Michael Garicoïts

The major work of Michael Garicoïts is the foundation, starting in the 1830s, of the Society of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Bétharram. Faced with the de-Christianization of the countryside after the Revolution, he gathered priests dedicated to the evangelization of rural regions, the service of sanctuaries and pilgrimage sites, as well as teaching. He developed the sanctuary and the Calvary of Bétharram, and founded colleges as well as agricultural and industrial orphanages. In his address of July 7, 1947, Pius XII enumerated among his achievements "the formation and government of his Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the sanctuary and the Calvary of Bétharram, the creation and direction of colleges, agricultural and industrial orphanages." The congregation, animated by a dual vocation of mission and teaching, would subsequently spread outside of France; it obtained pontifical recognition in 1875, more than ten years after the founder's death. Garicoïts was also the spiritual director of the Daughters of the Cross of Igon, founded by Saint Jeanne-Élisabeth Bichier des Ages.

The spirituality of Michael Garicoïts is rooted in an ardent devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and in absolute trust in Providence. Reacting against the Jansenist rigor still present in the region, he preached a loving and confident abandonment to the divine will. The heart of his doctrine is summarized in the motto he forged: "Here I am, without delay, without reserve, without looking back, for Love," an expression of the total offering of Christ entering the world ("Behold, I come"). Pius XII highlighted the strength of his charity and the voluntary poverty of this man who was "all of a piece," applying to him the biblical formula "De forti dulcedo," the sweetness of the strong. A contemporary of the Curé of Ars and Saint Bernadette Soubirous, Garicoïts visited Lourdes several times after the apparitions of 1858. His reputation for holiness, based on his humility, his obedience, and his apostolic zeal, led to the opening of his cause.

The cause for the beatification of Michel Garicoïts was introduced at the end of the 19th century, under the pontificate of Leo XIII. Pope Benedict XV recognized the heroic nature of his virtues and declared him venerable on December 10, 1916. He was beatified on May 10, 1923, by Pope Pius XI in St. Peter's Basilica. His canonization was pronounced on July 6, 1947, by Pope Pius XII, jointly with Saint Jeanne-Élisabeth Bichier des Ages, founder of the Daughters of the Cross, whom he had spiritually accompanied. The following day, July 7, 1947, Pius XII received the pilgrims who had come to Rome and delivered an address celebrating the figures of the two new saints. The liturgical feast of Saint Michel Garicoïts is set for May 14, the anniversary of his death. According to sources, two miracles were accepted for the beatification and two others for the canonization.

The legacy of Saint Michael Garicoïts remains alive through the Society of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Bétharram, which continues his dual charism of mission and teaching and has established itself on several continents, notably in Latin America. The sanctuary of Bétharram, in Béarn (commune of Lestelle-Bétharram), with its Way of the Cross and its Calvary, remains a place of pilgrimage where his memory and his relics are preserved. His spirituality of confident abandonment to the will of God, condensed in his "Here I am," continues to inspire the Betharramite religious family and the faithful. He is honored as the patron of the congregation he founded. His native village of Ibarre, in the Basque Country, and the sanctuary of Bétharram preserve the memory of this Basque priest whose feast is celebrated every May 14.