Mathilde Montovert and Vincent Braynaert, religious committed to the Chemin Neuf community and on mission in the parish of Vincennes, welcomed a delegation of young Ukrainians for the European meetings in Taizé. They share their experiences with us.
The Taizé European meetings, held every year in a European capital during New Year’s week, took place in Paris this year. Fifteen thousand young people from many countries were welcomed. The presence of 1,000 Ukrainians made a particular mark on the event. The parish of Vincennes welcomed six Ukrainian minors to the presbytery, and around fifty others were taken in by the deanery.
The week was punctuated by services led by the Taizé brothers in various locations in Paris, two large vigils at the Bercy stadium and a New Year’s Eve celebration known as the ‘evening of nations’. ‘We had a wonderful week filled with prayer and fellowship. It was an intense collaboration between our two communities, in a spirit of ecumenical prayer with our different churches and prayer for peace between nations,’ explains Mathilde Montovert.
Vincent Braynaert is the parish priest of Vincennes. For him, two memorable moments were experienced with these young guests. During Mass on 1 January 2026, at the moment of Aaron’s blessing (Book of Numbers, chapter 6, verses 24-26), the Ukrainians stood on one side of the church and the parishioners on the other.„ We blessed each other. The parishioners blessed the Ukrainians and vice versa. It was very beautiful,“ says Father Vincent.
After Mass, the faithful were invited to a shared meal prepared by parishioners. A regular churchgoer gave each Ukrainian a box of chocolates. ‘When I saw the Parisian chocolates, I thought to myself that she must have broken open her piggy bank to buy this gift,’ said the priest in surprise. ‘This parishioner is Russian, but she did not want to reveal her identity. She wanted to give this gift discreetly to the young people of Ukraine,’ said Vincent Braynaert.
Marie, a recent graduate, took part in the 2025-2026 edition of the Taizé European meetings. She shares with us how this gathering touched her.
What are you looking for? (Jn 1:38)
The power of this question set the tone for the 48th European Youth Meeting organised by the Taizé Community. This year, this experience of brotherhood took place in Paris and its suburbs. I decided to take part and spent the last days of December and the transition to 2026 with 15,000 young people from all over the world (mainly Europe).
It was a first for me! Two months later, what remains in my heart is a sense of unity. I am thinking specifically of the evening prayer on 31 December. We were gathered at the Accor Arena in Bercy. Imagine thousands of people who do not know each other. They are from different countries, speak different languages, and belong to different faiths, yet they sing with one voice in Arabic, ‘Abana fy yadayka’ (‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit’). Music is the primary means by which I encounter God, so I was deeply moved by this moment. I thought, ‘What a testimony of peace and unity we are giving to the world!’
Living this experience was also a story of encounters for me. The beauty of simple encounters touched me. With others and with the Other. In short, you can understand that I am very attached to and fascinated by the bonds that unite people; even more so by the one that connects me to the Source.
With the help of the Taizé liturgy, I was able to look deep within myself to find Him and hear Him say to me, ‘Who are you looking for?’. I hope that you too will hear this call.
