The Taizé Community’s 27th Youth Meeting will be held in Lisbon. Helping to prepare the welcome of the tens of thousands of youngsters from all over Europe expected to attend it are a group of Taizé Brothers and an international team of young volunteers; they have been busily at work since mid-September. The 27th European Youth Meeting animated by the Taizé Community will be held in the Portuguese capital from 28 December 2004 to 1st January 2005, following similar youth meetings in Hamburg, Paris, Budapest, Barcelona and Warsaw. It is being prepared in collaboration with the parishes of the three dioceses of the region of Lisbon. One particular feature of this year’s meeting is linked to the long journey that youngsters from Eastern and Northern Europe will have to make: “this presupposes explain the promoters the organization of intermediate stages in Southern France and Northern Spain, where the young can break their journey, rest and pray”. “Preparation points”, where the young may receive information about the Lisbon Meeting, have been set up throughout Europe. In Poland, for example, there are over 200 such points. Some 2000 youngsters from Serbia-Montenegro, Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants, are preparing to go to Lisbon. In Croatia, a Taizé Brother will participate in a prayer vigil in the Zagreb Cathedral on 12 November, which will mark a key stage in the preparation of Croatian youth. In Italy preparatory meetings will be held from 7 to 14 November. In Germany, two Taizé Brothers will participate in meetings being held in some thirty cities. Further information on the website www.taize.it
