The sun was out for the celebrations commemorating, on May 24 and 25, 2024, the transverberation of the heart of Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified at the Saint-Michel house in Pau, a former Carmelite church where Mariam Baouardy lived for two three years.
After the mass said every 24th of the month in memory of this day in 1868, the celebrations specific to the feast began, as usual, with vespers sung by the Little Choir of Saint-Michel-Garicoïts. They were followed by a very beautiful conference by Father Laurent Bacho, Betharramite, a fine connoisseur of Mariam’s life which he presented magnificently, emphasizing three major aspects of her short but intense existence: humility, the consequence of her heart open to the Holy Spirit, the deep respect for the Church, resulting in absolute obedience, finally, the close relationships she maintained with the congregation of the Fathers of Betharram whose constitutions she had approved by Rome, 12 years later the death of its founder, Saint Michael Garicoïts, making her the “second founder” of the congregation.
Once night fell, the traditional torchlight procession could set off from the chapel to the hermitage where the transverberation took place then to the Calvary erected at the foot of the lime trees which saw Mariam’s levitations. The fervor was very palpable, carried by the songs, in the starry night lit by the multiple lit candles.
The next day, Saturday 25, an appointment was made for the solemn mass, presided over by Father Laurent Bacho, surrounded by members of the Betharramite community of Pau: Hervé Kouamé, superior, Firmin Bourguinat, treasurer and Jean-Claude Djiraud, deacon to whom Father Jean-Marie Ruspil, scj, recently appointed regional vicar in France-Spain, came to join. After a packed picnic under the pleasant coolness of the park’s century-old trees, the ceremonies ended with a sung adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the appointment was made for next year. Jean Leid.
