Life of the Congregation

Since June 20, 13 religious youth from Ivory Coast, Central African Republic, Argentina, Paraguay, India and Thailand gathered in Betharram for the international session for preparation for final profession.

In the accounts we requested from three "representatives" of our 3 regions, we can sense their first impressions, their spirit and their interior disposition that make this session not so much a voyage of discovery, but an important step in the initial formation.

Juan Pablo García Martínez scj

In November 2016, shortly before my final vows as a religious of Betharram, I made the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola in the province of Cordoba (Argentina). During this month of intense prayer, I followed Jesus, our Lord, on the roads of Bethlehem, Nazareth, Samaria and Jerusalem, from his conception and birth to his death on the cross and resurrection.

How has this been possible without leaving my homeland? "In the spiritual sense," as taught St. Ignatius, that is to say by the imagination which, aided by the Spirit, helps us to contemplate the steps of the historical Jesus Christ from the Incarnation of the Word to the Tomb until today. This is the same route taken in his time by our Founder who, at the end of his exercises, listened attentively to what Fr. Leblanc the Jesuit father said: "God wants more of you than becoming a Jesuit; you must follow your first inspiration, which I believe came from heaven and you shall be the father of a family who will be our sister." It was the dawn of Bétharram...

More than six months have passed since my 30 day Exercises and here I am again on the steps of our holy founder, which are also the steps of Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man and founded on Love, which Michael experienced. But this time to the  "spiritual senses" (still active and indispensable) are added the "physical sense" that captures and delights in the colors, fragrances, sounds, flavors and textures of the French Pyrenees (the same ones that delighted St. Michael Garicoïts since childhood). And, as in other times – firstly the time of Jesus and his disciples, and that of Michel and his first Betharramites - this path is not enclosed in solitude. I am in fact accompanied by Betharramites from around the world, in the new century and in a dazzling diversity of cultures, histories and personalities, who have decided to answer the Lord's call, reproducing the generous impulse of the Word and saying, like Him at the time of his Incarnation: "Ecce venio" "Huna ni" "Me Voici", "Here I am", "Eis-me aqui", "Aqui estoy".

So far, after seeing the monastery and shrine, where "among four walls" our Congregation was born, we visited the land where Michael took his first steps: Ibarre (his birthplace); Hosta (where he was baptized secretly in post-revolutionary persecution times); the mountains his parents crossed (in secret and for the same reason) to be able to marry in the bosom of the Roman Church; Oneix (where he worked as a domestic and where he was won by the tenderness of God); Garris (place of his First Communion he received after overcoming bitter Jansenists obstacles) and Saint-Palais (birth town of Father Auguste Etchecopar, our "Second founder").

Many things have changed, we are told, since the time of Michael. Small towns and villages once flourishing and full of life, present themselves, in the eyes of the traveller, as depopulated, quiet and prematurely aged. Yet for the open and attentive visitor, the environment that nourished St. Michael and which helped the Spirit to engender in his heart, the Betharramite charism is still there.

It is very difficult to select among many impressions created by this experience the most significant one. But just as an example, here are two experiences that particularly marked me. First, I note the strong impression Ibarre made on me. Among lush greenery of the mountains, were the paths Saint Michael knew, as a good shepherd when he was pasturing the family flocks, I was struck by the simplicity of the place. It is true that the current loneliness accentuates the tranquillity of the place but it thereby gives the idea of a small secret place (like the grotto of Bethlehem, I guess), even more than other neighboring villages.

