Contents

• A word from the Superior General
• Father Etchécopar wrote...
• Temps dangereux
• 5 mn with Fr. Mongkhon Chaorentham
• In memoriam: P. Nicolas Ayerza
  
• In memoriam: P. Lino Illini
  
• The extraordinary life of Sister Marie (8)

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A word of the Superior General

JESUS, HUMBLE AND OBEDIENT

This work of St Michael was often referred to as the Founder’s Manifesto. In 2011 the new Rule of Life refers to it as the texte fondateur. It can be found in the Cachica Notebooks as the Preface to the 1838 Constitutions. It contains the belief that the Betharramite priests must adopt the Constitutions of the Jesuits. It is in this text that our Father Saint Michael Garicoits set down an account of his charismatic experience.
Our founder expresses two major preoccupations: mankind is like ice where God is concerned and very few priests know how to obey. These are two problems of post revolutionary society and the Church. In the mind of St Michael the French Revolution started the processus of dechristianisation which keeps men away from God. Besides, liberalism has sown the seeds of confusion and division among priests, many of whom are in opposition to their bishops. The answer to these two conditions is to be found in Jesus humble and obedient.
By drawing on the hymn in Philippians 2, 6-11, St Michael contemplates an incredible sight, focused on the person, or on the heart of Jesus humble and  obedient. Jesus is the only Son of God, shaped by the love which is the life of the Trinity. He is led by his Father’s Spirit, who sends him to reveal to mankind that he is love, and that he loves us even if we conduct ourselves like his enemies. For he wants to lead us on the paths of love so that we love him as he loves us.
The objective is reached by the Incarnation: the Son of God has become flesh. The Incarnation embraces the whole human life of Jesus, Son of God, from the moment of his virginal conception to the moment of his death, and his death on the cross. The humanity of Jesus is displayed in a unique offering, the offering of his life in a missionary dynamic, rather like a race or a long jump (cf DS 43)  This unique offering finds its expression in the Here I am of his conception; it is displayed throughout the whole of  his life, and reaches its summit on the cross.  And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his Body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.  (Hebrews 10,10)
Jesus humiliated before God. God everything, me nothing! Empty of himself, reduced to nothing, not to be noticed, taking no pleasure in his divine state, renouncing the privileges linked to his divinity, even though he is God he chooses to become man, which is obviously a come down; he becomes servant; he even becomes a victim covered with the shame and humiliations which men often keep for the best of them because their method of thinking and acting, however noble and different they may be, disturbs them. From the moment of the Incarnation, the humiliation makes him one with all those men and women who are humiliated. In this way he takes position with the victims, the downtrodden and maintains this position of victim for the rest of his life.
Jesus obedient, doing nothing of his own free will, always acting under the movement of the Spirit of God,  submits himself to all the projects which his Father has for him:  your will, not mine be done (Luke 22,42). From the first moment of the Incarnation and all along through his life he would exclaim: My God, here I am. I come to do your will. (Hebrews 10,7) At the foundations of his obedience there is communion which identifies him with the Father. This appeared in broad day light when he gave himself up on the cross where, for love of his Father and mankind, he accepted that the failure of his own projects should bring forth his Father’s plan of love.
Contemplating Jesus humble and obedient is the foundation and strength of his life for Fr Garicoits and for all Betharramites be they religious or laity. Jesus humble and obedient is our life. As religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus we are convinced that God the Father is offering us Jesus humble and obedient to be the model and means of practising the love of God and of the brethren.
Humility and obedience are attitudes of the Heart of Jesus which all Betharramites admire and love best. And since they love Him they want to imitate Him. It’s a programme of interiority aiming at making us more like Christ by being humble and obedient just like Him. By being humble and obedient like Jesus gives meaning to life and is a source of joy and happiness for all Betharramites. This is why St Michael Garicoits and all his disciples felt the urge to consecrate their lives to the Lord by the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Consequently the life of every Betharramite bears a living and joyful witness to Jesus humble and obedient for all to see.
The priests of Betharram want to fulfil their mission with the same enthusiasm and passion. It is not enough for them to have found the treasure which is Jesus humble and obedient as well as the joy and passion with which it has filled their lives. They want to commit themselves with all their strength and power so that the whole of mankind will find this treasure, change their way of life and so find joy and happiness. It is the same happiness as that of Jesus humble and obedient, the same joy as that of St Michael Garicoits and the Priests of Betharram; it is that same joy which is within the reach of all men on condition that they meet missionaries who will help them to know, love and follow Jesus humble and obedient.
St Michael Garicoits offers us Mary, our Mother who watches over us, united to the mystery of Jesus humble and obedient: she was always ready for whatever God wanted of her (obedient) and always submitted to whatever God was doing (humble). It is worth noticing that the patron saints suggested for the Congregation by St Michael Garicoits are St Michael the Archangel (whose name he bore) and St Ignatius Loyola who inspired him by the Spiritual Exercises and the Constitutions in the organisation of the Congregation.

