Like every year, thousands of young French people came together at Taizé during the All Saints vacation, in three successive “waves”. They had been well prepared for their stay and they could count on being carefully listened to by the adults, priests, pastors and lay leaders who accompanied them. Several groups were accompanied by their bishop, as was the case for the dioceses of Evry, Tours, Lille, Nanterre, Sens-Auxerre, Pontoise and Rennes.
Another outstanding visit was that of Pastor Schlumberger, the new president of the French Reformed Church. During his stay, on several occasions he was able to meet with Brother Alois and other brothers of the community, the young volunteers, and French pastors.
The beginning of November also saw visits by five hundred young adults from Sweden, as well as young people from Belgium and Germany. After their departure, the hill of Taizé will soon be very calm, although the international meetings continue week by week until the European meeting in Rotterdam.
The latest number of “The Letter from Taizé” has just been published. For the second time, additional testimonies linked to the theme of the Letter: “What are you doing with your freedom?” can be found on the Taizé web site
As for the 12 of each month since the earthquake in January, for the 12 November, a prayer for the people of Haiti is available on line.
From 2 to 9 October one of the brothers made visits in Uganda. He writes, “In Soroti, in the East of the country, the floods that followed months of drought made communications difficult. However fifteen young people representing various parishes were there as planned. They explained how their meeting – during the pilgrimage of trust in Nairobi in 2008 – with young people from the neighbouring region, traditionally their enemy, made them realise that it is possible to come together, to live together and to imagine a different future in their region that has known violence and plundering for more that twenty years. When they returned home, they followed up their contacts, visited one another and took part together in training for peace programmes. ‘Now, if a tension crops up, we know that we can sit down and speak to one another!’ explains Caroli Aroma, the diocesan coordinator. She adds, ‘Our dream is to invite someday young people from throughout the country to our place, at Soroti!’ ”
In October, several brothers took part in the national youth congress organised by the Catholic youth ministry, in Shillong, Magalaya: “For the final celebration, on the Sunday morning, the Christians gathered from throughout the whole region to celebrate with the young people. There were certainly around 100,000 people filling the surrounding squares and streets, and to whom the Eucharist was brought. Everyone went home with new courage, fortified by the times of prayer, the life together and the faith that was shared. And some were once again on the road for several days before they could pass on in their daily lives what they had experienced in Shillong; in their youth groups in different parts of the country. In a great diversity and with many differences, and yet united in a faith that goes beyond frontiers”.
During the second half of September, one of the brothers of the community visited the cities of Córdoba, Buenos Aires and Tucumán in Argentina. He writes: In the capital, one of the high points was a prayer in Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus Parish in Virreyes, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the diocese of San Isidro. The meeting brought together young people who want to go to the meeting in Santiago, Chili. Some of the parents came too and shared their anxiety for the safety of their children who will travel to Santiago. We explained how the families in Santiago were preparing to welcome the young people with great affection. And we also invited them to reflect on the significance of the word “trust”. The pilgrimage of trust invites us to go beyond ourselves and to go to meet those who are different, so as to be able to overcome the prejudices and fears that can often paralyse us: letting ourselves be welcomed by someone we do not know and thus broadening our existence.
Meeting in Santiago, Chili: 8 to 12 December 2010
Practical information and registration
One of the brothers writes: “In Manchester there was a gathering for students organised jointly with the Student Christian Movement. Brother Alois’ question in the Letter from China, “What are you doing with your freedom?” set the theme for the whole weekend and similar questions arose again: recently, in Westminster Cathedral, Pope Benedict said, “One of the greatest challenges facing us today is how to speak convincingly of the wisdom and liberating power of God’s word to a world which all too often sees the Gospel as a constriction of human freedom (…)” This challenge is perhaps not just about how we tell others, it is also often difficult for us to sense that faith gives us freedom. As we face our inner questioning, and the choices we need to make, the thought may sometimes cross our mind: If only I didn’t have all these questions, hesitations – wouldn’t my life be less complicated, wouldn’t I be happier? But let us never regret the questioning and searching we have! It is a gift, not a problem.”
Almost exactly one year since the start of preparation for last year’s European meeting in Poznań, Poland, young people from the city and the region came together once again in order to begin preparing for this year’s European meeting in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Throughout Poland, there are 200 “preparation points”, thirty of which are in the region of Poznań itself. During the summer of 2010, many young adults from different parishes in Poznań and the region made the journey to Taizé. In August, the archbishop of the diocese, Mgr Stanislaw Gadecki came too. The idea arose that it would be very good to meet again in the autumn in order to “maintain the spirit of wonderment!” So on 23 October 2010, the meeting took place in the Church of the Visitation in Poznań.
Meeting in Rotterdam: 28 Dec 2010 to 1 Jan 2011:Practical information
Rotterdam: Photos
(Galatians 5:13-25) The Letter to the Galatians has been called the Magna Carta of Christian freedom. The passages on freedom in fact hold our attention. We must also imagine the force that these passages could have in societies conditioned by slavery, where a desire for liberty was felt everywhere.… What should the behavior of Christians in the world be? Should there not be a law to clarify it? This question was even more pressing since these Christians were aware that, even though they were baptized and living a new life, a complicity with what could keep them far from the Gospel still existed in them. That is what Paul called the "flesh".
Christ Jesus, when our inner being is dispersed, our thirsty heart dares to say: “Enable me, in the communion of all the holy witnesses, to live from you, Christ. Gather together my desire and my thirst.”