The 11 Vicariates of the Congregation (11)

Its roots

After a 7 or 8 year stay in France and particularly in Anglet, where they were guided by the Betharram Fathers, 9 Indians became Servants of Mary and went back to their country.

In 1982, they asked Fr Gaston Hialé scj to preach their retreat in February 1983 while he was on his way to Thailand to visit the Betharram missionaries.

The Superior General of the Servants of Mary paid a visit during the retreat: they spoke about their future in India and they brought up the idea of establishing Betharram in India while committing themselves to help in this project.

The proposal of the Sisters was submitted to the members of the General Chapter of 1987, at the request of the Rev Fr Pierre Grech.

“The outgoing General Council informed us that, under the request of two religious women Congregations working in India, some contacts have been established with the Church of this country about the possibility of accepting Indian religious in the Congregation of Betharram. This is not a way to look for vocations, but to help some young people of this country to discover the Betharramite Religious Life and to become missionaries in their own land. This initiative is a spiritual and financial commitment for us. The whole General Chapter asks us to carry on the contacts for that purpose.”

The betharramite adventure in India starts with this short note written in the XXII General Chapter Acts of 1987. The presence of Betharram in the Indian subcontinent dates back to 1870 when Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified went to Mangalore in order to found a Carmel. In the early eighties the Servantes de Marie of Anglet, and other religious women congregations, have the idea to invite Fr. Gaston Hialé to hold some refresher courses and retreats. As well as the name “Betharram”, even the St Michael spirituality widespread along the country. Some young Indians take an interest in the congregation and ask to become Betharramite religious. The General Council proposal to the chapter of 1987 starts from the above mentioned note.

The new General Council immediately starts working how to launch the project. The Fathers Vincent Landel, now archbishop of Rabat, and Mirco Trusgnach are appointed coordinators and leaders of this new work. In the following years they fly over the seas several times, the first time in April 1988, in order to keep contacts with the sisters, bishops, local clergy and with the aspirant Betharramites. Everything has to be built: relationships , solutions , choices , credit-line , houses, ... The first young arrive, Xavier, Britto, Biju Paul, ... the Betharram pillars in India. From the beginning the whole Congregation is involved: Xavier studies in England, while Britto and Biju Paul make their novitiate in Italy.

But in order to make young people missionaries in their own homeland the congregation needs a house of formation in India. After some considerations, the choice falls on the town of Bangalore in the Indian state of Karnataka. This place becomes the first betharramite residence, called Shobhana Shaaka, indian name of Beautiful Branch. It was opened on 1 September 1995, a week after the ordination of Xavier, first Indian Betharramite, who died tragically in a car accident in 2006. The first community is made up of father Enrico Frigerio, Brother Michael Richards, the first Indian professed Britto and Biju Paul and the first postulants. In the following years Brother Gerard Sutherland, Father Joseph Mirande and Father Xavier Ponthokkan join the community. Four years later, a new residence, Maria Kripa, is opened in the town of Mangalore, to welcome the young aspirants and postulants. The house of Bangalore becomes the residence for young professed, whose number is growing every year: in 2005, ten years after the founding of Betharram in India, the young professed Betharramites are already 45.

2007 is an important year for the young “Indian Betharram” : in November Bangalore is chosen as the seat of the Council of Congregation, and the Vicariate of India is established with a own Superior vicar, Father Biju Paul Alappat. The Indian mission is now a young but well-established fact.

Roberto Cornara

Its Present and its Future... with Father Biju Paul Alappat scj, Regional Vicar

Emerging Betharram in Incredible India
India is the land of surprises and diversities, richness in culture, population and natural resources. It is the Mother of world religions, art, music and the land of largest democracy. Geographically India can be called as a continent rather than a country. But I prefer to call India as “the rich country of poor people.” Because it is in this midst of richness and contradictions, Betharram has relevance and mission among the people in this land of mysticism.

