Media Release

Mangaluru, Mar 30: On the occasion of Lenten season and year of youth, Indian Catholic Youth Movement of Valencia unit organized Taize prayer for the parishioners of St Vincent Ferrer Church, Valencia led by Fr Ashwin Cardoza and his team on Friday March 29.

How Taize started
Taize is a monastic community located in Taize, France, founded in the 1940s by a Swiss named Roger Louis Schutz-Marsauche, familiarly called Brother Roger. The brothers of Taize have taken a vow of celibacy and are committed to a lifetime of simplicity, service and community.

What is Taize
A Taize worship service involves sung and chanted prayers, meditation, a period of silence, liturgical readings and icons. There is no preaching. The style of prayer practiced at Taizé has attracted many worshipers from around the globe and from many different denominations. The prayers consist of short chants, continuously repeated.

The stage was beautifully decorated by Icym and YCS members and well lit with more than 200 lamps around the crucifix.

Joel Concesso Milagres introduced the congregation to Taize style prayer service along with some important instructions. The group consisted of Fr Ashwin Cardoza, asst director of ICYM Mangaluru diocese, Joel Milagres, Ancita Cordel. Lavita Neermarga led the singing. ICYM diocesan president Jaison Pereira shirthady played the keyboard.

Around 200 people actively participated in the prayer. Parish priest Fr James D’Souza, Fr Joswin D’Souza and Fr Arun Lobo, Parish Council secretary Lizzie Pinto were present. Fr Joswin thanked everyone and appreciated the youth for their hard work and efforts put in to organize the event.