The mission of religious people today
In the 19th century, Saint Michael Garicoits fervently desired that Betharram be a missionary congregation, wherever the Church and the people of his time called it. Today, four continents benefit from the missionary commitment of his sons.
In Europe, the pastoral activity of our communities has moved from a presence almost exclusively in educational works to a more diversified pastoral commitment: parishes, educational mission, animation of specific groups, presence in new poverty.
In Latin America, the presence in education remains important, through colleges, youth ministry, and family ministry; parish ministry is strong everywhere, especially in urban and marginalized neighborhoods.
In Africa and Asia, the presence of Bétharram is relatively recent (since 1952 in Thailand, after a presence of 30 years in China; since 1959 in Ivory Coast; since 1986 in Central Africa; since 1986 in India). It occurred in response to the Church's call for a first evangelization, the mission ad gentes.
In these communities, pastoral activity has three main aspects: assistance to the local clergy; response to basic human needs (schools, dispensaries, prevention centers); and the reception and formation of numerous young people seeking to enter religious life.