Our formation Houses

Joining the Betharramite religious life is also to express your love towards the community life lived in fraternal communion. At Villa Bétharram (Adrogué), novitiate house of the Etchécopar Region, the formation community brings it out everyday, in their words, actions and silence. Whatever the decision they are going to take at the end of the year, the novices Sergio Leiva (from Paraguay) and Mariano Surace (from Argentina) have been sharing for more than one year an experience aimed at strengthening their faith.

Sergio
We have begun this 2nd year of novitiate with the second week of the Spiritual Exercises. Thanks to all the help given us by St Ignatius and thanks to the fruits of the work already done so far we can decide on our way of life. For me, I have chosen consecrated life and religious life here at Betharram, for I understood that little by little I was having the spiritual experience of St Michael. I had made it so much mine that I felt the need to go for greater depth, and I decided that this was the best way to lead my own life.
Consequently during this second stage I want to be fully faithful to the choice I have made, by living each moment like a consecrated soul and by becoming a consecrated Betharramite according to the will of God.

Mariano
During this 2nd year of novitiate I intend having a closer look at myself so as to have a better knowledge of myself: the virtues, fears, wounds and God’s presence in my personal history. This is a fundamental exercise. So far it has helped me to accept myself just as I am and to experience God’s mercy during the first week of the exercises. During this 2nd year I want to live the charism of the Congregation in depth. Why the charism? Because in the charism I see God’s Will. I can see God inviting me to be faithful to it, without personal projects but to be available to collaborate with the projects of the Congregation, letting Love be the sole motive.
My plan therefore is to know, accept, put into practise and assimilate fully the Betharramite charism in my own life. In a word, to be a religious who is following the generous urge of the Heart of Jesus so as to love Him and follow Him ever more closely.

Daniel, has anything changed compared to the 1st year of novitiate?

Sergio and Mariano began their novitiate in March 2014, but in reality on 27th June on the feast of the Sacred Heart they began what we call their “canonical novitiate”. Those first months of the novitiate (stage 1) helped lay the foundations of the community, we got to know each other and recalled what had already been important during the postulate. We also took time to become aware of the commitment undertaken, to consolidate it and encourage each other for the way ahead. The programme for each novice had to be planned whether as an individual or part of a community. Hence the definition of a PCA (Apostolic Community Project) and a PVP (Personal Life Project).

At the beginning of stage 2 of the novitiate (stage 1 of the canonical novitiate) we developed in depth the spiritual dimension, with the first two weeks of the Spiritual Exercises (Mercy, the choice of Jesus, and the choice of a way of life). During the third and fourth stage of the novitiate we worked on the charism, on religious life and community and were able to see what we had completed. At this point the experience of the third and fourth week of the Spiritual exercises as well as the apostolic novitiate outside the novitiate community is of vital importance.

How does the community come to terms with the life of the novitiate?
I think you would need to put the question otherwise, because the community is one of formation. We are all participants in the work of formation, obviously in function of the duties and services which each one renders. This means that together we build our PCA. We talk about it, weigh it up and adapt it according to the needs of the moment. We could put the question like this: what does each member of the community bring to the formation of the novices? First of all each one shares his life experiences with its light and shadows. There we have a priceless treasure which each one owns and from which we learn most.
Then each one has a community service, either apostolic or part of the formation. In a word I could describe it like this:
- Fr Paco: he is the superior and “father” of the household; he is also chaplain and gives talks on the Rule of Life.
- Fr Badie: he is the patriarch and our “grandfather.” He is confessor and gives talks on the history of Betharram, the early companions of St Michael and the first Betharramites.
- Bro Juan Pablo: he is our treasurer and “big brother”; he is the link with the College San Jose de la Plata; he also gives Bible lectures (for example this week on the kerygma in the Gospels, according to the liturgical calendar which we are following in preparation for the 3rd and 4th week of the Spiritual Exercises.)
- Fr Daniel: Novice master and Regional Vicar; I participate at the weekly meetings for formation and I am responsible for accompanying the novices on their personal programme. And of course there is also the contribution of the novices themselves.
- Bro Sergio: he is a trained nurse and cares for Father Badie. He is also a catechist and visits the poorest families in the footsteps of St Vincent de Paul. His is a silent service.
- Bro Mariano: he looks after the upkeep of the house, assists the treasurer and is responsible for welcoming guests. His mission is specially directed towards the welcoming of whoever knocks at our door.

After a few years as Novice Master what do you consider to be the greatest difficulties that you meet in achieving the plans laid down in the Rule of Life?

I think that the greatest difficulty in following Jesus Christ with all that involves is to find the difference between the will to follow Jesus and the will to discover who we are and to follow it through. This means that during the Postulancy it is necessary to develop the human dimension: check what it is which drives the young man forward; encourage the process so that there is no need to look at self but to follow in the foot- steps of the Lord. If that can be achieved one can say that there is only one way to follow with all that can be involved; if we don’t achieve this then the journey becomes not only difficult but even impossible. As St Michael says: “Man is led forward by love; it is the secret spring that must be discovered in postulants and novices: if it is no there...” We know from experience how that can finish.

Daniel González scj