Those seeking an oasis for prayerful contemplation can find it at Sacred Heart Convent on December 6, 2026, when the Dominican Sisters open their luminescent chapel for From Longing to Hope: Taizé Prayer. The hour-long service begins at 3:30 p.m. in the chapel at 1237 W. Monroe Street. The facility is fully accessible and has plenty of free off-street parking.
"Our service incorporates periods of silence with meditative readings from Scripture, prayers of praise and intercession, and the frequent repetition of simple, contemporary chants based on the Psalms or other parts of Scripture," said Ethan Heinzel, Liturgist for the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois.
Popular the world over, Taizé prayer is characterized by simple repetitive melodies, uncluttered by too many words, to open participants to the still voice of God within. This way of prayer is associated with an ecumenical monastery in Taizé, France, where generations of young people have been drawn to the monks’ mission of prayer and reconciliation since its founding by 25-year-old Roger Schütz in 1940. Brother Roger’s first mission was to welcome Jewish refugees from the war to his home near the demarcation line in France.
December 6 is the second Sunday in Advent and represents a season of expectant waiting and preparation for Christmas, beginning four Sundays before the holiday. The Dominican Sisters, like members of other religious communities, are consecrated to lives of celibacy, poverty, and obedience in the service of God’s people and the Church.
