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Thursday, August 18, 2005

Brother Roger (Roger Schultz) (1915-2005)

 Aug. 17 (CWNews.com) - Brother Roger, the founder and leader of the ecumenical Taize community, was killed by a knife-wielding attacker during a prayer service in France on August 16.    A Protestant theologian, Roger Schutz was 25 when he first set up an ecumenical house of prayer in Taize, a village near Cluny in eastern France, in 1940. At first the community was a haven for refugees-- particularly Jews escaping the Nazi regime-- during World War II. Over the years, the Taize community became established as an ecumenical monastery, with Brother Roger as its prior, and more than 100 members, including both Catholics and Protestants. The Taize community, dedicated to reconciliation among Christians, attracts thousands of visitors each year, and Brother Rogers' books of prayers and meditations have proved popular among Christians of many different denominations.
This man's life was tirelessly dedicated to the cause of Christian unity. We should make his cause ours, even in small ways, always with hope and trust in our one Lord.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. Amen.

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