Our novices speak: “The faithful help us live our religious life better”

Many young people around the world feel God’s call through the Order of Saint Augustine. Community life, holistic formation, the desire to become better Christians… All of this converges in the personal and spiritual growth of those who seek to say “yes” to Christ.

This is the case of brothers Glidoh Jean, Jacques, and Jean Agbessenou, three young men from Togo who are currently doing their novitiate at the Shrine of Saint Rita in Bouge, Belgium, thanks to the effort and good work of the International Formation Center in fostering new vocations in Africa and Asia.

Br. Jacques Amevor

After a couple of years in the candidacy program, I was able to have a rich community experience with the Augustinians, see how they worked, and learn from them. During this time, I have been able to experience and deepen my religious life. I am getting to know what the Order is and has been, so that I may be better prepared for the Lord’s call, whom we all desire to serve.

In the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2, verse 42, it says:“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

This is what I find here. The desire to live what Saint Augustine asks of us: to be of one heart and one soul on the way to God. This community spirit, this search for God, shapes us as a community to seek His face. We do everything in community: we eat together, we share everything, and we try to live and follow the Rule of Saint Augustine. This is what attracts me to the Order.

Saint Monica, Augustine’s mother, prayed much for her son’s conversion. Here in Bouge, many faithful come to pray. Their faith strengthens the community; it helps us learn from the people how to live our religious life better.

We want to be with the faithful, to form community with them, and we know that in this mission Saint Augustine always intercedes for us.

Br. Jean Agbessenou

I decided to come with the Augustinian brothers because at a certain moment in my life I felt I needed to be closer to the Lord.

So I applied to the brothers in Lomé, they accepted me into the Order, and later I asked to continue my formation as a novice. I chose the Augustinians because it corresponded to what I felt God was asking of me at that moment.

The pillars of this spirituality are embodied in the search for God together with the brothers and always in service to the Church. This corresponds to my aspirations. That is why I decided to be with them.

The community of Bouge offers me an essential environment to pray with the brothers in the search for God.

Our formators help us with their companionship, closeness, and experience, giving us the tools and formation programs necessary for this search. In the end, Augustinian life is full of challenges, and the Order helps us grow and fulfill ourselves as Christians. The wholesome formation they give us allows us to find that spiritual and human balance… It is a beautiful experience.

Br. Glidoh Jean Bosco

I saw the way the Augustinians lived in Togo, their spirituality, and that captivated me.

The way they relate to one another, how they care for each other… They make Christ present through their devotion.

I was first in France, and I asked to come to the community in Belgium because of the evangelization needs here. Today Europe is mission territory. My dream has always been to be a brother of the Order, a priest of Christ, to serve in His Church and support the entire community of the faithful.

Here in the Order, young people will find a beautiful community centered on God: peace, love, attentive listening, a safe place to share what is in their hearts, and great formators to understand more deeply what they want to be: children of God.