Dear Friends,

In just a few weeks we will be in the United States!

Preparations for our Pilgrimage of Trust in Chicago are about to enter into a new phase. We are grateful for all the messages and support we have received in the last months.

Here is some more news about the preparation of the Chicago gathering.

The video especially made for the preparation of the Chicago meeting is now available and can be seen online: http://vimeo.com/32939054

If you want to download the video onto a USB key or burn a DVD to use it in situations where you do have access to the internet, you will have to first register with Vimeo. It’s free. To register, go to  http://vimeo.com/join , choose « Basic » and follow the instructions. Then go to http://vimeo.com/32939054. Look to the lower part of your screen on the right hand side, next to « MP4 », click on « Download » and follow the instructions.

PROGRAM: A provisional program is available online : http://www.taize.fr/en_article13465.html. A more detailed program will be available in May.

REGISTRATION : On February 1^st, a link to an online registration form will be available on the Taizé website: www.taize.fr/chicago Registrations will close on April 30^th.

COSTS : Participants will be asked to contribute between 50 to 60 US dollars for the weekend (that will include food and accommodation). We will make known the exact sum soon.

VISITS IN THE U.S. We hope to travel to parts of the U.S. and Canada over the coming months as part of the preparation for the meeting. We have already received a number of invitations, but feel free to contact us if you have any additional suggestions: chicago2012@taize.fr

Many people are excited about the Chicago gathering, including our communityat Taizé. Brother Alois, who is Brother Roger’s successor as prior of the community, will be present at the Chicago gathering. We invite you to read his new letter that was just recently published at the European Meeting in Berlin :http://www.taize.fr/IMG/pdf/120enletter.pdf Brother Alois writes that ” Today faith appears as a risk, the risk of trusting.”

We look forward to walking on that path with you.

Brother John

Brother Emile

www.taize.fr/chicago

chicago2012@taize.fr

Taizé Baltimore joins Bon Secours Spiritual Center

Taizé Prayer this Advent

Friday December 2, 2011 7:00 pm

Rehearsals at Bon Secours

Instrumental - November 20, 6:00 - 7:30

Petite choir- 3:00 - 6:00

Contact Lisa for more information 410-818-6174

Bon Secours Spiritual Center

1525 Marriottsville Road

Marriottsville, MD 21104

410-442-3120

Email: BsscRetreats@bshsi.org

www.BonSecoursSpiritualCenter.org

From Baltimore & Points North:
Take Beltway (Rt. 695 West) Exit 16 to Rt. 70 West, proceed 8 miles to Exit 83 (Marriottsville Road), turn right, continue north 2 miles to Bon Secours Spiritual Center on right.

Dear Friends,

We have some great news to share with you. A Taizé gathering will take place in Chicago in May 2012.

The venue will be DePaul University in Chicago and the dates are Memorial Day Weekend (25-28 May 2012).

We hope that young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 from all over the the United States and Canada will take part.

Starting next February, three Taizé brothers will be living in Chicago and coordinate preparations in the city and region. Among other things, we will be working with friends from Chicago to find accommodation with families for the young adults coming from outside the Chicago area.

Since we will be in the United States for a few months, we hope to travel to stimulate interest in the Chicago weekend. Please let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions or anything that you think might help to spread the word.

A detailed program will be available early next year. The plan is to come together much as we do at Taizé for prayer, reflection, workshops and fellowship, beginning Friday May 25^th, early evening and finishing Monday 28^th at around noon. Participants will be asked to share in the costs, which we plan on keeping low.

A DVD especially made for the preparation of the Chicago meeting will be available in November or early December. Get in touch with us if you would like a copy. We will also be making preparation material (poster, logo, video) available on our website www.taize.fr/chicago in the coming months.

As we write this letter in the middle of the busy summer weeks at Taizé (four thousand young adults are with us this week, including a group from Chicago), we remember all those who have been asking us for years now : « When will there be a Taizé event in the U.S ? » We hope that this announcement will bring you as much joy as it has caused us.

