Born on the 16th January 1918 at Jasses (diocese of Bayonne), baptised on the 19th, Pierre Lagouardat made his First Vows at Balarin on the 15th August 1938; he made his final vows on Easter Monday, 26th April 1943, in Palestine. He was ordained priest in Bethlehem, 20th February 1944. His apostolic religious life was spent outside his native land: Morocco and Algeria to begin with, followed by 44 years in Paraguay, at Asuncion: at St Joseph's College either as teacher or prefect (1950-1967) then St Joseph's Parish, first as curate and finally as parish priest. In 1994, he chose to retire to Betharram where he died on the morning of 25th October 2007.

That same day, two disciples were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem… As they were talking, Jesus Himself came up              and walked by their side.                                                                                         (Lk 24,13ss)

Father Pierre Lagouardat travelled along the Road to Emmaus, on foot perhaps. For it was at Emmaus that he made his final vows as a Religious of the Sacred Heart. At Emmaus, things were far from over. In fact they were only just beginning! After six years spent in the Holy Land, Fr Pierre, chosen by Christ-Priest, couldn’t come to Jasses to say his first Mass. There’s a war on and journeys by boat are dangerous in certain zones. So, it’s Algeria and Casablanca; he is in the first group at the Charles de Foucauld College, and there he will spend a year.

But he must leave North Africa, and his family in Bearn. Now begins for him his mission in Paraguay. Actually, he felt as though he was in heaven, active, generous, and appreciated. As a curate, he was in contact with people of all ages, but he was particularly attentive to the aged.

After 50 years, it was hard to leave this corner of paradise, where for a long time he had been with “Pai Saubat”, the marvellous child of Lestelle-Betharram. But for Father Pierre it wasn’t his home ground. It had to be rebuilt in a place which was to become, little by little, the Care Home with its limited horizon, and the offices… for him who was bursting with independence! Make patience flourish in the midst of countless reasons to be impatient!  Accept not to be served at once! Enter into solitude even when surrounded by the Brothers. Realise that life had changed where he had come from. “the college of my days”… “the parish when I was in it”… The feeling that “if he had stayed on, things would have been different”.

The hopelessness of the disciples of Emmaus on the first Easter morning. The weight of human frailty, moulded by the Spirit… so slow to believe the full message. And the question: “Pierre, do you love me?” and the answer: “Yes, Lord, you know all things. “You know that I love you.”

Gabriel Verley,SCJ

Bétharram, 27th October 2007, introduction to the funeral