Archbishop Leads Yorkshire Schools Pilgrimage to Taizé

Together they are leading the third and largest Pilgrimage to date, with young people aged 14 to 17. As soon as bookings opened, the seven schools were inundated, many holding waiting lists. Having heard past experiences of older pupils, this year’s groups were very keen to experience Taizé for themselves, including exploring what faith means in an open and questioning environment, experiencing different styles of music and meeting other young people of many nationalities.

Archbishop Sentamu said, “Taizé has a profound effect on people of all ages; last year not only the pupils but also their accompanying teachers experienced its prayerful atmosphere where trust, joy, simplicity and compassion flourish in a unique way. These Yorkshire pilgrims have worked hard on their Young Leaders Award challenges, looking beyond themselves to support their fellow pupils, local communities and charities further afield, even as far as Cape Town. They have blossomed as great role models for their generation and so I am delighted that now, on this Pilgrimage of Trust to Taizé, they will have the opportunity to explore the Christian faith and experience something of God’s love through being part of the Taizé community..”

Dan Finn, the Director of the Youth Trust, said; “This is the third group of Young Leaders that have chosen to extend their experience of the Awards with a Pilgrimage to Taizé. There is something for everyone at Taizé: a chance to make new friends, to join in and volunteer with others, to pray and to study in small groups. It is a place of incredible welcome. This year’s Yorkshire Schools Pilgrimage is extra special because we will be joined by other schools from around the country, of which some are also working on the Young Leaders Award programme.”

Founded in 1940 by Roger Louis Schutz-Marsauche (known as 'Brother Roger'), the Taizé Community is based in the south west of France. An ecumenical monastic order of mainly Catholic and Protestant communities drawn together from thirty countries across the world, some people visit for a short time while others, planning to do that, have been so touched by Taizé that they dedicate the rest of their lives to God in that place. Every year in Schools Weeks such as this one over 100,000 young people from around the world make their pilgrimages of trust and reconciliation, prayer, bible study and communal work.

About the Archbishop of York’s Youth Trust

To date the Youth Trust have enrolled over 580 Primary and Secondary schools to the Young Leaders Awards, empowering some 65,000 young people to put leadership into action and make a difference in other people's lives through acts of service and community volunteering.

For more information on the Young Leaders Awards, please visit www.abyyt.com or contact The Archbishop of York Youth Trust: 01904 231010 or youth.trust@abyyt.com