Deo
Gratias et Mariae!
HISTORY AND FOUNDATION
The
‘House of Bethany’ is, first of all, a work of the Divine Providence
in favor of female vocations for religious communities in the
Tradition. The story of its existence goes back to 1997 when Rev.
Fr. Daniel Couture was in his second year as District Superior
of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) in Asia and at the same
time prior of Our Lady of Victories Church (OLVC) in Manila. At
that time, the SSPX mission in the Philippines had only a priory
in Manila, handling a few mass centers in the provinces, with
a pre-seminary for male vocations. A house for female vocations
was still in the mind of God. Until then the ladies who wanted
to join Traditional communities had to arrange the matter directly
with the concerned Orders or Congregations.
On
November 4, 1996, Fr. Santiago Hughes (+2001), a priest of Antipolo
diocese, arrived at OLVC, and decided to dedicate the rest of
his priestly life working full time for Tradition, alongside the
SSPX. The next day, he managed to convince one of his ex-parishioners,
then a novice with the ‘Pink Sisters’ (a contemplative branch
of the Divine Word Missionaries), to ‘make the jump’ to Tradition.
She arrived at OLVC, where secretarial work was assigned to her,
and stayed with one of the local families, as there was no provision
for ex-nuns coming to the SSPX.
First
Bethanians with Fr Couture in April 1998
A
year later, on the last Sunday of September 1997, another young
lady presented herself to Fr. Couture at Our Lady of Victories
Church asking to be admitted as a religious of the Society of
Saint Pius X. Very early that morning, in fact, she too had left
her modern Religious Congregation where she had spent seventeen
years in order to live from that day onwards a religious life
in the Tradition. This second ex-nun had discovered Tradition
through a visit of Bishop Lazo to General Santos, about a month
earlier. Fr. Couture, always zealous for the good of the souls,
gladly received the aspirant although he still had no house in
which to accommodate her. She too had to resort to staying with
some faithful. There she spent her first nights while during the
day she worked at Our Lady of Victories parish office together
with three other ladies who had been working there and, like her,
were planning to join traditional religious communities. These
four aspirants spent the day together at OLVC but went their separate
ways in the evening as two of them went back to their respective
homes and the other two to their host families. Such a situation
finally prompted Fr. Couture to open a house where ladies aspiring
to a religious life in the Tradition might stay together forming
a community under the guidance of the Society of Saint Pius X.
With
God’s grace, in less than a month, on 24 October 1997, the Feast
of Saint Raphael, a rented house with its four members was blessed
by Fr. Thomas Onoda, SSPX, who became its first Superior. Thus
the ‘House of Bethany’ came into existence.
Some
might be interested to know why the name ‘Bethany’ was given.
It was simply to commemorate the biblical house of Bethany, where
lived Martha and Maria, they who loved Our Lord. It was not far
away from Jerusalem and Calvary represented by Our Lady of Victories
Church where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered daily.
ACTIVITIES AND DEVELOPMENT
At
the beginning, the four members, commonly called “Bethanians”,
helped as secretaries at the OLVC office. They joined the priests
in the morning prayers of Prime and meditation at 6.30 a.m. and
attended the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at 7.15 a.m. The greater
part of their day was spent in silence between work and prayer
at the parish office. Their meals were provided by the priory
and consumed at the dining room adjacent to the same office in
the church basement. Their day ended with the evening Holy Rosary,
Holy Mass and supper. They received guidance from their Superior,
Fr. Onoda, as well as spiritual conferences from Rev. Fr. Marie-Dominique,
O.P., from Avrillé, France, who at the time was helping in the
SSPX mission in the Philippines. As for the internal activities
of the House, the charge was given to an elder Bethanian who was
to act like Martha at Bethany during the time of Our Lord.
In
April 1998 the first Bethanian left for Menzingen, Switzerland,
to join the Oblates of the Society of Saint Pius X. In early May
of the same year, Sister Maria Regina, an Oblate assigned in Switzerland,
came to visit the ‘House of Bethany’ and stayed for some weeks.
Her valuable advice in favor of the new community was appreciated
by Fr. Couture, thus the “House of Bethany” took a new form. Their
activities, from then onwards, were focused mostly on prayer and
studies of the Catechism, Church History, Latin, English, French,
Gregorian Chant, including the weekly spiritual conference. Furthermore,
the Bethanians received spiritual direction from the priests of
OLVC. In this way the aspirant’s daily life was spent in acquiring
knowledge and habits so important for the next step of her religious
formation.
Fr
Couture with 3 Oblates left to right Sr Philomena, Sr Maria Concepcion,
Sr Vicenta and Sr Josefa Discipule del Cenaculo
As
the number of the Bethanians considerably increased, a second
house was opened and given the name of ‘House of Loreto’. All
the members had to work and pray hard in order to meet their needs
which were then admirably bestowed upon them by the Divine Providence
through generous benefactors.
In
November 2001, after four years of hard work and dedication, Fr.
Onoda was succeeded by Fr. Joven Soliman as Superior of the ‘House
of Bethany’. Some little variations in the life of the House took
place, Bethanians regularly left for other shores to try their
vocation, and the main activities continued to flow until June
2003 when the first group of Oblates of the Society of Saint Pius
X arrived in Manila. Since then the ‘House of Bethany’ has been
taken care of by the same Oblates while Fr. Soliman has remained
the Superior. Shortly after, the whole community moved to a bigger
rented house, the fourth one, which was a fifteen minutes’ walking
distant from the priory, and in which the community still lives
at present.
