ETCHEVERRIA Dominique (Father) - France

Dear Father Dominic or Brother Dominic (as I used to like calling you)

Here we are together this afternoon with your nephew and niece, the Betharram community, our priests and the priests of the neighbouring parishes who knew you well and appreciated you together with the Christian community of Pibrac-Brax.  We are here to say a final Adieu and to entrust you to our Heavenly Father. Your death fills us all with sadness because we were fond of you. Each one of us here can bear witness to all that he received thanks to you.  Your discretion will probably take a knock but we all want to recall what has deeply touched us particularly at this moment when you are leaving us.  Let us first of all recall the principal lines of your life as a religious and priest in the Congregation of the priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Betharram. Your ministry began in Sidi Bel Abbes where you spent 10 years.  You made your Vows in 1952 and you were ordained priest in 1962.  After your mission in Sidi Bel Abbes you spent more than 40 years in the diocese of Limoges where you held many positions of responsibility: Religious Education for the children, the Pastoral Care of the Sick and Disabled, and with “Secours Catholique”.  Like Christ you were especially drawn towards the little ones, the poor, the rejects of our society, but also towards those feeling themselves vulnerable, were greatly in need of God’s Mercy and, through you, needed a smile, an attentive ear, goodness and a word of advice to help them to have the courage to pick themselves up and go forward.

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