Emerging Betharram
Indian foundation of Betharram was concretely made with the opening of the first formation house “Shobhana Shaakha” at Bangalore on September 4, 1995. The primary mission of Betharram at that stage was to lay down a solid foundation moulding future Indian missionaries at the service of the Church and society under the leadership of Frs. Enrico,Jose Mirand, Xavier Ponthokkan and Brothers Michael and Gerard followed by other missionaries from Europe and Thailand. The Betharram mission in formation became a unique place for many young men from various cultures and regions of India to experience the charism of St. Michael and inspired them to dedicate their lives for God and society as consecrated persons. Betharram has grown in its mission of forming future missionaries with our own two well established formation houses at Bangalore (Shobhana Shaakha) and Mangalore (Maria Kripa). Besides there is a Regional Novitiate House- “Michael Bhavan” for the formation of the students from the Blessed Miriam Region at Bangalore. By the grace of God and selfless service and sacrifice of missionaries, Betharram in India has succeeded to offer 21 Indian priests at the service of the Church and 36 brothers are in various stages of their religious priestly formation.

Betharram at Transition
Indian Betharramite mission is going through a process of evolving and transition mainly in the areas of animation, mission and community life. In this process the Indian Vicariate has become the part of Blessed Miriam Region that also includes England and Thailand under the leadership of the Regional Superior Rev. Fr. Austin Hughes. The Sacred Heart Vicariate of India is at the service of the Church under the animation of the Regional Vicar Fr. Biju Paul and the counsellors. In the field of mission there is a movement from formation to pastoral and social ministries. Besides two formation communities there are six parish centres serving both the Latin and Oriental Christians in South (Karnataka) and North East (Assam and Arunachal Pradesh) of India under the care of Betharram. There are two Children Care Homes namely Fr. Xavier Children Home (Bangalore) and St. Michael Children Home (Mangalore) in Karnataka for the destitute and orphan children and an education centre of diocese – Don Bosco School in Assam under our care at the service of the society. Collaborative mission of India, Thailand and England is a growing reality at present in formation and pastoral mission. From the ‘communities of formation’ to the ‘communities of mission’ is also an emerging reality of the Vicariate.

Vision: Formation with Mission
Mission of Betharram at present is to offer Spirit filled, simple and resourceful missionaries and communities capable to meet the challenges and needs of the Church and society. It is not enough to form a “minimum religious priest” who cannot be a blessing to the society. In founding our religious family, St. Michael saw religious life as a way to holiness and way to mould heroes of faith in the Church and society for renewal. We hope that India will be a youthful branch of Betharram with 30 Indian priests in five years to bring evangelization and Good News in all the areas of the society. Therefore growth in personal holiness and care for the members through integral formation is one of the present priorities of the vicariate. Availability of well prepared formators, education in secular and frontline ministries and supportive system to nurture young vocations are the needs of the time faced by us.

Another area of our focus is in common mission project of Congregation; affiliation and preferential option for the poor- see the face of Jesus in the poor, love and care for them is our style of service. Through our social foundation “SMART” and Children Care Homes we are sharing this message in the society. Secondly we give attention to the service to the families through family centred approach in mission in our family apostolate, renewal programmes and faith formation. The development of lay association our pastoral centres is one of the examples for this ministry. Finally our focus also in participation in universal mission of the Church and Congregation: we give always priority to reach out the places of mission needs in India and abroad where others are unavailable, thus empowering Church and the society through the ministries of the time. Our places of mission in India are the concrete examples of the choice of ‘venturing pioneering roles’ in the society. All our members are serving not only in India but also in England and France as a witness of our mission choice.

The presence of mission centres and institutions are the needs of the time in India to dialogue with people of various cultures, religions and races. Through our Vicariate Website and Vicariate News letter -“SMILE” we have made small progress to bring this mission awareness among the people and religious in our society. In this process of transition, we are grateful to so many invisible hands and generous hearts in accompanying and supporting us faithfully. We remember with gratitude Vicariates of England and Thailand for their solid support and collaborations and all the members of our Betharram family. Following the spirit of Pope Francis, let us see the world with the eyes of Jesus, love with the heart of Jesus, serve with the hands of Jesus and be humble instruments of God to “AWAKE THE WORLD” – “Always Forward” in the footsteps of St. Michael.