Gaspar Fernandez,SCJ

Father Etchécopar wrote...

to Fr. P. Jean Magendie, 18th June 1893

The Cross must always be planted in the fertile soil of the Congregation, sometimes in one spot, sometimes at another so that the life giving sap may flow in all parts of the works and spread God’s life and fruits which are everlasting.
“I chose this Cross and I have planted it here and now, so that you may produce good fruits and that your fruits may last” (Cf. John 15,16).
Without the Cross you will only harvest a lot of smoke, a lot of noise,  and a lot of wind.  The souls in heaven are the fruits of the Cross.
In a word, we are suffering but not discouraged; we are complaining  but are full of trust; joyful in the hope and fully convinced that God will draw good from our trials; that Satan, wondering at the good which is being wrought in the Congregation, will be driven back thanks to the humility, patience and love for the Heart of Jesus.

Testimony

DANGEROUS TIMES

Fr. Thomas Kelly scj celebrated his Golden Jubilee of priesthood at Droitwich on July 1st 2011, feast of the sacred heart, and among his family present was his elder brother Fr. Peter Kelly aged 88. Although I had never met Fr. Peter before I had heard much about him over the years. Peter used to be a priest of Betharram but left the Congregation for incardination into the Cardiff Diocese in 1958, where he has been ever since. In the course of the evening he told me the story of his ordination in Jerusalem in 1947.

He and fellow student Sauveur Londhaitzbehere were due to be ordained by the Patriarch on August 15, but the Patriarch was ill and told them that the Papal Nuncio in Cairo would ordain them instead. However the Nuncio was unable to travel from Cairo due to the unstable political situation and the patriarch reluctantly agreed to ordain them at 5.00 am in his private chapel in Jerusalem. On the 15th. So two students and Fr. Duvignau set out from Bethlehem at 2.00 am in a taxi for Jerusalem.
However this was in the last months of the British Mandate and a British Army patrol stopped them at a checkpoint by Mar Elias monastery. The nervous young soldier shouted at them: “don’t you know there is a curfew? We have orders to shoot anyone on sight. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” Peter explained that they were religious on their way to their ordination, and then had to explain to the puzzled young soldier the meaning of the words religious and ordination.  His angry captain then arrived and said that various bands of Jews and Arabs had been shooting during the night and that he was under orders to execute anyone breaking the curfew”.
While the three religious were held a gunpoint the taxi driver took fright and fled back to Bethlehem, leaving them stranded. When the soldiers released them and the three turned to walk on to Jerusalem, the soldiers said; “Be careful, our patrols have shot three people tonight already!”
Arriving at the Patriarchate a little late at 5.30 am, the doorkeeper tried to turn them away telling them that they were too late. But Fr. Duvignau said to the doorkeeper: “Tell the patriarch that if he does not ordain them today, he will have to find seven new professors for Beit Jala Seminary on Monday morning.“ The doorkeeper duly passed on the message and the Patriarch came down and ordained the two in his small private chapel. The ceremony was over very quickly and by 6.30 all three were on their way back to Bethlehem, without any fuss. Peter always told people in later years that he was only ordained because his superior blackmailed the bishop!

