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You are here:Home / Family News / NEF 2015 / Family News - 2015 March 14th / The Fondeville Notebook (3)
Mar 12, 2015

The Fondeville Notebook (3)

About the death of Mr Procope Lassalle About the first community around Michael Garicoits

The Fondeville Notebook (3)

In 1820, Monsignor d’Astros succeeds Bishop Loyson and founds the new minor seminary of Saint-Pé. Circa 1823, Father Lasalle opens up his plan to Monsignor d’Astros to get the girls of the country involved in a religious education similar to that which the youth were receiving in St Pé, and consequently to call some nuns to Igon and St. Pé. In 1824, he writes to the mother house of the Daughters of the Cross at La Puye offering modest premises in the village of Igon. Six months later, the Good Sister arrives in Bayonne with the staff destined for Igon. 
At the minor seminary of St. Pé, philosophy is entrusted to Mr. Michel Garicoits, a new priest. Bétharram lives according to the rhythm of the academic years of the major seminary. In 1831, since Monsignor d’Astros is transferred to the Archdiocese of Toulouse, the Bishop d’Arbou takes possession of the diocese of Bayonne; he makes his visit to Betharram in 1831, around the month of May, where he carries out an ordination…

Two months later, on 3rd July 1831, Mr. Lassalle gave his beautiful soul back to God; he was buried with solemn funeral rites on Calvary at the Resurrection Chapel. [...] Betharram gave a great show that day. Our Lady, who had inspired the deceased towards all the works of charity he had founded and towards the renewal of devotion to the Holy Chapel, saw at her feet a great many people, grateful for the benefits received from heaven, through the good priest, praying for his soul and accompanying his remains to the Chapel of the Resurrection. [...]

In 1833, [...] Messrs Garicoïts and Guimon remained alone with a small fraction of the major seminary, a fraction which was called definitively to Bayonne at the end of 1833 [...] Mr. Garicoïts therefore remained there in 1834 with only Mr. Guimon; They took care of Betharram service and management of the Igon Convent, waiting for God to send them help. Divine Providence did not delay. In the course of the year, Mr. Chirou of Pontacq, a former student of Bétharram, arrived in order to increase the number of Béarn missionaries transferred to Betharram. [...] Mr. Larrouy of Guiche, former curate of Pontacq and Parish Priest of Osse, left his parish and was admitted at the same time. [...] The year 1835 saw the arrival in Betharram of Mr. Perguilhem, a former colleague of Mr. Guimon in the missions [...]. Seeing calm restored in France and the core missionaries of Béarn being educated in Betharram, he resigned his parish and went back to his first vocation, after a five-year break.

In the month of July of the same year, Mr Fondeville, who was called to serve the parish of Labatmale in 1830 and the parish of Asson in 1832, asked for and obtained the grace to be readmitted to the body of Béarn missionaries; he did not bring a large health dowry, but he hoped to receive from Holy God, through the mediation of Mary, the precious gift of good will, to fulfill the wish of his mother, who had consecrated him to Mary during his childhood.

In October of the year 1835 the staff of Betharram, composed of Messrs Garicoits, Guimon, Perguilhem, Chirou, Larrouy and Fondeville, wanted to give themselves a rule to become holy with more edification. They adopted the house rules of Hasparren missionaries, and without further novitiate preamble, but their willingness to glorify God, to save their souls and to sanctify the people. The members unanimously elected Mr. Garicoïts as their Superior, promised him obedience, poverty, renewed their vow of chastity and emptied into his hands their small allowances. [...]

The Constitutions they followed were not new; they bore the imprint of the sources from which they were drawn. The spirit of the old congregations and religious orders formed the background; the rules were modelled on missionary habits. They did not have to take part in the choir or in curial duties: but they had to strive to deepen the greatness of their vocation and ask God for a great zeal for their own sanctification and for the sanctification of their neighbours.

From these principles they deduced the need to learn to practice humility, charity, poverty, obedience, to protect chastity, gentleness and modesty under the strictest care. The practice of weekly confession was recommended. The time for getting up was set at 4am: joint meditation; each had his time to celebrate Holy Mass; they breakfasted at 8am, dined at noon, had supper at 7:30pm and had to be in bed by 9pm. Recreation took place from 12:45pm until 2pm; joint rosary was said; after dinner recreation lasted until 8:30pm. On Thursday afternoons they walked together. The meals were blessed through a reading. Spiritual reading and the visit to the Blessed Sacrament were also a daily rule. When the missionaries were reunited during the summer, they attended a theology class or a rehearsal of the rites of the Mass.

Until 1838 Messrs Guimon, Perguilhem, Chirou and Larrouy, forming two missionary bodies, shared missions to give [..]. More than 50 parishes were evangelized in Béarn, not counting several retreats that took place for the first communions. The Diocese of Tarbes was also involved in their work: Argeles, Cauterets, Bordères and the Minor Seminary of Saint Pé did not fail any year to call upon Mr. Perguilhem or Mr. Guimon, and indeed often called upon both at the same time for the retreat given to students. [...]

It was in [1838] that Monsignor d’Arbou resigned, giving up his beloved Diocese of Bayonne, too much for his infirmities, to Monsignor François Lacroix, whom he had chosen as his successor.

Simon Fondeville scj (1805-1872)

(to be continued)

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