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The Thursday evening Taize services have been really beautiful this year. About a dozen of us have been gathering in the chancel on Thursdays at 8pmto pray and sing together in this beautiful meditative way.

As anyone who has been to Taize can attest, there is a healing quality to this way of worshipping, a deep still stillness and restfulness comes from it. The services have been lasting about 30 minutes and all of us come away feeling very much refreshed.

Worship in the Taize style originated at Taize, France in the 1960's. An ecumenical monastic community of about 100 brothers who live in the tiny hilltop town of Taize, neary Cluny in the Bougogne region, began to find more and more young pilgrims turning up at their doorstep. The distinctive Taize style of simple chanted songs in dozens of languages was developed to help welcome the pilgrims and include them in worship and the ministry of reconciliation which is the community's mission worldwide. Today more than 100,000 pilgrims visit Taize each from all over the world.

In August of this year a group of youth and adult pilgrims from St. Helen's will journey to Taize for a week long stay. Their focus will be living in community with the Taize Brothers, worshipping three times daily, and participation in the Pilgrimage of Trust on Earth.

The last of our Lenten Taize services takes place on Wednesday of Holy Week, April 12 at 8pm. All are welcome!