Our chaplain at ISS, Fr Ben Engelbertink was so kind to drive us all the way to Taize, near Cluny in France. We were there from 10-16 June 2001. It was on this trip that I met Ms Jo, a Filipina who's divorced from a Swede. She emphasized that she's the holder of a Swedish passport but her nationality is Filipino. Her card is w/ Salvador, my Filipino classmate from Davao. He said he'd lost it.
I realize that my first encounter w/ Taize chants was in '92, during the Pilgrimage of Faith, the 50th anniversary of our diocese in Tagbilaran. That was a very memorable event; we were housed in Maribojoc w/ our foster parents, Manay Ipay (Felipa) Falar.
We made sidetrips to Ars-sur-Formans, the shrine of St Jeanne Marie Vianney, the patron saint of priests, and to the town of Cluny.
What I can remember from that trip was this line: "Do they expect us to pray on an empty stomach?" from an American pilgrim who had to adjust to simple life, incl. food there. But what I miss about Taize the most was Source St Etienne, the beautiful lake. A friend once said he had beautiful memories of me contemplating there. Hehe..
Long live Brother Roger and his brothers! Though he was murdered a few years back but I know, the spirit of Taize would live on.
No comments:
Post a Comment