Austin Hughes,SCJ

5 min. with...

Father Mongkhin Chaorentham

In the first semester 2011, after years spent as a formator, Fr Mongkhon Chaorentham, young Thai betharramite, went to give a helping hand to the scj communities in England, that were still mourning Fr Colin’s death, occurred on December 1st  2010.  
We asked Fr Mongkhon how, being 10.000 kms away from his native country,   he could cope with his new    mission field.

Nef: How did you feel when the superiors asked you to go to England for sometime? 
- When my superior asked me to go to help in England for sometime I felt not so good because I had just been in charge of Garicoits house for a year. I felt that I may not be good enough to be a formator so the superior asked me to change; I accepted the decision and I was ready to go. I did not make any question, but I reflected about my work in the formation because after the ordination I had always been in the formation; I knew how difficult it was. Indeed I would have liked to work in the parish for sometime and I would have liked to have some experience in the parish. So I felt that could have been a good experience but I never thought that would be in England. I consider this decision as God’s plan.
First I was worried about the language because I had not many opportunities to speak English in Thailand, and I did not know the people and the culture. I prayed that everything would go well and I put everything in God’s hands.

How were you welcomed by the parishioners, shocked by the untimely death of their Parish Priest, Fr Colin Fortune, last December?
- In the beginning I stayed at the Olton Friary and the parishioners were very welcoming and very kind towards me. I was lucky to know already Fr Austin, Fr. Dominic, Fr. Anton, Br. Gerard, three deacons* from India and also Bruce and Brede who come to Thailand every year to teach English to our postulants. So I felt at home. At the same time the parishioners came to talk with me very friendly and with respect. Sometimes I went to say mass at Great Barr alternately with Fr. Austin. After that I stayed fully in Holy Name parish, where our parishioners were very nice and friendly and took care of me very well. They were very good in organizing the parish. Also in the three schools where I used to go to say mass they were very good to me. I can say that we had a good team work, and that we are well organized in the parish.

Did your ministry in Great Barr help you to enrich your experience as religious-priest of Bétharram?
I can say that it was a great experience for me as a religious-priest of Betharram and it enriched my life and my ministry. In the beginning I used just to say a mass and I was not involved much in the parish. I was fully involved during Lenten season, I went to visit different houses, communion services, anointing of the sick in the hospital, visiting the elders; in  all of this I was helped by Deacon Terry. Br. Gerard, Br. John, Tina, Bernades and Angela would arrange my ministry time table in the parish so I was very happy with them; it was easy and pleasant to cooperate with them. In Great Barr I found that the parishioners needed the priest, needed God, needed advice and especially about spiritual life and problem in different ways. During Lenten season there were many people coming for confession because we had visited them before. They enriched my spiritual life through the participation in the liturgy. I can say that we shared our culture and enriched each other; I could share their culture with the Christian in Thailand and at the same time I shared my culture with them such as the way of life, the tradition in communication, respect each other, care for each other, cooperation in the parish and catholic faith.

In your formation process, you spent a few years in India. You had then had already some experience of living abroad?
- I confess that in the beginning I refused to go to India. After I completed my studies overthere I was more open in understanding others and myself. I found that language is important and made me more confident for the mission. My experience in India made me strong both spiritually and physically because I felt the fraternity of our members in a different country and this helped me to be ready to go anywhere according to the need of the congregation and my capacity which God has given me. My experience in India certainly enabled me to manage the mission at Great Barr parish with the help of our brothers and fathers in England. However I need more study, language, experience so that I may better communicate to the people.

