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You are here:Home / Family News / NEF 2014 / Family News - 2014 March 14th / In memoriam...
Mar 14, 2014

In memoriam...

Father Enrique Miranda scj

Father Enrique Miranda scj - Buenos Aires (Argentina), 8 October 1956 - Buenos Aires, 21 February 2014

Homily for the Funeral Mass for Father Enrique Miranda. Sacred Heart Basilica – Barracas, 21 February 2014

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

We are assembled here this evening to greet the memory of a friend, son, brother, the Betharramite priest who has left us. Christ’s Pascal mystery has entered Enrique’s life and challenges our faith in the Resurrection of Christ which is comforting us in this moment of trial.

In this basilica filled to capacity with his brothers words seem vain especially when you want briefly to describe the person who has just left us. Presence, we know, is more powerful than words and here today we have the good fruits of a good tree. But the Word of God enlightens us and gives real meaning to what the pain find hard to accept.

In the first text we have heard: “For we know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting house not made by human hands, in the heavens.” (2 Cor 5, 1)

Listening to them I thought of your talent for everything concrete and manual. I also thought of the energy you employed for the upkeep of our big houses, of those buildings of which you, Enrique, took such great care. Not only ordinary upkeep but important works, for example the stain glass windows, the roofing, and all kinds of installations. Today all we can say is that the House has been built and that God Himself is the builder. You need worry no more about what used to keep you awake at night. The Lord is welcoming you with love into his House.

Psalm 22 reminds us that as Pastor you have been able to win the affection of many people by creating love around yourself. There are those who were your friends, but I want to remember the friendship you enjoyed as a result of your happiness and dynamism. Your advice was always welcome and well followed. There was the love you had for children and young people many of whom are today married couples, consecrated religious. Your friendship was built on the friendship of Jesus, the Special Friend. What you offered us as pleasant sayings were fascinating for many: Jesus the Way, the Truth and the Life. Your conduct as Pastor has been good for the Church, Enrique! Especially for Betharram! Like many Betharramites you have left a track which many are taking in their pilgrimage towards Christ where you are waiting for us today.

His mother, Pochi, is here with us; she was proud of her son Enrique, the priest. Today I want to tell her, with all those here assembled, to continue to be proud of her son, for through the mercy of God we can see in him an intercessor who with Our Lady of Betharram, St Michael Garicoits and Father Etchecopar will help us to make the best of the life before us. From Heaven, where Mary is our Guide, the voice of the Good Shepherd will lead us.

Then remains the icon of Bethany (John 11, 17-27), the place of hospitality and friendship, but also the Passion endured with illness. We remember all the care bestowed on Enrique by his brothers who accompanied him closely, just like Martha and Mary with their brother Lazarus. It would be unfair to forget anybody but here I want to mention Brother Gustavo Angarola, Gabriela Vazquez, his brothers and family, Alfredo Crespo and the Betharramite Fathers who helped him to accept God’s Will on this final stretch of road towards heaven. By being abandoned into the hands of God there is certainty of God’s love and the Resurrection.

Dear brothers, today the Lord is asking us to make this offering: saying farewell to someone we can never forget. His quick steps in the corridors, his bunch of keys dangling in one hand and his mobile phone in the other... Of course we are going to miss them! We have been preceded by a friend who has sown the seeds for Christ in many hearts.

Eternal rest give unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him! Amen

Gustavo Agín, scj

 

Fr Enrique Miranda SCJ was born in Buenos Aires on 8 October 1956. He attended the primary and secondary school in the Saint Joseph College, run by the «bayonenses» religious (Betharramites)
In 1974 he participated in the VII Eucharistic Congress, celebrated at Salta. On this occasion he discovered his vocation to the priesthood in the Congregation of the Fathers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, founded by Saint Michael Garicoits.
At the beginning of 1975, since the Congregation did not have a formation house in Argentina, he was sent to France where he attended a two years philosophy course. In 1978 he did his novitiate at Villa Bétharram, Adrogué, in the province of Buenos Aires, Fr Ignacio Gogorza – at present a Bishop in Paraguay - being his novice master.
He attended the Theology course at the faculty of Toledo at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, at Villa Devoto.
He was ordained as a priest during a well-attended celebration, held in the Palermo gardens, the high spot of the VIII National Eucharistic Congress; on this occasion, 32 deacons, 3 of which were from Betharram, were ordained by the bishop of Buenos Aires Juan Carlos Aramburu, at the presence of the Pontifical Delegate Mons Agostino Casaroli.
After doing his ministry in the historic Saint Joseph college in Buenos Aires, he was appointed as director of the Sacred Heart College in Rosario and later of the Sacred Heart Institute in Barracas.
From September 2005 to June 2009 he was the provincial superior and regional vicar of the Congregation of the Fathers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Bétharram. From 22 March 2009 until today, he has been the Parish Priest in the Sacred Heart Basilica, in the “porteño” quarter of Barracas.

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