Taizé invites entire community to candlelit vigil

Friday, Nov. 13, 2015

DRAPER —  A Taizé worship service involves sung and chanted prayers, meditation, a period of silence, liturgical readings, and icons; this service helps a ministry at St. John the Baptist Parish to reflect on the importance of God’s creation.

Margret Posch began the parish’s Going Green ministry in 2011; she is a previous member of the Diocese of Salt Lake City’s Peace and Justice Commission. 

“Back when Dee Rowland was the director of the Peace and Justice Commission we used to go out to the parishes,” said Posch, adding that she found that at St. John’s “they were lacking a bit of the focus on the care of the environment as part of the care of our faith.”

So she put her faith, knowledge and care in action, resulting in the formation of the Going Green ministry. 

“I was very careful with the themes that we meditated about,” Posch said. “I didn’t want to make it an educational event; it was more focusing on how  Scripture talked about them [environmental themes] … It was more about making it a prayerful event.”

This year her mission became easier, with the release of Pope Francis’  encyclical Laudato Si’ (“On Care for our Common Home”).

“This year we are talking about the reflections from the encyclical of Pope Francis. He, from his highest point of view,  is talking about the importance of caring for the environment and of the human life everywhere,” said Posch, adding that this is true “no matter whether we like it or not. … We need to do something to care of our environment.”

Approaching the topic from a peaceful way of caring for each other is easiest, she said, so that people don’t get tangled in political issues.

“I like the focus coming from the peaceful care for each other and care for the environment, which means caring for each other,” said Posch.

The purpose of the Taizé service prayer is to foster reconciliation and peace among all people. The service that will take place on Nov. 20 will consist of song (simple chants), Scripture, and an extended period of silence for meditation, concluding with prayers for the world and a candlelight vigil.

Everyone is welcome to attend the service as well as participate in the other activities of the ministry, Posch said.

“It’s great that Pope Francis is in the forefront, raising awareness of this human issue; Catholics are taking the leadership in pointing it out and helping everyone, and not just a certain group,”  Posch said.

 The Going Green group also gathers for other activities, such as making Christmas cards out of recycled materials, Posch said. “We also have a parish hike together and we, through a farmer’s market, encourage people for the organic locally grown healthy food.”

The Taizé service, as peaceful reflection, “is a good way to start the holidays,” she said.

For information about the Going Green ministry or the Taizé service, contact Margret Posch, 801-571-9166 or margretposch@gmail.com, or Connie Waung, 248-877-7100 or  cswaung@comcast.net.

WHAT: Taizé Prayer Service

WHEN: Nov. 20 at 7 p.m.

WHERE: St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 300 East 11800 South, Draper

 

 

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