The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu is to lead a group of Year 10 and Year 11 students from Holy Trinity Barnsley and Archbishop Holgate’s, who recently completed their Young Leaders Awards, to Taizé during next week.

The Pilgrimage has been coordinated by the Archbishop’s Youth Trust.  A coachload of students, staff and the Archbishop depart to Taizé on Saturday 18 June and will return the following weekend.

Archbishop Sentamu said;

“Taizé has a fantastic ministry with young people from across the globe.  My Young Leaders Award encourages people to look beyond themselves in the service of others. To be able to join with young people from more than 100 countries in worship and in learning is an experience that I pray that these young people will never forget. In the past 13 years, I have led groups of young people on pilgrimage and each time I have returned feeling blessed, inspired by the people I have met and with renewed wonder at the goodness of God. It is a wonderful experience. For the Taizé Community invites us and welcomes us into the Pilgrimage of trust and reconciliation.”

The Taizé Community of Ecumenical brothers, mainly Catholic and Protestant, who have come together from thirty countries across the world, is based in the south-west of France. Every year, over 100,000 young people from around the world make their pilgrimages of trust and reconciliation, prayer, bible study and communal work.

Dan Finn, the Director of the Youth Trust, said; “It is great that these young leaders will be joining the Archbishop for this Pilgrimage to Taizé. This is the first time that the Youth Trust has coordinated a Pilgrimage to Taizé and I’m really looking forward to exploring how the students can extend some of their learning from the Awards further.”

Simon Barber, Headteacher at Holy Trinity Barnsley, said;

“We are so excited to be travelling to Taize on pilgrimage with the Archbishop and his Youth Trust team. At Holy Trinity we are trying to create an inclusive and supportive learning community which encourages everyone to develop themselves through service to others, following Jesus example. We hope this pilgrimage will extend the amazing work our young people have done through the Archbishop’s Young Leaders Award and strengthen further their personal and spiritual development.”

“To obtain a place on the Pilgrimage, students from Archbishop Holgate’s had to write a letter of application”, said Richard Nihill, Archbishop Holgate’s Lay Chaplain. “Our students expressed their interest as; ‘an amazing opportunity’, ‘a chance to deepen their faith and understanding’, a time ‘to connect with God through many different ways’ and ‘to meet new people and experience new ideas and viewpoints’. I have many friends who have visited Taizé and all have described it as very special place. I am really excited about sharing this spiritual journey with Archbishop Sentamu and students from Archbishop Holgate’s School. I am sure it will be a time of transformation.”