The Denton Taizé Community is joining in worship on August 22 at 7 pm at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church at 1200 N. Elm. Since their rebuilding, parking is on the Locust Street side of the church. It will be a communion service in the manner of Taizé, masked and distanced. The communion will be only the bread to eliminate issues because of COVID. If you have something red to wear, that would be great. The focus is for prayer for the school year now beginning, not only for college students, but for education at all levels, as has long been the custom at St. Barnabas. Here is some information about the history of the Red Mass:

With roots going back to medieval Europe, the Red Mass, or Mass of the Holy Spirit, traditionally celebrates the beginning of the judicial year. Named for the red vestments worn to symbolize the flames of the Holy Spirit, the Red Mass highlights the Holy Spirit's role as comforter and counselor through prayers that ask for wisdom, guidance, and justice. As the celebration of the Red Mass continued through the High Middle Ages, both judges and law professors joined the procession at the beginning of the mass—also, wearing red robes.

The tradition of a Red Mass in celebration of the academic year seems to have originated in Denton during the era of Canterbury House. Celebrated on the campus of UNT in the Denton Wesley Foundation building for a time, the mass eventually moved to St. Barnabas.* For many years, the two Denton Episcopal churches—St. Barnabas and St. David of Wales—have shared the celebration of the Red Mass. This mass, like its judicially oriented counterpart, asks for the Holy Spirit's guidance as we enter a new season for education and the pursuit of true knowledge.

The past academic year has been particularly difficult for students and teachers alike, with inequities of access to educational opportunity starkly exposed; this coming year will bring its own challenges even as we move to begin again. St. Barnabas is blessed, therefore, to welcome our friends in Christ from other Denton churches to join us this year in a service of communion offered in the ecumenical style of the Taizé community. Together, we know our Lord "in the breaking of the bread."