BOB ABERNETHY: This month in eastern France, the Christian ecumenical community in Taize is celebrating its birthday. It was founded at the beginning of World War II by a young Swiss theologian named Roger Shutz who wanted to work for peace and help refugees by celebrating Christian unity. Today, more than 100 men -- Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox, from all over the world -- are monks there, led by Brother Roger. The community has no preaching but has become famous for its simple, meditative music, and prayer. Many thousands of visitors, especially young people, travel to Taize every summer, and this past summer Paul Miller did, too. We begin with his report.

PAUL MILLER: At 8:30 each morning, in the small town of Taize, the bells call people to the first of three daily services. On this day, 6,000 people will answer the call.

Brother EMILE (Taize Brother): People want to be touched -- not just in an emotional, sentimental sense, but what the Bible means by heart is something much deeper, the real me that wants to be touched by God. That's what draws people.

MILLER: Taize was founded by Brother Roger, the son of a Swiss Calvinist pastor. He too is Protestant, but in 1940, he was drawn to this part of Burgundy by the famous medieval Catholic monastery of Cluny, five miles from Taize.

The town was also near the border between German-occupied northern France and the Vichy-controlled South. It quickly became a place of refuge -- Brother Roger offered shelter to Jews and others fleeing the Nazis until he was warned they had been betrayed. Everyone escaped safely.

After the war, he returned to Taize to found a community of Christian brothers, committed to celibacy, simplicity, and spiritual sharing. Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant, now from 25 countries, they hold common Christian beliefs and conduct services with no liturgy and no priest leading them. Brother Roger, now 87, says his community is dedicated to listening -- to God,

and to others.

Brother ROGER (in translation): Searching together -- not wanting to become spiritual masters who impose -- God never imposes. We want to love and listen, we want simplicity.

MILLER: Young people began coming here on their own in the late 1950s, looking for communion with God and with people from other countries.

AMY GATJE (Los Angeles, California): For me, being at Taize is a living experience of the kingdom of God -- you have people from all over the world speaking every language imaginable. They are together to worship God, to seek peace, to listen to one another.

CALEB NELSON-AMAKER (Charlottesville, Virginia): When you come to Taize you're put in a group with a bunch of people from different cultures, different societies, and there's nothing planned about it -- there are no planned answers, it's all reality.

MILLER: The most important part of the experience is the services, and young people have responded to Taize in ever increasing numbers, asking to participate in the worship. Now thousands are invited each summer. But the emphasis is less on being here and more on what happens when they go home.

They are asked to be part of a pilgrimage of trust -- to be involved in their own communities, to be peace makers and witnesses for reconciliation.

Brother EMILE: We like the word "pilgrim" because a pilgrim is someone who doesn't have all the answers, who is poor; someone who doesn't carry all the answers in his luggage but someone who sets out because of his or her faith. And that's what we wanted to propose to people -- to take a risk because of your faith.

MILLER: The number of pilgrims has grown -- and so has the popularity of the Taize service. For RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY, I'm Paul Miller in Taize, France.

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