Taize Community

just to share basic information about Taize community

2. Many young people not only from Europe but Many young people not only from Europe but
also more and more from other continents come also more and more from other continents come
to Taize with vital questions:to Taize with vital questions:
How can I find meaning for my life?How can I find meaning for my life?
How is God calling me?How is God calling me?

3. We want to be for them people who We want to be for them people who
listen, never spiritual masters.listen, never spiritual masters.
Words of Brother RogerWords of Brother Roger

4. Everything began in 1940 Everything began in 1940
when, when,
at the age of twenty-five, at the age of twenty-five,
Brother Roger left Brother Roger left
Switzerland, Switzerland,
the country where he was the country where he was
born, to go and live in born, to go and live in
France, where his mother France, where his mother
came from. came from.
About TaizéAbout Taizé
Its beginningsIts beginnings

5. For years he had been
an invalid, suffering
from tuberculosis.
During that long
illness, the call had
taken shape in him to
create a community
where simplicity and
kind-heartedness
would be lived out as
essential Gospel
realities.

6. When the Second
World War
started,
he had the
conviction that he
should begin at
once to offer
assistance to
people in difficult
straits,
just as his
grandmother had
done during the
First World War.

7. Brother Roger was able to buy a house in
Taizé that had been uninhabited for years,
with the outlying buildings. Among the
refugees they sheltered were Jews.

8. In order not to put any pressure on those he was In order not to put any pressure on those he was
sheltering, Brother Roger would pray alone; he sheltering, Brother Roger would pray alone; he
often would go into the woods near the house to often would go into the woods near the house to
sing. So that none of the refugees, sing. So that none of the refugees,
in particular those who were Jews or agnostics, in particular those who were Jews or agnostics,
would feel ill-at-ease, would feel ill-at-ease,
it was explained to each of them that it was it was explained to each of them that it was
better for those who wished to pray to do so better for those who wished to pray to do so
alone in their rooms. alone in their rooms.

9. In 1942, they had been found out In 1942, they had been found out
welcoming refugees and had to leave Taize welcoming refugees and had to leave Taize
for a while. In 1944, Brother Roger was for a while. In 1944, Brother Roger was
able to come. This time he was no longer able to come. This time he was no longer
alone: they were four brothers.alone: they were four brothers.

10. Today, the Taizé Community is made up of Today, the Taizé Community is made up of
over a hundred brothers, Catholics and from over a hundred brothers, Catholics and from
various Protestant backgrounds, coming from various Protestant backgrounds, coming from
more than twenty-five nations.more than twenty-five nations.

11. Brother Roger died on
16 August 2005, at the
age of 90, killed during
the evening prayer.
Brother Alois, a German
Catholic member of
whom Brother Roger
had chosen many years
ago as his successor, is
now the prior of the
Community.