Blog
Beginnings
Jun
2023 June Blog by Mary Lynn Delfino ~ At Centering Space’s 20th Anniversary Celebration I recalled the feeling of hospitality that I always experience there and remembered my first visit which was a Taizé prayer.
If you haven’t yet been to the outdoor prayer gathered around the fire in lawn chairs, singing simple chants while watching the sun set between the magnificent giant trees along the shore of Lake Erie on the longest day of the year, then let this serve as your informal invitation to join in on Sunday, June 25. The music of the Taizé community is simple yet rich. Even a non-singer like me can get immersed quickly through its repetition, taking me to a place of meditation and relaxation. I love Taizé almost as much as I love walking the labyrinth.
My earliest memory of the music of Taizé was from Catholic grade school and high school when on Good Friday we would sing “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” (Listen here.) Taizé prayer, with scripture, song, and period of quiet, became a regular part of the campus ministries I was involved with, both as a college student and as a campus minister, particularly during the Christian liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent. I often found my eyes damp during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, watching the washing of the feet while singing “Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.” (Listen here.) After listening to Sr. Carol’s abbreviated history of Centering Space at the anniversary celebration and thinking about why I love Taizé so much, I began to recognize some commonalities between the two communities. Allow me a brief history lesson…
Roger Schutz (aka Brother Roger), a Swiss student of theology, began what became known as the Taizé movement in the eponymous village in unoccupied southeast France near Cluny during World War II. Cluny Abbey was a historically significant area for the foundation of monasticism. During an extended illness, he felt drawn to the monastic life, and when the war broke out, he also felt called to shelter refugees, including Jews. Brother Roger, through the help of a small loan, bought a few unoccupied buildings in the village and invited his sister Genevieve to assist in providing hospitality, which consisted mostly of soups and dishes made from cornmeal. In 1942, when in danger of being discovered by enemy forces, he and the brothers who had joined him in community left and eventually returned in 1944. With his sister’s help, they welcomed refugees once again, including children orphaned in the war as well as German POWs imprisoned nearby. The group officially became a community in 1949, with seven original members, who pledged a life of celibacy and simplicity. Over the years Taizé became and still is a place of pilgrimage, especially for young people. It has remained a deeply ecumenical and multicultural community, though it has not been immune from the violence of society. Brother Roger died at age 90 after being stabbed by a woman during prayer. His vision is carried not only by his successor, Brother Alois, but also by the thousands who journey there and then outward, spreading the music and prayer of Taizé beyond the village into faith communities worldwide, including at Centering Space.
When we consider Centering Space’s origins in light of Taizé’s foundation, there are some similarities—and of course, there are a few significant differences, like not being founded in wartime. Throughout history spiritual communities or religious movements have usually begun with a small group of dedicated people who have a vision for something more, perhaps even something radical—radical in the sense of getting back to one’s roots. Like Taizé, Centering Space has been a refuge and a place of prayer for countless seekers from a variety of faith and spiritual traditions. Though its roots are Christian, its canopy is wide. People come for contemplation, discussion, poetry, art, and community. Centering Space’s building required much love and attention at the outset to make it the homey place of respite that it is now. And still today, we are invited to help with the upkeep, by making our humble donations to programs, helping in the garden, and attending fundraisers. The brothers in 1940s France also faced similar challenges of working within limited resources while never losing sight of their mission of deeper communion with the Creator and hospitality. In the most difficult of days, I imagine them subsisting on the soup and cornbread. At Centering Space, there are cookies. Brother Roger was the anchor for nearly 65 years, and Sr. Carol has been our anchor from the beginning, along with several other cofounders whose memories we cherish. Did Brother Roger love hugs as much as Sr. Carol? Inconclusive.
Again, the comparison between the two communities is not a true one-to-one relationship, but I hope through this brief history of a contemporary spiritual movement, we can all appreciate even more Centering Space’s humble roots and how when we join together in Taizé prayer that the spirit of the Taizé community is very much alive in our own little faith village in Lakewood, Ohio.
Additional Resources