In memoriam...

Brother Bertrand Belhartz scj

Chéraute (France), 14 february 1920 - Bétharram, 24 January 2014

One day in September 1940 four young religious were standing on the altar steps ready to go and carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ to China, the Province of Yunan – two were from the Bearn: Fathers Pedabideau and Bignolles, one from the Languedoc, Father Sableyrolles, and one from the Basque Country, Brother Bethan Belharx.

It was the Farewell ceremony: a simple rite but moving and a trifle sad; they were bidding farewell to Betharram, to their family, to their homeland. They had a one way ticket by boat but no return ticket. They had placed their lives in God’s hands.

Facing them in the nave of the Sanctuary were the students from the apostolic college, the scholastics from the Major Seminary at Floirac, Fathers, their parents and friends.

Vespers had been sung and the opening lines of the parting Song: “Depart, cheerful messengers of light, go and win the Yunan for the Lord; go, joyful children of St Michael!” During this song began the silent and moving procession, the procession of the kiss; all those present in the church came forward to kiss the feet of the young missionaries. It was a sign of sending and a share in the Mission.

On 18 September Bethan Belharx with his brother missionaries boarded the “Chantilly”. The trip was to last 50 days, but finally they landed; they were in China. But the hardest was yet to come: learn the language; accept the customs; live like the locals; eat with chopsticks; never forget the knife.

The first missionaries who had arrived 20 years earlier had already founded the church in Tali, the first bishop, Mgr Lacoste, the first Betharramite bishop, had some great projects in mind: build a house for the Daughters of the Cross, open a dispensary and a school. He wrote: “for such huge undertakings Brother Bertrand’s multiple skills will be very useful for me.” Bethan loved to build and create; in this way his Mission allowed him to be in contact with countless Chinese craftsmen.

Father Dutton who had already spent many years in the Yunan wrote: “the most important job to be done here is the care of the body; perhaps afterwards it might be possible to reach the souls; I nurse the sick, I catch the ailment, afterwards I know what it’s all about so I can care for the ailment in others. Mgr Lacoste will not have the time to finish all his projects. The revolutionary Mao Tse Toung, the new boss in China, cannot bear the presence of foreign religious. A few missionaries were arrested and thrown into prison. Others will move to Thailand or will return to their respective countries. This was the case for Br. Bethan. It was the end of the Betharramite Mission to China. However we know that the church in Tali is still alive; the foundations must have been solid.

A Chinese priest is carrying on the work of the Missionaries from Betharram.

The Brother continued building and creating; in a shed he had installed a modern carpenter’s shop , with all the most up to date machines and which allowed him to make doors, windows, cupboards and more complicated objects, for example the altar in our chapel and the panel in sculptured wood above the altar. If somebody asked him if he had trained in a woodwork school he would reply “not in a school; I am self taught”. He had learned everything by himself.

With him our last missionary in China disappears and with him our last carpenter!

Let us ask Bethan to pray with us for the Church in China which is still going through tough times. May the Lord, the Carpenter of Nazareth, welcome our little carpenter into his workshop!

Firmin Bourguinat, scj