Life of the Congregation (2)

P. Stervin Fr Stervin Selvadass, a betharramite from India, is at present a member of the community in Pau, France. After a few years of experience, he is like an actor who goes to the other side of the TV camera: after participating in the 2009 session as a candidate to final profession, Fr Stervin is once again following Saint Michael Garicoits’ steps as a spiritual guide for his younger brothers. A second pilgrimage for him with a little more responsibility...

“Let the magnificat be your favourite canticle and the expression of your feelings says our father St. Michael Garicoïts”. Yes, of course, this proposed sentiments of St. Michael Garicoïts becomes a reality for me in having participated in this international session 2014. This year is really a blessed and grace-filled year for all the Betharramites to seek the powerful intercession on his 150 birth year in heaven in order to be more rooted in the Charism and the Spirituality of our founder St. Michael Garicoïts. But It was indeed a auspicious moment and a double joy for me to celebrate the anniversary of fifteen years of my religious profession and five years of priestly ordination. Therefore, this God- given opportunity simply lead me to thank God, our founder and to renew my consecration. I assure you that each conference that I participated, every pilgrimage and visit that I walked, every testimony of our fathers and brothers in France and Spain that I saw by my own naked eyes and the aspects of internationality in the presence of all the brothers indeed nourished my Betharramite vocation and supported me once more to walk in the footsteps of our father St. Michael.

Yes, the quietness of Betharram, the simplicity of Ibarre, the passionate love of the Anghelu family for St. Michael, the courageous conversions of Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier and the Living witnesses of the different people whom I met through their conferences, testimonies and so on, in a way, enabled me, as a formator, to enter into the heart of my original love, fervour and enthusiasm ( Pope Francis calls it ‘return to Galilee’) for God and to the family of Betharram and renewing it with a daily personal conversion. For me, this daily personal conversion became possible with the cooperation of my brothers in the community. Yes, I, in fact, witnessed a greater enthusiasm among this bunch of 10 brothers. They had come with every theoretical knowledge regarding Betharram and the Spirituality and the Charism of St. Michael Garicoïts like me once. I personally saw the spark of joy in their eyes as they could touch the reality ; as they could verify their knowledge ; as they confirmed their hear-say and as they shared their experience with one another. Their deep rooted commitment, availabity and creativity for prayers and everyday readings of the letters of St. Michael according to the theme of the day, their ever fresh enthusiasm to discover all that concerning St. Michael, venerable Fr. Etchécopar and Blessed Miriam ; their real interest in knowing well the New Revised Rule of Life ; their ever readiness to share all that they have ; the acceptance of their own limitations ; their openness to exploit the modern communication in order to overcome even the language barrier to certain extend ( usage of google translator) and the spirit of searching the newness from different vicariates and regions - these all helped me to go ahead from my “me” to “us” ; and from my “mine” to “ours”. It means that it is this community which helps to realise this daily personal conversion which , in one hand, I could live and transmit to the youngsters through the accompaniment as a formator and on the other hand, the youngsters could see my joyful living witness as a formator which is the fruits of my personal daily conversion.

2014 session group with part of the animation team

It is nothing but to say again and again ‘Here I am’ to the will of God every day, every moment. That is why I believe St. Michael says “Use all your enthusiasm within the confines of your duties ; just to occupy yourselves with doing them well ; so fulfilling the will of God, repeat the words : Do what God wants, how God wants it and become as he wants it “. I am sure that the youngsters are convinced from their lived experience in and around Betharram that “ Betharram exists within the Church - not to preach in the parishes, not to teach in the schools, nor to leave for the missions - rather they came about in the Church because a Basque Priest Michael Garicoïts was upset by a ‘certain face of God’” (Jean Mateo). I am sure also that Fr. Bacho, Fr. Mauro and the brothers will agree with me if I say that we have together rediscovered this “Certain Face of God during these forty days of our experience”. It makes me to affirm that Betharram with its spirituality and Charism of St. Michael Garicoïts will ever remain Simple, Holy, Hope-Giving and Relevant for Today and Forever.

Stervin Selvadass, scj