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You are here:Home / Family News / NEF 2017 / Family News - 2017 June 14th / In memoriam...
Jun 14, 2017

In memoriam...

Father Julián MIGUEL GALERÓN scj

In memoriam...

Villaquiran (Spain), 4 August 1923 - Mendelu (Spain), 27 May 2017

Father Julian was born on August 4, 1923, in Villaquirán de los Infantes, a village near Burgos (Spain). He had known the fathers of Betharram thanks to one of his elder brothers who had already entered the Congregation. Other Betharramites from Burgos whom he had met. Attracted by the same vocation, he entered the Apostolicate San Miguel de Mendelu, in Fuenterrabia, on September 12, 1933. It was there that he followed the first stages of his formation, which ended in the summer of 1940, Before proceeding to Balarin (Montreal du Gers), near Toulouse, from January 15, 1941.

Embarking on the Monte Ayala, he left Bilbao for Buenos Aires in February - March 1946 - to continue the mission in America inaugurated by Saint Michael Garicoits and which consisted in accompanying in their faith the many emigrants who left the Basque-French provinces to go “Make a fortune” in America.

In Argentina he spent one year at the scholasticate, then taught at the San José College in La Plata, and was a professor at the Apostolic College of Buenos Aires for two years.

He returned to Fuenterrabia on November 12, 1951, after making the Buenos Aires-Vigo trip on the Juan de Garay. Nine days later, he made his debut at the chaplaincy of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, replacing Father Alcorta (former Betharramite), who, as a musician, was to perform on that day the musical direction at the convent of Mendelu. The chaplaincy of the Brothers was served by Betharramites who took turns serving this service every month. After a few years, the chaplaincy was reduced and refocused on the service of our Father Julián Miguel.

***

At the funeral of Fr. Julián, Fr. Gerard Zugarramurdi scj, his successor to the chaplaincy, evoked our brother with these words:

I would like to thank all those who attended the celebration and have a thought for all those who could not participate.

A special thanks to the family of Fr. Julián, who came from Burgos, Vitoria, or from Betharram for Brother Theodore.

Thanks to all the priests of Irun-Fuenterrabia and to the fathers of Betharram who have come here.

A word and a thank you to the De La Salle Brothers who came in numbers, where Fr. Julián so often celebrated, administered the sacraments and then breakfast, with an insistence on breakfast.

60 years of presence with the Brothers: the first time I arrived at the Brothers in Irun, they told me that Father Julián had been there for 60 years. I had to listen with a careful ear, for I questioned him the next day, I thought I had misunderstood; And no, it was indeed 60 years of presence at the chaplaincy of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, here called Los Hermanos de La Salle.

I insist on breakfast as the Father had a very good appetite, and didn’t count the hours at meal times! A good appetite and the art of telling funny stories or comical anecdotes of the fathers of Betharram. With a real taste for the monopoly to be “the one” that recounts these events of the past or these amusing facts ... Similarly, in matters of liturgy and in any writings of the Church or the Congregation. He would study scrupulously and above all seek out and identify the possible errors and then relate them with confidence and with an air of satisfaction. Thus Father Gaspar had to make him a mea culpa after one or two written things that were not quite exact (in the dates). Father Julián’s life was essentially oriented towards the life of the Church, prayer, the service, the rosary, the Mass, both on radio and television, as well as reading.

Although of a reserved nature, it is the comical aspect of Father Julián that I would especially like to emphasize, for, without putting on airs or a false self, he liked to amuse the gallery. Many, moreover, did not imagine this humorous vein behind the character.

Another emblematic detail of the Father was his outfit: thick glasses, motorcycle helmet and gabardine to go to celebrate the Mass. A whole panoply worthy of a reliquary! We have also kept some pictures in our drawers.

Another distinctive feature was his presence for years at the 10 o’clock mass on the parish. The father sang in a loud voice without tremolo, doing the readings himself while celebrating! In conclusion, I would like to thank the community of Mendelu and all those who have contributed to the fact that Father Julián remains with us in the community until very recently.

May the father rest in peace! And let us be assured that when we see him again, he will have a funny story to tell us, unless he makes a remark about some vagueness in this text!

Gerard Zugarramurdi scj

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