Tag Archives: youth

THE CHANGE THAT WAS BEGINNING TO SHOW IN THE LIVES OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE

A year after starting the youth congregation, Eugene could see results in the lives of the young people. The letters from its members, that we have in the archives, show that these fruits lasted well into their adulthood. What had … Continue reading

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YOUTH: MEETINGS BUILT AROUND ENSURING AN EQUILIBRIUM

Eugene describes a typical day’s activities at a meeting. I have a pretty enclos (property) at the town gate. There I have got up a chapel for our spiritual exercises. In the garden they have all the space they need … Continue reading

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YOUTH: I CAN REALLY PERCEIVE THE GOOD THAT THE LORD DOES THEM THROUGH MY MINISTRY

Eugene’s methodology is clear in this extract. He wanted to be sure that all the members were of a quality of being capable of making a contribution towards the good of the other young people of Aix. It was always … Continue reading

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YOUTH: TO FORM A BODY FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THEMSELVES AND OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE OF AIX

As the group of young people began to grow, so it became necessary to have some written regulations. In the first set of rules he defined his goals for his youth ministry. It had to be a body that would … Continue reading

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YOUTH: TO FORM CHRISTIANS WORTHY OF BEARING THIS NAME

Eugene expressed his guiding ideals for working with the youth in a letter to his friend Father Forbin Janson. What is clear is that Eugene wanted these young men to become yeast in Aix. Through their formation they could become … Continue reading

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THE FOUNDATION OF THE YOUTH CONGREGATION

On the 25 April, 1813, Low Sunday, were laid the foundations of the holy Association of Christian Youth. The Director of this nascent congregation called to his side … [7 names follow]. After laying out for them his plan and … Continue reading

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A DANGEROUS ATTEMPT TO COUNTERACT THE PROPAGANDA OF NAPOLEON

The enterprise is difficult, I am not concealing that fact from myself, it is not without danger even since I am proposing nothing less than to oppose with all my power the sinister ways of a highly suspicious government which … Continue reading

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YOUTH: THE EVIL IS AT ITS HEIGHT AND WE ARE MOVING FORWARD SWIFTLY TOWARDS TOTAL COLLAPSE

Having outlined the evil situation in which the young people find themselves, Eugene sees the urgency of responding to Napoleon’s attacks, despite the personal danger this will entail from him from Napoleon’s police. The central thrust of his ministry for … Continue reading

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THE ABANDONED YOUTH ARE TRAINED TO RECOGNIZE NO OTHER GOD THAN NAPOLEON

Why did Eugene give himself so generously to the ministry of youth? Clearly because they were among the most abandoned of society in religious terms. These opening paragraphs of the Diary he wrote of his youth ministry, show their abandonment … Continue reading

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A SIMPLE INSTRUCTION THAT GOD IN HIS GOODNESS SEES TO SEASONING

Still in the letter to Forbin Janson where the young Father de Mazenod describes his early ministry, he speaks of what happened on Sunday evenings after he had finished ministering to the prisoners: From there I rush home, where is … Continue reading

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