Brother John, Taize                                                                              Brother Emile, Taize

www.taize.fr/chicago chicago2012@taize.fr

P.S. You may not be in the age group for the Chicago weekend, but please pass this information on to anyone you think might be interested.

Taizé Baltimore &

Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church

Invite you to

Taizé Prayer

June 17, 2011

6:00 pm Potluck supper

7:30 pm Prayer begins

Ark and Dove Presbyterian

8424 Piney Orchard Pkwy

Odenton, MD 21113

410 674 6400

Families welcome

Child Care Provided

Music!

Instrumental rehearsal - Thursday, June 9 @7:00 pm

Vocalist - Thursday, June 16 @ 7:00pm

Rehearsals held at Ark and Dove Church

(See link above for directions)

Wondrous prayer was shared in Memorial Chapel Friday night!

There was a great collection of young and old, Catholics and Protestants, people from near and far gathered for prayer Friday evening.  Out of such diversity came deep open prayer and a profound presence of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you Peter, Episcopal Chaplain, for your invitation to come and pray with the students at UMD.  Thank you to the wonderful instrumentalists and petite choir.  Your ministry brings beauty and joy to our prayer.  And thank you to all who joined us.  Together our prayer was strong and full!

Please mark you calendars for our next prayer gathering!

June 17, 2011

Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church

8424 Piney Orchard Pkwy

Odenton, MD

More information to come!

Join us for a Taizé Prayer at the University of Maryland in College Park                       

April 15, 2011  –  7:15 pm

We will gather at theMeditation Gardennear the labyrinth at 7:15 to process into the Chapel.

Park in the Y lot behind the chapel.

No Potluck Supper. Arrange to meet your friends at one of the many restaurants within walking distance from the chapel.

Directions to Memorial Chapel

Music Rehearsals

Instrumentalists: Saturday, April 9, 2011 from 10:00 - 12:00 in Memorial Chapel

Instrumentalists and Petite Choir: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

4512 College Ave. 1 block behind the book exchange off of Route 1.

Listen to a new release of an interview with Brother Roger.

Kindness Builds You Up

Letter from Chile.  Br. Alois letter for 2011

Joy  Compassion  Forgiveness

Dear Friends of Taizé Baltimore,

As we find ourselves at the beginning of a New Year, I want to thank all of you for your generous support and participation in Taizé Baltimore, Making Room for Wholeness. The experience up to this point represents to me a beginning of people of varying denominational faiths coming to a softer, more companionable understanding of one another which hopefully is growing a peaceful acceptance of others in our daily lives. How timely in this day of political polarity and growing violence to humanity’s innocence.

The Taizé Baltimore Committee is looking forward to sponsoring more times for gathering. Meeting once a quarter seemed to work well last year, and we would like to continue with such a schedule. It has been great working with groups from different churches in the city to plan our evening prayer, and we hope that you have found visiting your neighbors to be a positive experience as well. So in that effort, we would like to invite you to consider hosting Taizé Baltimore in your church. We feel that meeting in the City is the most conducive for the majority of people who come, as well as being somewhat of a presence of hope in the city, but we are not opposed to meeting in a neighboring county. We welcome your thoughts on that as well.

In considering hosting a meeting, please know that we want to work with you in the preparation. Our musicians want to sing and play with your musicians; we want to guide you in keeping the prayer consistent with the Community of Taizé, and thereby welcoming to all, while at the same time reflect who you are. Prayer can easily be accommodated on a Friday or Saturday evening.

Please contact us if you are interested in hosting Taizé Baltimore. We can work out a date together and make plans from there. If you have questions please do not hesitate to call or email me.

In Gratitude,

Duffy Laws and the Taizé Baltimore Committee

duffylaws@comcast.net 410-592-6312

Sing praises, all you peoples, sing praises to the Lord!

The Committee of Taizé Baltimore wish you all a joyous Christmas Season.

We look forward to praying with you in the New Year.