Diocese of Portsmouth
The Church of England

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    Bishop leads two pilgrimages to Taize

    Category
    Beyond our diocese
    Date
    29 July 2025
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    BISHOP Jonathan has returned after leading two separate pilgrimages to the ecumenical Taizé Community in France.

    For the third year in a row, dozens of students from Christ the King College and the Bay CofE School on the Isle of Wight headed to the Christian community for a week. They enjoyed worship, Bible study and community activities as they discovered more about God.

    The 34 teenagers from Christ the King, which is a joint CofE and Catholic college in Newport, joined up with another 12 from The Bay CofE School in Sandown. They met hundreds of other young people from across the globe to experience the worship chants specific to Taizé, times of silence and to re-enact Bible stories.

    Bishop Jonathan was joined by his Roman Catholic counterpart, the Rt Rev Philip Egan, for part of the week, and they were able to answer questions and reflect with the teenagers.

    And more recently, five young adults from churches across our diocese headed to France for another week of community activities – alongside those aged between 18 and 30 from other dioceses.

    In both trips, there was regular worship in the mornings, afternoons and evenings, as well as the chance to discuss faith in small groups with those from other countries. Everyone was also part of a group given household tasks such as cooking, cleaning and washing up – either on site or in nearby villages.

    Seth Burton, aged 18, who has just left Christ the King College said: "I really enjoyed this trip. Not only did I connect more with people from college, but felt part of the community of Taizé and met loads of people from around the world. The church services were so peaceful and it was amazing to see another example of how people praise God!”

    Students from The Bay CofE School and Christ the King College with both Bishops of Portsmouth
    Students from Christ the King College and the Bay CofE school joined forces for the pilgrimage
    The worship at Taizé typically includes beautiful chants and lit candles
    The pilgrims were asked to perform various household tasks, such as serving food

    Mia George, aged 17, said: “I’ve come out of Taizé with a new appreciation for life on the Isle of Wight. I feel more peaceful and that I should be utilising my day more with appreciation – where bus rides or free time can easily be used for spending time with God.

    “The small groups were a great way to talk to new people and make friends, although it was awkward at times and difficult for those who couldn’t really speak the same language. Overall I’m really glad we had those groups, the performances were also a highlight.”

    Orla Rayner, 16, said: “The Taizé experience helped me grow and reflect over my faith, it showed me how prayer and peace are compatible.” Eighteen-year-old Sam Willis said: “I learnt how powerful routine can be in your walk with Jesus, and how important it is to read your Bible, pray, and join in community every day.”

    And Danny Spooner, 17, said: “I found a reconnection with my faith and a newfound enjoyment and appreciation for enjoying silence, I forgot how soothing it can be to give time for your thoughts to speak loudly.”

    Among the tasks the students were given was to hold up notices saying ‘Silence’ to remind those entering worship to keep quiet. Specific times of silence throughout the day were among the highlights for some students.

    Each small group was also given the challenge of re-enacting a Bible story in small groups. Among them was a re-telling of the story of Mary and Elizabeth being pregnant with Jesus and John the Baptist respectively. The teenagers returned home via coach and ferries at the start of July.

    Students from the Isle of Wight enjoying their breakfast at Taizé
    Students and teachers from The Bay CofE School hard at work in the kitchen at Taizé
    Young adults in a sunflower field near Taize as part of their trip to France
    Discussion groups at the Taize Community in France

    Later in the month, five young adults and four leaders from our diocese joined forces with young adults from the Dioceses of Bath and Wells, York and Norwich for a separate pilgrimage to the Taizé Community, which also involved worship, Bible study and discussion.

    Bishop Jonathan and his wife Christine were part of the group, alongside our diocesan children, families and youth officer Heather Powney, and the Rev Lizzie Davidson, curate at Warblington-with-Emsworth.

    One of the young adults, Pip White, aged 21, from St Mary’s Church, Fratton, said: “Although I’ve been to Taizé before, this year’s visit felt like a new experience. More of my focus was on my faith and my relationship with God.

    “In particular, the Bible study groups really helped me share and think through the questions and concerns I have with faith. Now I’m looking forward to using what I learnt to continue exploring my beliefs.”

    And Eleanor Coutts, 29, from St John’s Church, Fareham, said: “The Taizé trip was a brilliant week, and a great time to meet other Christian young adults. I learnt a lot through spending time in discussion and fellowship with people both from the UK and other nationalities, with a range of different church backgrounds. The regular rhythm of prayer and worship at Taizé was really enjoyable and very valuable.”

    During their time there, the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, led a Eucharist to celebrate the Feast of Mary Magdalene at the Church of St Mary Magdalene at Taizé. Among those attending were Bishop Jonathan; the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Rt Rev Michael Beasley; the Bishop of Huddersfield, the Rt Rev Smitha Prasadam; and the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Graham Usher.

    For details about our diocese's involvement with Taize, click here

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