The Fondeville Notebook or Betharrram since 1790 (1)

Carefully preserved in the archives of the Congregation, the «Fondeville Notebook» points to a signed manuscript written by Pierre Simon Fondeville scj (1805-1872), which gives an account of Betharram’s history since the Revolution of 1790. This document, written by one of the first companions of Michael Garicoits, is one of the major sources of the history of Betharram in the nineteenth century and of the foundation of our Congregation. This year, we will present a few excerpts.

From the fourteenth century, a devout chapel in Betharram brought pilgrims to the Virgin. The venerated statue had disappeared in Spain, when Jeanne d’Albret burned her sanctuary at the end of 1569. Restored in 1614, the bishop of Lescar called for Hubert Charpentier to go there in 1632 and he then enlarged the original chapel, built the monastery, erected a crucifix and founded the Congregation of Our Lady of Betharram. Its members, in 1661, completed the present sanctuary and developed the pilgrimage. During the French Revolution their property was confiscated, their actions were stopped and their worship was disturbed. In 1808, after the Concordat, Monsignor Loyson, Bishop of Bayonne, bought Betharram.

(NB : We will indicate the presence of deleted passages by the symbol •• )

•• Providence, which sent his man1 to France to restore its worship, sent also by Mary’s prayer, a man who had to call people back, by his prudence, patience and charity, to true devotion to Mary and to Jesus crucified, and to bring back hearts to the fountain of supernatural life, the Sacraments. For this it was necessary to revive Christian and ecclesiastical education, banished from the country as a result of the French Revolution; it was necessary to renew the spirit of both genders in the four abolished dioceses: Tarbes, Landes, Lescar and Oloron. •• Mary planted this man in Betharram for 26 years who, according to the wishes of her heart, should carry out the works of mercy she had planned for her chosen country. This man was Mr. Procope Lassalle, a former doctrinarian priest, aged about 45 years. •• He was a native of Saint-Pé (diocese of Tarbes, then administered by the Bishop of Bayonne). He had two brothers and a sister. •• Mr. Procope Lassalle and his elder brother embraced the Institute of Christian Doctrine in Tarbes; his younger brother joined that of the Barnabites at Lescar; his sister became a Carmelite or Dominican. During the Revolution, the three brothers went to hide in the Rouergue ••.

Mr. Procope Lassalle, back from exile, was called in 1806 or 1807 by Monsignor Loyson to take on the management of Betharram. He prepared himself to fulfill the intentions of Our Lady and to resurrect the former works of the Holy House, to arrange pilgrimages, making them honorable and useful, and to create an institution for youth to recruit a sufficient clergy for the four dioceses. •• All these works called for knowledge, great zeal, a lively piety, great resources and great persistence in order to make them happen. All these good qualities were spotted in Mr Lassalle by the Diocesan Authority. Indeed, his rare intelligence, coupled with exquisite judgment and a serious and sustained modesty, were fully developed through his studies with the Benedictine Fathers, and later with the novitiate of the Doctrinarian Fathers, and were acquired so extensively that he was judged capable of teaching rhetoric to the distinguished youth of the country, over a long period of time ••. Father Lassalle was not a speaker, but his diction was distinguished, his words were wise, and we know he excelled in the art of letter writing ••. He did not lack ecclesiastical knowledge. •• Father Lassalle combined this knowledge with an austere but gentle lifestyle; he first drew to Betharram that which was best in the country; confessions became frequent; daily pilgrims almost occupied •• the whole morning.

However, from 1806, Father Lassalle increased his fortune, through income from paternal property which he managed; he wanted to use this fortune secretly to educate youth and relieve poverty in a permanent way. He also never failed to honor his Superior fees every year and sell for profit any gifts offered to him.

It was, I think, in 1808 or 1809 that he opened a secondary school in Betharram. •• This secondary school is known to •• have gained an honorable reputation.

•• Father Lassalle began and continued his generosity, or at least took care of expenses arranging for the Betharram house to receive a portion from the Major Seminaries of Bayonne and Dax, too small for the aspiring of three dioceses. •• The building work was completed in 1814 and the Major Seminary of Betharram was opened in the same year ••.

Some distinguished coadjutors came to combine their know-how and efforts to those of Father Lassalle ••. These gentlemen, while fulfilling with zeal the tasks committed to them, never failed to help Father Lassalle, using their utmost ability to increase and arrange the pilgrimages. ••
However on February 17, 1820, the diocese lost its first pastor, Bishop Loyson; but on leaving this Earth, he left to Bétharram more than a treasure; and this treasure was a young Basque man whom he had recruited in 1797, born in Ibarre from poor but religious parents, who lived a pure and simple lifestyle - it was Michael Garicoits.

Simon Fondeville scj

Note 1 :The Consul Bonaparte who, by the Concordat of 1801, allowed the “Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Religion to be freely exercised in France.” (Editor’s note)