Missed 100th birthday party and Cluny in Flames

Frere Roger in the 1960s

Late last year I heard that Taizé was organising something for the “locals” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Frère Roger’s birth. The 10th May has been in my diary ever since. Yesterday (Saturday the 9th) I went to find out the details and came away with a leaflet telling me to be there to register and choose a workshop in tent R at 15.00. I was there. Tent R on the other hand was dedicated to volunteers organising a day out for under privileged kids in June. On searching the premises I found a notice saying that registration was at 09.00, the Eucharist was at 10.00, discussions with the Bishop of Autun, some brothers from Taizé and some sisters of the St Andrew order in Ameugny were all held before lunch.

The workshops were arranged for 15.30, but that was the only thing that actually agreed with the information I had picked up the day before. The service at 17.300 was not mentioned and neither were the original activities after the service and before dinner.

The "locals" waiting for the workshops to begin - not in tent R though

I was miffed to say the least and as the workshops were the least interesting part of the day, we decided to abort mission and go to Cluny instead to see the pony games.

Roof gone and firemen dousing down the flames

Arriving in Cluny and the towers of the abbey were hidden behind a screen of smoke. As we got closer we saw that the vast building that contained the hay and the carriages for the National Stud was well ablaze - the roof mostly gone.

We were reassured by the spectators of the pony games, that the final would still go ahead, so despite the presence of the firebrigade we managed to take a few pony photos. They moved a bit quicker that I was expecting, hence this terrific shot of a pony’s rear end!

And there it was - gone..

Now home and writing my blog it’s 17.20 and the bells of Taizé are ringing out to announce the start of the service that I thought had been cancelled as it didn’t appear on the poster I had seen on the wall, earlier this afternoon.

So it has been a double miss for the birthday party and a photo miss for the pony, but at least I captured the firemen in action!




For information on holiday accommodation just around the corner from Taizé and Cluny click here.