Taizé

Understand

thumb|Cross of Taizé

In 1940 Brother Roger Schütz, a Protestant Swiss national, bought a house in Taizé, a few kilometres south of the demarcation line that separated Vichy France from the German-occupied zone. Here he was able to give sanctuary to countless war refugees. On Easter Sunday 1949, he and six other men committed themselves to a life following Christ in simplicity, celibacy and community. Others joined the community, including, in 1969, a Belgian doctor who was a Catholic. As of 2010, the community had about 100 brothers from 30 different countries, both Catholic and Protestant. Brother Roger died in 2005. His successor Brother Alois [Löser] stepped down on Advent Sunday, 3 December 2023 and was succeeded by Brother Mathew [Andrew Thorpe].

As the community developed, it took on an ecumenical and international character and developed a style of worship in which music and prayer played a large part. From the late 1960s onwards, many young people, attracted by this style of worship, started visiting the community. The popularity of these visits (or pilgrimages) has increased and at peak times (Easter and summer) the community is host to as many as 5,000 visitors at a time, many of whom come from outside France.

The community is open for visits year round, with the main exception of the first and final weeks of each year, when most of the brothers are offsite to attend and organize its annual European meeting.

Stays are usually for "meetings" lasting full weeks, s…

Get in

As most of the visitors to Taizé are making Taizé their only stop rather than touring the area, this section will assume that the visitor is travelling to France for the specific purpose of visiting Taizé.

Taizé is about 390 km south-east of Paris and 100 km north of Lyon and lies between the Paris–Lyon autoroute (A6) and the Paris–Lyon TGV railway line. The nearest towns are Cluny to the south (8 km; population 4900), Tournus to the north-east (21 km by road; population 5500), Mâcon to the south-east (13 km by road; population 34,000) and Chalon-sur-Saône to the north (ca 30 km by road; population 45,000).

The community's welcome centre is at

Get around

The facilities of the community are in the villages of Taizé and Ameugny, 600 m apart. Ameugny is accessed from Taizé on foot.

See

thumb|The lake at Source Saint-Étienne

Do

thumb|Inside the Church of the Reconciliation

There is typically a set schedule that the visitors are recommended to follow. But if you choose to be on your own, you can use the time for self-reflection and pray, including in the church and gardens within the sanctuary. If you come individually, you can simply look for groups with a large number of people that you can stick to, whether it's for one session or one whole week.

The day begins with Eucharist for those that are obligated to take, before the morning prayer that is then open to all believers. After breakfast, the daily verse of the bible is introduced, which participants may use for self-reflection or discuss with a small group from different nationalities.

The afternoon schedule contains lunch and sharing within groups as well as workshops by guests or the community brothers. If no workshops are held, the freetime is also used to clean or maintain community facilities. Those who want to sing for the evening prayer are also invited to practice beforehand.

After dinner, the day culminates with an evening prayer that invites participants to meditate and reflect in the church, as they are accompanied by chants and music. This counts as the Taizé prayer that is adopted worldwide. Especially on Saturday nights, youths will come together to dance and party with music, as it would be the last day of the stay for most of them.

Musicians can bring their instruments for the weekend prayers.

While most practical tasks, …

Buy

For toiletries and snacks, see Café Oyak below.

For what isn't available in the community, your best bet is Mâcon. Do that shopping before or after your stay.

Eat

thumb|Meal at Taizé

Visits to Taizé are full board, so meals are included in the price. The

For those lodging far from the refectory, the meals are served closer to them.

Drink

Any alcohol you bring should be handed over at arrival to be stored with any valuables during your stay. Café Oyak serves alcohol to adults (over 18: the legal drinking age in France), but there's a limit of one drink per person per day.

Sleep

Accommodation is allocated on arrival, although special needs can be explained in advance. Lodging is limited in the busier times, and most people are then accommodated in tents (own ones or ones of the community). In winter there is room for all in heated indoor accommodation.

Bringing a tent to sleep in is recommended in Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, during summer and at All Saints.

Respect

As this is a pilgrimage site, dress appropriately, especially for the prayers.

You should keep to the rhythm of the community and take part of the programme. Commit to the full time you are staying.

If you have children too small to keep calm and silent during prayers, take turns participating; there are rooms near the church where one parent could stay that time with the child.

There are restrictions to cope with a large demand. If possible, keep to the time slots allocated to your type of group and wait for acknowledgement of your stay before making firm arrangements.