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You are here:Home / Family News / NEF 2017 / Family News - April 14th, 2017 / The first companions of Michael Garicoits
Apr 13, 2017

The first companions of Michael Garicoits

Siméon Fondeville, the confessor of Father Garicoits

The first companions of Michael Garicoits

A lively history of the life of Father Fondeville? Not really. But certainly some contrasting appreciations.

On May 13, 1835, Abbé Ségalas, director of the Seminary of Bayonne, wrote to Michael Garicoïts: “I have been told that this cowardly pastor [Fondeville] has asked permission to abandon his flock; And, if this is true, I think he should go and do penance with you. “

At the death of Father Fondeville, Mgr. Lacroix asked: “I desire that we always have at Betharram the true picture of this man of God; The reproduction of his features is destined to edify and inspire virtue.”

Pierre-Siméon Fondeville was born in Bruges, 10 km from Bétharram. His mother consecrated him to Mary. From the age of five, he was an annual pilgrim of Notre-Dame. At ten years old a disease paralysed his father. As a seminarist in Saint-Pé, then at Bétharram, his family opposed his vocation.

Ordained on June 13, 1829, he became a missionary of Hasparren. But with uncertain health, he contented himself with a ministry in a parish, at Labatmale on January 1, 1830. He moved to Asson on January 15, 1832 where he displayed great energy. But again, poor health overtook him, so at the end of a year he asked to be replaced; But the bishop had no replacement.

The Spa cures and various treatments and times of recuperation made little difference: so Abbé Fondeville found a haven in Betharram. He took refuge there in the winter of 1834-35. Bp. d’Arbou confided to Father Garicoits: “Fr. Fondeville’s state worries me, and I think that if I entrust him with a post, his days will be numbered; But on the other hand, it will not be possible to replace him at Asson before Lent begin. And the bishop put forward a plan: while the invalid convalesced, Father Chirou or Father Larrouy would be able to minister at Asson from Betharram. Father Garicoits accepted; Even better: he proposed to make Fondeville part of his team.
On June 23, 1835, Father Fondeville asked to return to Betharram and arrived there on 13 July 1835. Father Garicoits chose him as his confessor.

As bursar of the community, he was also “infirmarian”, looking after his colleagues and watching over his superior. Above all, he was, right to the end, a chaplain, a “workman of Our Lady,” he said. Every morning, at five o’clock, he was in the confessional, leaving it only to give communion to some pilgrim. Often he went to the sacristy, where with great kindness, he listened to every kind of trouble. There he taught deaf-mutes, mentally handicapped and blind people, sent to him by parish priests or even families. To all he gave his counsel; To the most needy, he gave alms from his personal allowance. In 30 years he educated more than 1,500 disabled people. His recreation? Visiting the sick!

On September 24, 1863, after the death of the founder, he was a General Councillor. But in the confessional this “humble worker of Our Lady of Betharram” was struck with an attack of paralysis; To his colleagues, he said: “The time has come to return home. He died on December 22, 1872.

| The Beginnings...!

From Michael Garicoïts :

“Nothing great has great beginnings. Providence does not proceed by magnificent advances and superb proclamations; it doesn’t begin with show. But it starts with a small cradle, a narrow path leading nowhere, little things, which appear to lead nowhere. Then, all this works and continues, slowly, silently, for 30 years in Nazareth. And then this mustard seed became a big tree.”

From Fr. Fondeville, the story of the beginnings:

“In the month of October, 1835, the personnel of Betharram, composed of M. Garicoits, Guimon, Perguilhem, Chirou, Larrouy, and Fondeville, wished to have a Rule to edify and sanctify themselves.
The Rules of the House of the Missionaries of Hasparren were adopted, and without any preparatory novitiate other than their good will to glorify God, save their souls and sanctify the people, the members unanimously elected Fr. Garicoits as their superior, and promised obedience, poverty, renewed their vow of chastity and emptied their small purses into his hands.“

This is probably the beginning of the Community; Without being able to specify the exact date. These lines come from a Chronicle of Betharram, written shortly before his death. However, a little later, the same author dates the foundation at 1841. Now the preface of the Constitutions of 1838 is “the Founding Text”, given by Michael Garicoits. What date is the right one? All of them!
- In 1835, the first community gathered; His programme of life comes from Hasparren.
- In 1838, the Rule is still taken elsewhere; But this time Michel Garicoits writes the preface.
- In 1841, Bishop Lacroix brought Betharram its own first constitutions.

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