Taizé

Taizé will return on Friday, November 1, 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Cantors Connee Young and Amanda Peter will lead the singing, accompanied by Mark Rasmussen on piano.

St. John’s has been hosting Taizé services on the first Friday of the month since 2009. These candlelit services of contemplative chant and song offer participants an alternative worship experience to the traditional Sunday morning church service. The Taizé service is ecumenical, providing a quiet space for spiritual communion with no preaching, no liturgy, just a serene environment for meditation and for song led by cantors to the melodious tones of piano and cello.

The origins of this unique worship service lie in France during World War II when a monastic community in the remote village of Taizé developed an ecumenical form of worship that could include the many Jewish refugees they were secretly harboring. After the war ended, the Taizé brothers then undertook the care of numerous German prisoners-of-war, mostly Lutheran. Today, each week thousands of pilgrims from all faiths journey to Taizé to experience the beauty and harmony of this diverse spirit-filled community. Since France is a long way away from Northern California, we at St. John’s welcome people from all spiritual paths to join us for the Taizé experience in our heritage 1890s sanctuary at the corner of Fifth & C in Petaluma.

Click here to donate to Taizé.