Br. Emile joins Canadians for larger Taizé events, like the one held at Holy Rosary. Similar services were also held in Ottawa and Montreal.

Similar to Taizé pilgrimages, the evening’s meditations this year were guided by a specific theme, inspired by a Gospel reading (John 6:35-40): those who hunger and thirst.

“Here, the apostle affirms that our hunger for the bread of life and our thirst, our desire for something we don’t have is a sign of our dignity and worth,” said Br. Emile.

Underpinning the value of solidarity between Christians in this community, he added, “the secret to our identity lives not in ourselves, but in Christ.”

The Taizé community in France has just over 100 brothers from Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant denominations.

A well known site of Christian pilgrimage, this community welcomes more than 100,000 people each year, while its prayer groups are located around the world, including several that meet in Toronto. Taizé values of kindness, simplicity, trust and reconciliation are echoed throughout this growing community’s services.

On the last Thursday evening of each month, Coco Ego-Aguirre, 65, can be found leading anywhere from a dozen to 40 youth and adults through the musical meditations of Taizé prayer. The experience of Taizé prayers is one that Ego-Aguirre and his wife Rosina like to keep fervent throughout the year, in part because of the interest they see at this yearly event.

At the monthly Taizé prayer services the Ego-Aguirre’s host at St. Martin de Porres parish in Scarborough, they both enjoy sharing a story about how they came to know Taizé through the younger generation.

“Our daughter, Veronica, first invited us to go there,” said Coco.

“Taizé uses an ecumenical form of prayer — as such a prayer, it gets us in touch with God. It changed my faith completely.”

Rosina added, “When you are at Taizé and you see people of all different ages, languages and colours you think to yourself… this must be what heaven is like.”

“What I like most is that it seems to be popular among the youth and young adults,” said Christian Elia, director of the archdiocese of Toronto’s Office for Catholic Youth.  The OCY assisted Holy Rosary in promoting the March 5 event.

“It is a readily available and easily accessible way to engage in meditative and completive prayer.”

With regards to Taizé’s style of service, prayer and songs, Elia said it is an ideal way to introduce young people to Latin and other languages as well.

“The ecumenical aspect is also empowering young people to worship alongside their friends of other denominations,” Elia said.

As the Taizé community continues to grow in Toronto, group leaders like Rosina Ego-Aguirre want people to know everyone is welcome.

“Initially we wanted to appeal to the youth alone, but now, we work with both the young and the young at heart. Whoever can walk or drive here, we don’t close the doors. If it is what the Lord wants, we say, OK.”

(Goldy, 20, is a political science and history student at the University of  Toronto.)