Taizé gathering in Tallinn
Saturday 28 December till Wednesday 1 January
The House of Unity is joining a group of young people in the ecumenical youth exchange organized by the Taizé community in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. This marks the 47th International Youth Meeting. Participants will be hosted by local families and churches.
Youth Meeting
Taizé as an ecumenical brotherhood in France hosts a Youth Meeting in one European city during New Years, so that people can pray together for peace in the world, promote solidarity, and build bridges of trust between different denominations, and between the church and the local community.
Tallinn will be the northern-most city to host this meeting and therefore it is the best proximity for participants from the Baltic and Scandinavian/Nordic countries. We expect ca 60 brothers from Taize and approximately 4000 participants from Europe and the rest of the world.
This unique event is a wonderful opportunity to find new friends all over Europe and of course the host nation. It is a great opportunity to discover the meaning of solidarity, fellowship and peace between humans and churches. Participants will be accommodated with local families in pairs or trios. Registration will open in the autumn but it is good to save the dates today!
“Strangers can help us discern the presence of Christ and once more grasp that he remains with us always. (...) Will we dare to set out again not alone but with others, mutually enriched, as we journey together?” (brother Matthew, prior of Taizé community Letter for 2024)
We hope to meet young adults from your congregation in December in Tallinn!
Video
Programme
Saturday 28 December 2024
- 08:00 to 11:00: Arrival of participants who are welcomed directly in the local communities to which they have been allocated, and and then by families.
- 15:30 meeting in the host communities and departure together for evening meal and prayer.
- 17:30 start of meal distribution (a packed lunch is provided for the following day)
- 19:00 Evening prayer (until 20:15), then return to the host families between 21:00 and 22:00.
Sunday 29th December
- Breakfast with families
- 11:00 Sunday worship in the host community
- 13:30 picnic lunch in the city-centre
- 14:30 theme workshops in the city-centre
- 17:30 start of meal distribution (a packed lunch is provided for the following day)
- 19:00 evening prayer, then return to the host families between 21:00 and 22:00
Monday 30, Tuesday 31 December
- Breakfast with families
- 09:00 morning prayer and programme in the host communities
- 12:30 lunch on the way to the city centre (food distributed the evening before)
- 13:00 Midday prayer in city-centre churches
- 14:30 Workshops on themes related to faith and the inner life, social commitment, culture and artistic creation
- 17:30 meal distribution (a packed lunch is provided for the following day)
- 19:00 evening prayer, then return to the host families between 21:00 and 22:00 pm
- On Tuesday 31 December: 23:00: prayer for peace in the host communities followed by a ‘festival of nations’, with participants returning to families before 02:00.
Wednesday 1 January 2025
- Breakfast with families
- 10:00 morning prayer/celebration and farewell meeting in the host communities
- 13:00 lunch with the hosting families
- 16:00 departure for the return journey
