GABAIX-HIALÉ Gaston (Father) - France
Serres-Morlaas, 29 July 1927 - Betharram, 22 March 2021 (France)
Fr Gaston was born on 29th July 1927 in Serres-Morlaas into a large family connected to the Bearnese culture, anchored in the Christian Faith; he had 7 brothers and 3 sisters. His brother, Felix, two years his senior, arrived ahead of him at the Apostolic School of Betharram where he himself was an aspirant all through the second world war ; we can easily imagine all the difficulties he met in his youth.
On 23rd October 1946, he took his first religious profession at the end of his novitiate in Balarin. He was part of that last generation who went to do Philosophy in the Holy Land from where they would be driven in September 48 for Theology in the new training house in Floriac, Bel Sito.
On 28th June 1952, he was ordained priest at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Bordeaux by Cardinal Richaud with 5 other Betharramites including Fr Olçomendy scj.
His first posting was in Betharram, at the Apostolic School, as a teacher for 4 years, and then at Bel Sito at the Scholastic for 7 years. In 1963, he was named as Superior of the Apostolic in Betharram which became St Michael’s Centre. We were amongst several religious to have benefitted from his sup-port.
In 1968, a change of direction for 9 beautiful years as a chaplain for the Servants of Mary; many sisters keep memories alive of his attentive presence in the crisis endured by the Church in that moment. It was therethat he also accompanied the first generation of Indians sisters who had come to gather at Anglet. Fr Gaston would be the first Betharramite to visit India and support the beginnings of Betharram in India.
In 1977, after a brief visit to Vic-en-Bigorre the day after the death of his brother, Felix, at 51 years, he was called to set up the Great Seminary in Toulouse for 3 years, responsible for the young amongst us at the St Joseph’s Centre.
In 1981, the General Chapter nominated him General Bursar with residence in Rome for the 2nd term of Fr Grech as General Superior. He would be the kingpin of the international session of 1985 for the 150 years of the founding of the Congregation. An important stage for our religious family to deepen our charism of “Here I am” and our spirituality based on the God of tenderness, God dissolved in charity; we had numerous interventions from him in this sense.
In 1987, he was called to Pibrac, tasked with the training of 5 young religious who saw in him a gentle instructor.
In 1990, he was called to St Michael’s House in Pau as superior; he would get to know and love St Mary of Christ Crucified, with the creation of the association “the Friends of Mariam”, all while being open to different calls with the creation of the “St Gabriel Communion”.
Then Betharram was the place where he prepared himself meticulously as he did not have the charism of improvisation for the retreats at our place and even to the Ivory Coast or in the other congregations. Twenty years later, we still remember the retreat “Do God’s work joyfully”.
Many religious and lay people of many walks of life, but also in particular lay people associated with the “Me Voici” fraternity found comfort, consolation and encouragement in him with a taste for deepening the spiritual life; he was also a benevolent confessor.
He had no mystical fancies but he introduced us to recognising the importance of contemplation which for him was “a continuous training to always read more deeply into daily reality in order to perceive every sacramental density”. It was the moral fibre of François Varillon and Maurice Zundel.
He had been a religious full of hope in the various storms past and present that the Church had experienced. One of his favourite borrowed reflections in Kierkegaard indeed proves it: “It is not the path which is the difficulty; rather it is the difficulty that is the path”. He was a man of hope like St Michael Garicoits : “We must never hope more than when all is lost”. Today, we give thanks to the Lord for letting us meetand know Fr Gaston; he was for us an indulgent father, an understanding brother and a discreet confidant.
Fr. Laurent Bacho scj
Regional Vicar
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