when Brother Roger Schutz dedicated himself to reconciling the Catholic and Protestant traditions.
Taizé’s simple and effective liturgy is based upon the traditional elements of readings, silence, intercessions, psalms, and chants. The chants have become internationally famous, with their simplicity, brevity and pleasant harmonies suiting
ecumenical or lay-led worship. Various languages are used for the chants, and an important feature for the thousands of pilgrims who visit Taizé is singing and hearing readings in several languages other than their own.
Our Taize Worship is held every 4th Wednesday of the month @ 8pm from February to November.
Resources from the Taizé Community
Taize’s YouTube Channel includes live streams/recordings of the Taizé Community’s wonderful Saturday evening prayers, as well as Workshops, Taizé Song Practices, Interviews and Bible Reflections.
Learning the songs: an extensive database of Taizé songs - includes written music, soprano, alto, tenor and bass parts played separately and together, and synthesizer/guitar accompaniment.
Daily Prayer by Brother Alois, current prior of the Taizé Community.
Daily Bible text read during the midday prayer at Taizé.
A short daily meditation by Brother Roger, founding prior of the Taizé Community.