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 showing them the advantages that would accrue to them from it, they began together the pious exercises of the Congregation to the great happiness of all.
It was agreed seeing the unhappy circumstances of the times to keep to a small number of religious practices which one would be careful to disguise as games.
The first session took place in the garden called the Pavillon l’Enfant. After a short prayer the group launched happily into games. The day drawing to a close, we entered a room of the Pavillon, and while the young men rested, the Rev. Director gave them an instruction that was followed by a decade of the rosary. At nightfall we returned to town, sorry that the day had been so short and looking forward already to another meeting that would take place the following Sunday.
Diary of the Aix Christian Youth Congregation, O.W. XVI, April 25, 1813
Note. In the Diary, Eugene usually refers to himself in the third person: e.g. “the Rev. Director.” This was because it was meant to be a public record (codex historicus) of the Youth Congregation, and not a personal diary.