Taizé retreat offered at Govans parish

For the first time in Baltimore, the ecumenical community will host a “Pilgrimage of Trust” weekend Feb. 27-28 featuring talks by Brother John of the Taizé community in France.

Founded in 1940, Taizé is an ecumenical society of religious brothers who take monastic vows and focus their ministry on reconciliation. They prefer to use only their first names.

Participants of the Baltimore event will include representatives from more than 10 church communities representing six Christian denominations. They will gather at St. Mary of the Assumption in Govans to share meals, reflect and pray together under the theme, “Making room for wholeness.” Area priests and ministers will also be available for prayer and counsel.

Auxiliary Bishop Denis J. Madden will participate in the gathering on Feb. 28. He has visited the Taizé community in France several times and has been impressed by the brothers’ ecumenical spirit and outreach to the young people of the world, he said.

“I think it has a great, great impact to have the Christian churches praying together,” Bishop Madden said. “Even if we don’t agree on every particular aspect of dogma, we can pray together and grow in faith.”

Brother John will speak from Brother Alois’ newly released “Letter from Kenya.”

To register, visit www.taizebaltimore.org.