MARTÍN Daniel Ramón (Father) - Argentina

On 2 February 2013, the day celebrating consecrated life, Fr Martin presented himself to the Father in company with Jesus.  The rapid deterioration of his health allowed him to be fully conscious of the great moment when he made the oblation of himself to the Lord, oblation which began on the day of his first profession at Villa Betharram, Adrogue, 55 years ago.
Martin was born at Rosario 7 January 1939.  He was very young when he lost his mother.  His father, grandparents, and above all his aunts, Ana and Marta, provided him with a Christian education.  Since they knew Fr Carraro, a Betharramite missionary from China, and thanks to his intermediary the religious of the Sacred Heart College, Daniel Ramon entered the apostolicat, Barracas, at 10 years of age.
As a child he was sickly, hard working, lively and mischievous and was able to make very good use of the serious education which was given in the Betharramite School.  From there, he left for Adrogue where as teacher he had the Master of Novices, Fr Permasse and, in the scholasticate Fathers Craviotti, Rodriguez, Cerutti and Camy, among others.
He was ordained in 1962, “the year of the Council” as was inscribed on his ordination card.  He had been trained in traditional theology, but he willingly accepted, absorbed and handed on the new currents in Christology, Ecclesiology, in Pastoral and the Theology of Religious Life.  Fr Martin’s usual expressions included “evangelisation and kerygmatic catechism”, “the Paschal mystery of Christ”, “the Church is the living Body of Christ today in history,” “the sacrament of marriage is the ‘we’ of love”.  While absorbing everything from Vatican II, Martin succeeded in preserving his love for the interior life which came from his traditional formation.
He felt all the tensions in the wake of the Council: Medellin, Puebla. A few misunderstandings led him to withdraw for a time from Betharram to be parish priest at La Paz (Province Entre Rios) in the diocese of Concordia.  Here he continued to work with the same pastoral and spiritual zeal.  It was given to Fr Etcheverria to fetch him and bring him back to the community at the San Jose d’Asuncion College.  There were no hard feelings and a large dose of humility.  In the San Jose parish he fell in love with the Neo-catechumenal movement; he used to visit the sick and tried to associate the laity with the life of the parish.  
Martin had a great love of life and for his religious and priestly vocation.  He had the soul of a missionary.  He took his role as Master of Novices very seriously and aimed at working the interior life.  He judged the Spiritual Exercises to be an excellent means for meeting with Jesus Christ and for discernment.  Many young Betharramites, formed at Adrogue, will always remember his counsels, his booklets and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
He was parish priest at Martin Coronado.  There too he applied himself to his task with passion.  He relaunched the Pastoral Centre for the Family in the parish.  All will remember his homilies and for the rousing feast days in the sector: “Our Mother, the Virgin of Betharram, is on an outing today to go through the streets of Martin Coronado”.  They will also remember his zeal as he tried to revive the new Evangelisation in the parish.  Such was his zeal that he would work himself into a state because not everyone understood his projects.  There were sometimes consequences for his health and this would cause him great sufferings.
He had a very clear idea of his vocation as a consecrated soul and of his Betharramite identity.  He held St Michael Garicoits in very high esteem.  He knew in depth the charism left us by the Saint; he often read and reflected on his writings and used to say that “...by an intuition which projected him into the future, he had discovered the very essence of the Gospel”.
As a witness there is his “Kerygmatic Composition on the charism as key to the New Evangelisation” and the “Hojitas de espiritualidad”, a note book which he edited during 10 years, as a service for the laity, in whose vocation he firmly believed.  But he wanted the laity not in the pulpit nor in the sacristy but there where life had placed them and in the experience of the sacrament of marriage.
We must remember Martin’s fascination with contemplation – in the face to face with Jesus Christ risen from the dead, and whom he had known, loved, followed and preached.  In the depths of his heart he repeated what he often said in psalm 145 (144). The Lord is true in all he says, and faithful in all his doings.  He replies to the desires of those who fear him, he saves them.  The Lord will keep all those who love him, but the wicked he will destroy.  May my lips proclaim the praises of the Lord!  His most holy name, may all mankind bless him forever and ever. Amen! (123, 19, 20, 21).

Gustavo Agín & Gaspar Fernández Pérez, SCJ