St. Michael's farm is the last house of the village of Ibarre. You must get close to actual see it, hidden behind some branches. Furthermore, in those days there was not , as now, a Basque signpost to indicate the "Birthplace of St Michael Garicoits"; a saint still characterized by modesty and little known, except by Betharramite religious, lay people and a few others. This concerns me, as a religious and Christian, and it allows me at the same time to identify the modus operandi of the Spirit. Far from denying what we are and what we were – it uses on the contrary our environment and our reality to launch us ahead to the future, to what he called us to: a simple Betharramite life, e.g. simple people, human, incarnated and who in their simple position, know how to live the immensity of charity. After the sobriety of Ibarre, I was struck by the farm of the Anghelu family. There I was able to share, at least in part and timidly, the Oneix ecstasy (a signpost, placed in his way, said St. Michael, that brought him up sharply; so great was the love of God he had experienced at that moment). We were greeted by the last two descendants of the ancient masters of our founder: a brother and sister, nonagenarian singles. How not be moved by hearing Madame Anghelu exclaim, raising her arms "Forward, always!" And seeing her brother tell us, pointing with his cane to a large grey stone near the door of the house: "Saint Michel stepped on this stone; that is why when the concrete has arrived, I would not let them cover it."

These are some of the emotions I felt on the ground of St. Michael. I hope they will help other Betharramites  to behold, by the "sense of imagination" the origins of our founder, and further deepen a little more the charism we received from the heart of God, through his humble availability.

Marie-Paulin Yarkai scj

Within a dynamic grace and joy, but also  spiritual deepening I discovered Betharram with its history and importance for my religious family. The first impression is the joy of seeing my dreams come true!

Until now, they had always spoken to me of Betharram, the sanctuary ,the spirituality ... I myself had spoken to people while teaching and sharing without ever getting to know this beautiful place of pilgrimage. [...]

The masses celebrated in Garacotchea, birthplace of St. Michael, Garris, where he made his first communion and Oneix... the time for personal prayer and community meetings with Betharramite religious in mission who followed Saint Michael, a time of  discovery – I think of our special walk on the mountain where St. Michel wanted to touch the sky! – It helped me to deepen my understanding of St. Michael and his spirituality. During this visit, several topics were addressed, namely the family, vocation, Baptism of the founder. Such themes helped me immerse myself in a personal reading of my family life, of my own baptism and my vocation. My expectations are high. But something really important touched my heart: and I will return from this pilgrimage transformed and renewed. May the Lord, through the intercession of St. Michael Garicoits, help me grow along this path he has designed for me!

Xavier Vipin scj

Religious International Session 2016 turns out as a spiritual awakening and a decisive moment in my life. We are thirteen brothers, come from Ivory Coast, Central Africa, Argentina, Paraguay, India and Thailand gathered here at Betharram and it’s an incredible experience of exchanging our ethnicity and culture in different ways. As I complete my First week of this session, I was in the process of discovering some of the most significant sites of our heritage that includes Betharram, Ibarre, Oneix, Garris and Saint-Palais etc. A big thanks to Fr Enrico Frigerio, Fr Laurent Bacho, Fr. John Chan, Fr. Gerard and Fr .John Paul Kissi for their accompaniment and supports.

From 23rd to 26th of June we were on move, started from “GARACOTCHEA”, the birthplace of St.Michael Garicoits and listening few facts about his childhood before heading over the road and down the steps into a small chapel at Ibarre charmed by its simplicity. I felt a strong emotion when I was at Ibarre and I know that was my immediate reaction when I have a spiritual encounter with something holy. Another memorable experience at Ibarre was mounting up the Pyrenees and a walk down from Hosta to Ibarre, where I could personalise the life of young Michael and his thirst for God experience.

Encountering Anghelu family at Oneix and listening them about St. Michael was another remarkable event beyond the words. It was indeed a walk down memory lane. According to Fr. Etcheberry, St. Michael was in a state of trance during his First Holy Communion at St.Palais and indeed we were blessed to be at that holy place for the Sunday Mass followed by visiting our community at St. Palais and listening about the inspirational life of Fr.Etchecopar by our elder priests.

At the end of the first week of this session I am thankful to God for the fascinating insights on Life and Spirituality of St. Michael and I reminded myself that we are both body and soul, and God does amazing things through both. How many years have passed since Michael’s life was ended? And yet I was able to encounter him, alive more than ever, and I know that all of us experienced the same thing. This encounter is unique and gives me a lot of motivation and hope. Finally, I hope and pray that the Spirit of the Lord may help me to interiorise what I learnt from the School of St. Michael and implement them to my life hereafter.