Stage 01 · The Path
Childhood, the first sowing.
Tagaste.
Where it all
begins.
The starting point in the life of Saint Augustine. Like the immensity of the ocean, this stage represents the purity of the simple heart and the trust of a child who allows himself to be guided.
Boys & Girls · 8 to 10 years
Here Augustine was a child.
Like you.
Tagaste is the starting point in the life of Saint Augustine. There he spent his early years, alongside his parents and the rest of his family. It is also the place where he goes to school for the first time, and where his mother Monica first speaks to him about God.
The participants in this stage are boys and girls aged 8 to 10, who draw near to the ecclesial community to continue their Christian initiation formation. The drop of holy water from baptism symbolises that simple heart beginning to discover the immensity of God's love.
Stage objective
Christian
initiation.
To help children come to know, at their own level, the figure of Saint Augustine and the Augustinian Recollect family. To bring them closer to the ecclesial community so they can continue their Christian formation with joy and trust.
Four seeds
to begin with.
What we live in Tagaste:
the small gestures that open a heart.
Meeting Augustine as a child
Discovering the saint not as a statue, but as a child who had parents, school, and mischief to get into. Just like us.
Belonging to the family
Learning that being JAR means being part of a worldwide family: the Augustinian Recollect family, with many brothers and sisters in many countries.
Praying together
The first shared prayers, the first silences, the first songs. Learning that God listens.
Safe accompaniment
Every group has a carefully selected and trained leader who ensures respect, safety, and care within the group.
Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you.
Saint Augustine · Confessions, X, 27
Do you have a child this age?
The path begins
with a first step.
There is a JAR near your home. Find it and write to us: we will tell you how Tagaste works in your community.