Thailand, India, England:  you are one of the few who could live for a certain period in the three Vicariates of the Blessed Miriam Region. What do you think of this structure of the Congregation?
- My personal opinion: to help each other, share the members, exchange the members it is a great idea and I found that it is more positive and useful though not everything. To experience a different country makes our mind more open towards the others, it helps to know each other and know the difficulty in each country. I also felt that we take a greater care for each other. Each country has its beauty, its wonderful culture: if we know each other we will love more each other and God. Yet, the present structure of our congregation will be improved if we take time to communicate, work hard and discuss everything. But in everything we have to trust in God’s providence and take initiative.

A last word for your younger brothers of the Blessed Miriam Region…
- I would like to convey my word to my younger brothers: trust in God’s providence, study hard, emphasize on the language, cultivate knowledge, read Bétharram news, NEF, that we will know more each other; but we have to take initiative from ourselves first, open our hearts our minds, accept the differences of each other. Finally, we are the same congregation, we have the same charism: even if we are different nations or languages, we are one in Christ. So take courage, work together for our congregation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and through the intercession of Our Lady of Bétharram, St. Michael Garicoïts and be ready to go out and  proclaim the good news to the poor. Here I am, I come to do your will. May God bless you.

In memoriam

FATHER NICOLSA AYERZA

Laurgain 29 october 1924 - Pau 9 july 2011.

It has pleased God to call Nicolas to Himself. We had spent almost 80 years together.  We met for the first time at the Junior Seminary at Mendelu in 1936; he was eleven years of age and I was ten.
From then onwards we progressed together from Betharram and throughout the world: Mendelu (six years), Balarin (three years), Bethleham (three years), Bel Sito (one year),Mendelu (two years), America (ten years),Azpeitia (nine years), Mendelu (35 years). And today he is with God, whereas we are still on our way to join him!
Now the best we can do is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus our Lord, our Master, our elder brother, the universal brother.  Just now we have heard Peter drawing the portrait of Jesus: “Jesus of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, who passed doing good, curing all those possessed of demons because God was with him.”
Well, despite the weaknesses, the errors and all the misery which no one here below escapes, it must be said that Nicolas too spent his life doing good: as educator in the schools in America, in Azpeita, in Mendelu or in the different pastoral duties and chaplaincies, or in the different Sunday services in country shrines.
As a matter of fact, if it is relatively easy to be nice to those around us, it is more difficult and problematic when dealing with people on the margins of society. I would  like to stress the fact that Nicolas had feelings for the lonely, the homeless, and tramps... To the extent that occasionally he had to be encouraged to be more prudent in such a difficult ministry.
So the best homage we can pay to our Brother Nicolas is to share with those around us the best gifts received from God.
And when our time arrives may we hear these words which our Brother Nicolas has already heard: “Let not your heart be troubled nor let it be afraid;  you believe in God, believe also in  me.  I want to prepare a place for you so that you will always be with me.”

José Gogorza,SCJ

In memoriam

FATHER LINO ILLINI

Isolaccia 28 october 1916 - Passa Quatro 20 july 2011.

Father Lino Illini was born in Isolaccia in northern Italy (Province of Sondrio).  After First Profession in 1936, he left for the Holy Land to pursue his studies: Philosophy in Nazareth on Galilee and Theology in Bethlehem of Judea.  Meanwhile war which had broken out didn’t spare him many trials; he even spent some time in an internment camp in Palestine.  His ordination and First Mass also took place in the Holy Land.
In 1948 the young priest crossed the Atlantic to reply “Here I am” to an appeal from Brazil.  There he joined a group of Betharramite missionaries among whom was his fellow countryman Fr Francisco Dante Angeleti and who was there to greet him when he disembarked at Rio de Janeiro.  As soon as he arrived Fr Lino was appointed to the St Michael College in Passa Quarto, mother-house of Betharram in Brazil.  At the same time at Conceicao de Rio Verde, in the Minas state, there was St Joseph’s college, a primary boarding and day school, under the care of the Betharramite Fathers Edward Mieyaa, Domingo Rodriguez and Francis Darley,
The school remained open until 1951, the year when I entered as an aspirant.  In 1952 the apostolicat was moved from Passa Quarto to Conceicao together with all the staff:  Fathers Henrique Lasuen (head), Lino Illini, Emmanuel Calvarin etc.

