Life of the Congregation (2)

After spending 25 years training young African men to prepare them for Betharramite Religious Life, now in September 2014 Fr Laurent Bacho scj has been called to a new mission in the French Vicariate. “Before all else, he says, I want to point out how the different Major superiors believed in the birth and future of Betharram in Africa; without such concern nothing would have been possible on the spot.”

I feel deeply grateful to the Lord for those years spent in the formation and growth of the African Betharram. I was a makeshift formator and yet the Lord granted me the grace to be an earthenware vessel through which flowed the treasure of the charism of St Michael Garicoits in a land prepared and enriched by predecessors. I enjoyed the beautiful daily liturgy and community life with all the respectful cordiality of which St Michael talks a lot. Laughter and joy are a help in overcoming the faults and failings which are part and parcel of our human condition and the cultural differences which are appreciated in divers ways. The demands of the Formation team were a great help for my own fidelity.

I was particularly struck to see how St Michael’s charism corresponded to what this land was expecting where God was often manifested in different ways including the wearing of the tee-shirt with its Gospel message, accepted and worn without embarrassment! The message of God’s love has been accepted like a breath of fresh air in the middle of so much fear stoked up by traditional beliefs where spiritual powers are on the watch out for misfortunes to be exploited and joys to be destroyed! Our lay associates, the Betharramite teen agers and St Michael’s children can bear witness to this.

I was happy to enjoy the spirituality of happiness on a daily basis, by trying to add my own contribution of joy. In the course of the formation of our candidates human development was obvious on condition to overcome one’s self. This is very meaningful in the existence of the Farm School “Tshanfeto” which is meant to provide a sound formation for the young men so that they take their own future in hand and become upright people in the footsteps of the Risen Christ.

With my brothers I was careful to make our Christian Communities more missionary, careful of the countless problems, without getting too caught up in organising. In the parishes, the fact that we were religious helps us to have relationships which are more fraternal without the priest dominating. The faithful helped me as a priest to transmit God’s life through the sacraments which transformed their lives and challenged me in the importance I attached to the sacraments.

I had my share of suffering and failures. My discernment was sometimes a disaster, sometimes too severe, at other times slack. There were painful departures in the Formation house. In the Formation house there are already two graves – one of the first professed religious, Anatole who died aged 30 and the other of Father Omer, who died aged 33 and who was getting ready to be the next Formator. The Cross was ever present but we know that it is a glorious Cross. The blessing of the Formation House in Adiapodoume took place on 14 September 1993; the blessing of the present house took place on 14 September 2014.

Yesterday I left Ivory Coast with great peace of mind because I know that the Brothers can carry on the mission with great courage. I should have stayed on longer so as to be filled with the joy of my brothers and sisters and especially with the patience as lived in Africa. I can’t say that I left with a light heart saying that I had carried out my mission but I am happy at the knowledge that I am accepting a new mission; I owe this joy to the young and not so young Africans who showed me lots of affection and gratitude – God’s grace.

Laurent BACHO, scj