|
by Phillip Benmore
The Taizé Community is located on a hill in the south east of France. Surrounded by ancient townships and giant flourishing vineyards, it’s a place of serenity and peace. It’s also a place of great action, as youth come in every week from every corner and continent on the globe, all coming together to celebrate in the spirit of the Trinity.
Our journey began in March, 2005 when we gathered as a group for our first retreat, which took place right here on the Sunshine Coast at Camp Douglas in Roberts Creek. Our group was made up of fourteen youth, two mentors, one bishop and Eileen Nurse. After that weekend we met twice more as a group in Vancouver, and at other places, including peace walks, conferences, synods and cosmic masses.
We left for France early in the morning of July 21, flying to Montreal and then boarding an overnight flight to Paris. For many of us, myself included, this was the first time we had left the continent flying overseas. In Paris, we traveled about as tourists. We visited Notre Dame, The Louvre, The Musee D’orsee, The Eiffel Tower, The Basilica of Saint Chappele with its wall-to-wall stained glass and terrifying spiral staircase. We also spent an evening in Sacre Coeur, which is a large Cathedral on a hill above the city. Surrounding the steps of the church is an enormous outdoor market filled with many street performers, each of whom will share their craft with you if, of course, you’re willing to pay their small and select fee.
The next morning we boarded a bus which would carry us from Paris to Taizé. It was a relatively uneventful trip. Mostly we lounged on our seats, napping and reading, pausing every now and again for a sip of Orangina. We would arrived in Taizé about three hours later, just in time for afternoon tea. Arriving with us on that Sunday were 4,000 other youth, their mentors and clergy from all around the world. We were then given meal tickets, a discussion group assignment and a map of the site. After finally managing to move in to our new home in the excessively crowded barracks, we were also each given a work assignment to report to everyday. Work is mandatory in Taizé as it is how a young pilgrim earns his keep. There are many jobs which a pilgrim can choose from. I took cleaning barracks windows, while others in our group took dish duty, graffiti scrubbing and food distribution. It was a great way to meet kids from other countries.
After our orientation we were shunted off to the dinner line which doesn't look much like a line at all, but more like a herd of stamping wildebeests all trying to get to the front of the herd at once. Dinner is served on a plastic plate and usually closely resembles pig slop. Surprisingly though it tastes very good and you end up eating it. After supper we moved to our first worship, which is always very beautiful. The entire population of the Taizé community crowd into the Church of Reconciliation to worship together.
A day at Taizé is divided into three sections: morning, afternoon and evening. Each section is separated by worship. After worship in the morning pilgrims go to Bible study groups. Each group is very different and culturally diverse. In my group there were people from Lithuania, Spain, Poland, Germany and Canada. There are major language barriers which each group must face. Many people say that Taizé has a universal language which is uniquely its own, an eclectic mix of English and fifteen other European languages including Polish, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Flemish, Dutch, German and French. It seems to work very well!
In the evenings most people go to Oyak, which is a large open air pub at the very bottom of the community. It is a place where the pilgrims can buy drinks and snack food like hot dogs, Crocque Monsieurs and beer - both near and the real thing! At Oyak people bring out their guitars and drums and other instruments and sing and dance. The singing goes on late into the night, or at least until the night silence begins at 11:30, when all the lights at Oyak go out.
Each week in Taizé is a recreation of the holy week, with the crucifixion happening on Friday night and the resurrection on Saturday night. The crucifixion service follows an Eastern Orthodox tradition where the cross is placed on the floor and pilgrims gather around it to pray at each of its four points. The Saturday evening service is a service of light where nearly 5,000 pilgrims cram the Church of Reconciliation to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.
Taizé is simplicity, Taizé is life in connection with God, Taizé is the place where youth discover themselves as children of God. Taizé is the place my life changed forever. It is God’s home on earth.
Thank-you for supporting me in my journey, that has been so significant in my life. As I set off for university in Ontario in the fall of 2005, I was strengthened by my experience and by the love I have always felt from my family at St. Hilda’s. I hope to have a slide show ready for viewing when I am home in Sechelt at the end of term. God Bless you all!
- Philip Benmore
|
