(ANS – Paris) – Fifteen thousand young people from all over Europe gathered last week in Paris to welcome the new year and experience the 48th European Taizé Meeting. The parishes in the capital and the Île-de-France region mobilized to welcome all these young people, and the Salesian parishes in Paris and Argenteuil also opened their doors: 80 young people were hosted by families in the parish of St. John Bosco and 68 in Argenteuil. Several young people from the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) arrived in the French capital to collaborate in various ways to ensure a warm welcome for everyone.

Poland, Ukraine, Norway, Portugal, Italy, Germany… So many nationalities represented! English was very useful for understanding each other, but when it came to singing, the gift of tongues seemed to manifest itself, and everyone discovered the ability to juggle between “V tebi je izvir življenja” (Slovenian), “Behüte mich, Gott” (German), and “Bóg jest miłością” (Polish). And the prolonged silence at the heart of the three daily prayer times allowed the Word of God to unfold in the hearts of those present.

The diversity of the places of prayer was also a powerful experience for the participants: in the morning, it took place in the parish, in a more familiar atmosphere. At noon, in the great churches of Paris, they became signs and bearers of peace for tourists and Parisians. And gathering for evening prayer at the Accor Arena (Bercy) was a powerful sign of unity for all.

On the night between December 31 and January 1, a prayer for peace celebrated in several parishes offered an opportunity to share with the world this powerful experience of unity, simplicity, and fraternity.