(ANS – La Crau) – The 50th anniversary of the death of the Servant of God Augustus Arribat was commemorated on 24 March 2013 at the Salesian house, La Navarre - the “house which Don Bosco dreamed of” and which he founded in 1878. Fr Arribat did his early formation in that house and later ran it as its Rector. More than 150  past pupils and friends came to the house along with members of Fr Arribat's family to commemorate his death which took place on 19 March 1963.

The day began with a meeting of the Past Pupils followed by the Palm Sunday celebration in the chapel; the prayer for the canonisation of the Servant of God was recited at the end of Mass. Then there was a fraternal gathering with songs in Provençal  and typical cuisine from the region.

In the afternoon Mr André Rousseau, honorary president of the French Past Pupils, re3called the history of the foundation of 5 holiday villages set up 50 years ago by the past pupils' association. Then Mr Dominique Gutierrez spoke. 18 months ago he had been diagnosed with a serious illness, but then went into full remission: he and his family have always attributed his complete recovery to Fr Arribat's intercession.

Fr Morand Wirth, the former vice-postulator for the Cause and resonsible for the Positio, then spoke of the links between Fr Arribat and the house at Navarre, where the Servant of God spent  34 and where he died, on the Feast of St Joseph. He presented a spiritual profile of the Servant of God: man of duty and a man of God, shining faith, humble charity and ever ready to serve, an authentic Salesian educator, smiling, always with the boys; he was also an outstanding ecologist.

The day finished with a visit to the “Souvenir”, the monument where the remains of Fr Joseph Auguste Arribat lie, alongside those of other deceased confreres.

Published 02/04/2013