Taize - Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral

About Taizé

What exactly is Taizé Prayer? It is named after a small village in eastern France which, for over fifty years, has been the home of an ecumenical Christian monastic community. Members of the Taizé community belong to several different Christian denominations. Catholics, Anglicans, Protestants, Orthodox and others live and pray together, share a simple life and welcome thousands of visitors who come to spend time with them every year from all over the world.

Taizé prayer services are comprised of silence and song, candlelight and stillness, prayer and contemplation. The music is unique and distinctive. Taizé chants featuring deceptively simple refrains that are repeated, mantra-like, by the whole congregation, while instrumental and vocal soloists occasionally add verses on top of the repeated refrains. The music is accessible, participatory, and meditative.

All who attend these services, either online or in person are invited to stop, pray, and use the silence and meditative music as opportunity to listen to the “still, small voice” within. The mind calms and the soul opens up. God speaks and the heart hears.

Taizé at Saint Mark's

A group of Saint Mark's community members with experience of Taizé liturgies wanted to bring this style of worship to the inspiring space and special acoustics of the cathedral nave. Beginning in the spring of 2022, a service was offered seasonally, on a Tuesday evening. Beginning in 2025, it became a monthly offering, on the second Tuesday of each month (with a hiatus during the summer). The service is always livestreamed. Video and service leaflets from past services may be seen below on this page.

If you have any questions, or are interested in contributing in some way to our Taizé Prayer ministry, please get in touch. All are welcome to contribute—as musicians, readers, or to help to plan the services—regardless of you prior experience with Taizé. To learn more, email taize@saintmarks.org

2025 Taizé Services

Taizé is now offered monthly, on the second Tuesday! All services in the cathedral nave, and livestreamed

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2025, 7 P.M.
in the week of the Feast of the Baptism of Christ

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2025, 7 P.M.
observing the 1,500th anniversary of Brigid of Kildare

(no Taizé service in March 2025)

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2025, 7 P.M.
remembering Martin Luther King Jr.

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025, 7 P.M.
remembering Julian of Norwich

TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2025, 7 P.M.
Living Buddha, Living Christ, Living Spirit
a collaboration with Clear Mountain
Monastery Buddhist Community

(The Taizé ministry takes a summer hiatus and liturgies will not be offered in July or August.)

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2025, 7 P.M.
observing the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2025, 7 P.M.
remembering Teresa of Ávila

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2025, 7 P.M.
celebrating the gifts of Creation

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2025, 7 P.M.
in the second week of Advent

Observances subject to change. Video and leaflet from past services can be found linked below, or here.

Living Buddha, Living Christ, Living Spirit—An Interfaith Prayer Service in the Style of Taizé

TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2025 7 P.M., in the cathedral nave and livestreamed

In June 2025, a special Interfaith Prayer Liturgy in the style of Taizé was offered, created as a collaboration between by Saint Mark's Taizé Ministry and our neighbors Clear Mountain Monastery Buddhist Community (which meets on the cathedral campus every Saturday morning). This was the second iteration of this liturgy, after first being offered in May of 2024—see a recording of that liturgy here.

The theme of the prayer service, Living Buddha, Living Christ, Living Spirit, celebrates the values that both traditions hold as sacred, represented by the "fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians, and the perfections (parami) of character necessary in Buddhism to achieve enlightenment.

The group who planned the service was inspirited by Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Living Buddha, Living Christ. Prayers, readings and chants from both the Christian and Buddhist traditions will highlight the service. The 2025 liturgy incorporated additional styles of song and chant not used in the 2024 service, including plainsong psalmody.

A Sunday morning forum introducing this service was offered on June 1, 2025—see a recording of that forum here.

The Taizé Ministry looks forward to similar inspiring and life-giving collaborations in the future.