GREENSBORO — St. Pius X Church held a special Advent evening of Taizé style contemplative music and prayer on Dec. 9, under the leadership of Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, pastor. The service was organized by Francine Britto, pastoral associate for music and liturgy at St. Pius X, along with members of the Music and Liturgy Ministry and guest musicians.
More than 100 people from St. Pius and area parishes attended and joined in the simple, repetitive Taizé chants with music carefully chosen to anchor the prayer time with a calming and peaceful influence.
Songs of praise and thanksgiving framed the readings from the Psalms and Scripture. The focus was on songs celebrating the Light of Christ, with symbols of darkness and light playing an important role during the Advent celebration.
Taizé Prayer is a Christian evening prayer. It is a simple, meditative form of worship, calling the faithful to dwell deeply on Christ’s presence around and within us. Songs, prayerful silence, and short readings guide the focus of the prayer in a candle-lit environment, often accompanied by music.
“The timeless Taizé style of music draws the faithful to contemplative prayer,” Britto said. “Having led services like this in other parishes over the years, it is humbling to be a part of this here at St. Pius. With Taizé, the peaceful music swells in the prayerful repetitions with various vocal and instrumental parts taking on a new layer.”
A reception followed the service in the Simmons Center, hosted by Martha’s Helpers. The event was so well received by visitors and parishioners that St. Pius X’s Music and Liturgy Ministry plans to host another Taizé service during the upcoming Lenten season.
— Georgianna Penn, correspondent
CHARLOTTE — Staff members of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte attended the 2023 Applied Institute for Disaster Excellence (AIDE) held in Raleigh on Dec. 4-8. This annual training, sponsored by Catholic Charities USA, is made available to the national Catholic Charities network of agencies.
The program helps local agencies in their provision of disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. More than 200 attendees came from Catholic Charities agencies from over 30 states, including Hawaii.
Jesse Boeckermann, director of Catholic Charities in Asheville, and Joseph Purello, director of Social Concerns and Advocacy, presented a workshop titled “Parish-Based Response to Local Disasters,” which highlighted the collaborative work of Catholic Charities with Diocese of Charlotte parishes in response to past disasters.
The presentation emphasized how parish engagement is a critical component to any Catholic Charities disaster response.
— Catholic News Herald