Br. Pietro Bettin: “Life begins where fear ends” – Lavalla200> Atlantis

Br. Pietro Bettin,from Italy and of the Mediterránea Province, was a member of the Lavalla200> Atlantis community in South Africa for 3 years, until July 2020. In this interview, he shares some aspects of his experience with the Institute.

What motivated you to leave everything to participate in an international and intercultural community?

My motivation came from the fresh challenge that Br Emili, Superior General, laid down on the occasion of the Marist bicentenary: to establish international communities in every region who would be a significant presence among children and young people in vulnerable situations on the periphery of the world. It was also a response to Pope Francis’ invitation to be an outgoing Church that allows itself to go beyond geographical and existential borders.

Considering my age (almost 70 when I went), I thought that this might be the last opportunity for me to have a different experience of community and mission from the one I had known in my 50 years of religious life.

Of course there were many question marks. Faced with my fears in making such a decision, I returned to the question asked by Brother Emili in one of his letters:

What would you do if you were not afraid? What would we do as Marists if we were not afraid?

Life begins where fear ends.

Briefly describe some significant moments in your community life

What stands out for me in our community lifestyle, was the family spirit that was evident in the deep sharing of our community meetings, in the care of the house, the garden, the kitchen, etc.. The other important element was our commitment to ministry. Particularly significant was the end of the day when, in the peace of the evening, we had our moment of contemplation and prayer to share what God had worked through us during the day.

… and in the ministry of the community?

Our settling into the area of Atlantis was gradual. After three years, we could say that we were well established and well known both in the parish and around the school.

We went to Atlantis with no particular plan in mind other than that of being “a significant evangelising presence among children and young people in vulnerable situations“. In the first year we contacted all the associations that were involved with the youth of Atlantis and offered our collaboration, , where possible, especially in extracurricular activities. This allowed us to get to know and understand the social and cultural context of the population.

The second year we officially joined the staff of a primary school for afternoon activities. We organised a whole week of recreation and educational activities over the summer, in which we involved pupils from the Marist high school in Rondebosch and students from Atlantis. In order to get to know more about the social context, we arranged a series of interviews with local people with years of experience in education.

In the third year, we started up a leadership training program to be held in 12 meetings, open to 20 students chosen from the high schools of Atlantis. We managed to hold 3 meetings, but then everything stopped because of coronavirus 19.

All this gradual process of integration into a new culture, starting from scratch, was a really interesting experience of working alongside those responsible locally for the education of young people.

What key words best capture your experience?

Alcune parole del Fr. Emili Turù all’88° assemblea USG, nel 2016, mi hanno guidato in questa scelta. Le riporto: Siamo tutti chiamati a mettere nelle nostre vite un po’ di pazzia e dii audacia e andare oltre il conosciuto. Uscire dalla nostra zona di confort per andare in questo spazio dove si fanno i miracoli.

È interessante anche un video realizzato da Maria Bobillo che con 100 parole illustra l’esperienza di Atlantis.

Describe the most significant scenario or event in your time with Lavalla200

The most significant event of my time at Lavalla200, I think, was the celebration of my Golden Jubilee on June 6, 2018, St Marcellin’s Day, at St Joseph’s Marist College. The two communities of Atlantis and Rondebosch organised the event unbeknown to me. We started at 9 a.m. with Mass with the senior pupils. Before the offertory, the brothers of the 2 communities (+ Maria) gathered in front of the altar and Tony read a beautiful prayer and Father John read the blessing. We had lunch in the school with the teachers and dinner in the community with the Brothers and some lay friends.

Overall, I was very happy to celebrate my 50 years of religious life on the feast of St. Marcellin and in an international community on the outskirts of the Marist world. It was a special, unexpected day, a great surprise, a witness to the affection of the brothers and lay people around me, an occasion to give thanks to God for his faithfulness to me.

What has been your most important learning?

Contact with different cultures has taught me not to judge diversity as a defect, but as an asset. Moreover, the presence of laypeople demanded a new approach to community life and spirituality: I had to learn to be flexible and patient.

How did the experience help you to grow in your Marist vocation?

This type of experience is a unique opportunity for growth in our Marist vocation, for a host of reasons: a significant evangelising presence on the peripheries of the world, international collaboration outside the confines of our own province, a communion of cultures and appreciation of diversity, organising our community life in a shared way with laypeople (men and women). All these elements have strengthened my attachment to the Marist vocation.

What were the biggest challenges you experienced during this time?

One challenge that stayed with me all the time was the difficulty of communicating: I couldn’t get used to the way they spoke English. I couldn’t understand the children because their mother tongue is Afrikaans. I had to react to the temptation to shut myself off and find other ways to communicate.

The other big challenge was due to my age (70). I often felt useless because I could not get into all the activities that others were doing. Until I discovered the importance of my presence, simply presence, for many people.

What would you like to say to the brothers and lay Marists who are thinking of participating in the Lavalla200 Communities or other international/intercultural projects of the Institute?

Preparation is important. Learn the language well so that you can make contact with local people as soon as possible. Ask for the light of the Spirit and the gift of discernment. It takes courage, it takes patience; and trust in God.

“God is eternal newness. He impels us constantly to set out anew, to pass beyond what is familiar, to the fringes and beyond. He takes us to where humanity is most wounded, where men and women, beneath the appearance of a shallow conformity, continue to seek an answer to the question of life’s meaning. God is not afraid! He is fearless! He is always greater than our plans and schemes. Unafraid of the fringes, he himself became a fringe (cf. Phil 2:6-8; Jn 1:14). So if we dare to go to the fringes, we will find him there; indeed, he is already there.” (Gaudete et exultate, 135).