Paulo V. Campos,SCJ

8. THE BETHARRAMITE CHAPLAINCY IN BETHLEHEM 

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Sr Marie, who in July 1877 had received help from Fr Chirou, scj for the chaplaincy and also for the building, wasn’t satisfied with only him. According to the information she received from Heaven, she wanted a community of Betharramites. She put the request to the Patriarch Bracco, who knowing the strict monopoly of the Franciscans in the Holy Land, refused. She then wrote to the Propaganda Fide. The Cardinal took seven months to send her a refusal for the same reason as the Patriarch: such a project must be abandoned! But convinced of the will of heaven on the matter Sr Marie wrote to the Pope, now Leo XIII who passed the letter on to the Propaganda. The refusal arrived after the Sister’s death on the 26th August. Before her death Sr Marie had written to her friend Berthe, asking her to go herself and plead their cause with the Pope. She used to say to Fr Chirou: “It has been decreed in Heaven, it will be done on Earth.”
In October Fr Estrate and Mlle Berthe arrived in Bethlehem to fetch Sr Marie’s heart which was to be sent to the Carmel in Pau. On their way back they passed via Rome and Berthe got an audience with Leo XIII, to whom she exposed Sr Marie’s request, adding that she would undertake all the expenses of the longed for community. The Pope was convinced... As a conclusion, an official receipt of acceptation arrived in Betharram at the end of December 1878.
After this success of heavenly origin, V. R. Fr Etchecopar’s General Council named Fr Chirou first Superior of the future community consisting of Frs Estrate and Abbadie and Brother Hilaire. They arrived in Bethlehem 31st March 1879, eve of Pentecost. Once more Sr Marie had won her cause.
On her orders and the orders of Mlle Berthe, arrangements were made to buy the hill next to Carmel and they asked Captain Guillemot, recommended by the Consul, for the plans of the residence. Fr Chirou found them too extravagant; he complained about them to Sr Marie, whom he was meeting all the time on the Carmel building site. Sr Marie told him to be quiet adding a prophecy: “Let it be! You’ll see that there will be crowds flocking here from Betharram”. The prophecy began to be realised in 1890, with the opening of the scholasticate; it continued to develop in 1903 with the arrival of the Novitiate and the Fathers expelled from France, and better still between 1922 and 1948.

The Cause of Beatification
All who had come into contact with Sr Marie during her lifetime were unanimous in saying how saintly she was, starting from the very positive and prudent Mgr Lacroix, Bishop of Bayonne. As a matter of fact he provided many elements for the instruction of this cause by telling the Carmelites to commit faithfully to writing the actions and sayings of Sr Marie.
The first World War delayed the launching of the Cause. The promoter was Fr Denis Buzy from Betharram; he was immediately approved and seconded by Mgr Barlassina, Patiarch of Jerusalem from 1920 to 1947.  In 1922 and 1926 Fr Buzy published his Life of Sr Marie which he had planned in view of the Cause and stressing especially her virtues. The Proceedings for information, of which he was the principal actor, opened in Jerusalem 9th April 1919. 76 witnesses were called, of whom 31 had known the Servant of God. The Proceedings ended 20th April 1922 with the recognition of the Sister’s remains. Fr Buzy had also published Les Pensees in 1922. The important quantity of copy books in which the Carmelites had entered the actions and sayings of Sr Marie, at the Bishop’s orders, were handed over to Rome on the 19th November 1930, where they were found to be without reproach.

Pierre Médebielle,SCJ
Jérusalem (1983, pp. 201-239)