The Pilgrimage of Trust on Earth, the first American Intercontinental Meeting of Taizé, was held in Dayton, Ohio, in May 1992. As the brothers of Taizé began to prepare for that event, they contacted the Rev. Dr. Robert Chesnut, then senior pastor of ELPC, who had visited Taizé previously, and Steve Steinbeiser of St. Paul’s Monastery, and asked them to prepare a prayer service together in Pittsburgh. Thus began the Taizé Ministry at ELPC.
More than 2,000 people—including young adults from ELPC and other area churches—joined in the gathering in Dayton, and the Rev. Gail Ransom was selected to begin a weekly Wednesday evening Taizé prayer service, which remains today—27 years later—an identifying ministry of ELPC in the community, in Pittsburgh, and in the surrounding area.
The distinctive orange banners, reflecting those in Taizé, were added to our Chapel service on March 1, 2000. The Rev. Christiane Dutton became ELPC’s second Minister of Taizé Prayer, followed by the Rev. Mary Lynn Callahan.
In the early days, the service often “visited” other churches in the city and over the years many groups from ELPC have made pilgrimage to Taizé, France.
Those interested in traveling to Taizé for themselves may be interested in a Pilgrimage of French Monasticism featuring Taizé conducted by Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and led by the Rev. Callahan, which is scheduled for the fall of 2020. Details will follow in future issues of Reaching Out, and on both the seminary and church websites.