The
‘House of Bethany’ is now composed (as of January 1, 2008) of
three Oblates, an active Carmelite Sister, a former Franciscan
Sister (waiting to be admitted to the Oblates) and seven young
ladies. An Oblate Sister is in charge of the internal affairs
of the House as well as the formation of the Bethanians. Fr. Soliman
gives a spiritual conference to the community once a week, two
other SSPX fathers give lessons of Catechism and Latin while the
Oblate in charge teaches French/English, Gregorian Chant and Introduction
to Religious Life. The young ladies are also trained in household
activities and basic skills, which are useful for the future Religious
Life.
AFTER TEN YEARS
During
this ten-year period, besides Filipinas, there have been members
from other countries such as South Korea, Thailand and Switzerland
who have crossed the threshold of the "House of Bethany".
Twenty are now happily settled in the Congregations or Orders
where Almighty God has called them: The Sisters of the SSPX (USA,
France, Australia), The Oblates of the SSPX (Switzerland, England,
South Africa, Philippines), The Dominican Contemplative Sisters
(France), The Teaching Dominicans (France), The Disciples of the
Cenacle (Italy), Carmel (France). From this little tree of the
‘House of Bethany’ God has spread its fruits throughout the five
continents of the world. Twenty others have returned home after
having tried and submitted to the will of God regarding their
vocation: it is that mystery which is hidden behind the words
of Our Lord, “Many are called but few are chosen”. The remaining
eight are still learning and preparing themselves for their turn
with the usual worries about visa applications, as all have to
leave the Philippines for their religious formation and then follow
the roads of holy obedience as to their destination. In addition
to the Bethanians there are also Sisters who have joined the community
of Bethany, as well as visitors who stay at the House for some
time in order to examine if they have the religious vocation.
May God send to this House many more good and holy religious vocations!
SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL SUPPORT
Divine
Providence, being the author of the existence of this House, has
never failed to sustain the members through the charity of its
benefactors and friends. Therefore as an act of gratitude each
member of the community offers the daily Mass and Rosary for all
their benefactors and friends (living and dead) and their intentions,
and in addition, a novena is made to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
from the 18th and 26th of each month concluded with a Holy Mass
on 27th offered by a priest of the SSPX for the same intentions.
Finally,
each member of the ‘House of Bethany’ is wholeheartedly grateful
to Almighty God, to the Blessed Virgin Mother, to the patron Saints,
to Fr. Daniel Couture, Fr. Thomas Onoda, Fr. Vicente Griego, Fr.
Joven Soliman, to all the priests and religious who have helped
with the formation of the Bethanians, to all the benefactors and
friends who, in one way or another, have contributed to the spiritual
and material support of the community throughout these past ten
years. May Almighty God grant them abundant blessings and an everlasting
reward in heaven!
Fr
Onoda with the Bethanians around 2001
Bethanians
actually in the Religious Life
|
RELIGIOUS
NAME (Origin) |
ORDER/CONGREGATION |
| 1
Sr Maria Concepcion (South Cotabato) |
Oblate
of the SSPX, Manila, Philippines |
| 2.
Sr Rosaire (Rizal) |
Contemplative
Dominican, Avrillé, France |
| 3
Sr Maria Giuseppina (Manila) |
Discepole
del Cenacolo, Velletri, Italy |
| 4
Sr Marie des Victoires (Bohol) |
Teaching
Dominican, Brignoles, France |
| 5
Sr Maria Jacinta (South Cotabato) |
Oblate
of the SSPX, Johannesburg, South Africa |
| 6
Sr Ignatius Mary (South Cotabato) |
SSPX
Sister, Sydney, Australia |
| 7
Sr Isabella Marie (Cebu) |
SSPX
Sister, Browerville, USA |
| 8
Sr Marie Agnes (Manila) |
Oblate
of the SSPX, Menzingen, Switzerland |
| 9
Sr Diana (Cebu) |
Contemplative
Dominican, Avrillé, France |
| 10
Sr Maria Josepha (Manila) |
Oblate
of the SSPX, Highclere, England |
| 11
Sr Dominica (Bohol) |
Contemplative
Dominican, Avrillé, France |
| 12
Sr Maria Ancilla (Dumaguete) |
Oblate
of the SSPX, Highclere, England |
| 13
Sr Maria Vicenta (Siquijor) |
Oblate
of the SSPX, Manila, Philippines |
| 14
Sr Ancilla (Bulacan) |
Contemplative
Dominican, Avrillé, France |
| 15
Sr Maria Salome (Thailand) |
Oblate
of the SSPX, Salvan, Switzerland |
| 16
Sr Marie Laetitia (Switzerland) |
Novice,
SSPX Sisters, France |
| 17
Sr Maria Remedios (Iloilo) |
Novice,
Oblate of the SSPX, Salvan, Switzerland |
| 18
Sr Maria Fidelis of Christ the King (Switzerland) |
Novice
Carmelite, Eynesse, France |
| 19
Sr Mary Monica (Bohol) |
Novice,
SSPX Sisters, Browerville, USA |
| 20
Isabel Cadayao (Iloilo) |
Postulant,
SSPX Sisters, Browerville, USA |
To
help the House of Bethany, please forward your donation
to
the District of Asia with a mention “For the house of Bethany”.
