Attil Ben, who died on 08 August 2020, is from a Dolomite family. Emigrated to a small village near Tarbes in the 1930s.Attilio, known as Attil, born in 1936, bore the marks of his region of origin.His temperament is both thoughtful and passionate with sometimes fiery reactions, an unaltered love for the mountain where he would regularly go hiking on holiday with a priest friend remains in the memories.
Red wires
Two red threads weave together his human and priestly existence. The insertion of Christians, in the midst of the gospel in the world, and the opening of the Church to the laity, especially the access of women to responsibilities, are the two red threads of his life that he applied.
Mission
Sent to train after the seminary at the Higher Institute of Pastoral Catechism in Paris. It comes back filled with the feeling of the mission's urgency. This is implemented in the reception and attention to all, the poor, the fragile. It is in this constant fidelity that he lives his ministry. Whether in parish, in his diocesan responsibilities in catechism, in the formation of the laity, in preparing the resumption of it by a lay woman, he is faithful to it. Attil actively participates in the pastoral and human life of the cities (catechesis and masses in the cities, close relationship with the inhabitants…). He organized parties in working-class neighbourhoods in conjunction with social animation teams.
Humility
In the testimonies received, we recognize a man of faith and prayer. His gentleness, his listening, his pacifying humility his discretion, his smile, his benevolence that gave great warmth to relations with him.Attil's delicacy, his kindness, the help he was needed, his fidelity were unwavering. In return, many friends stayed in touch with him until the end, even though that contact had sometimes become difficult.
Cor Unum family
We lived with him very strong moments, the whole adventure of opening the GEMs to the laity also testifies E. Mr. Algiers. First, PCJ, Attil chooses the SVE. After the difficult stage of the succession of his vows that he had made in the institute of the PCJ, he created the group SVE of the Hautes-Pyrénées with a fellow priest who followed the same approach. Attentive to the need for in-depth training for the members of the SVE, he trained those in region 05 for years.
Commitment
His faith remained deep, even when his faculties declined. During the last painful years of his life, when he gradually had to give up what made him life. The body no longer followed and neither did the mind. Attil shared this gradual count with us, his group. He said that he now had to accept to depend, he who had been used to initiating and being responsible. He looked at this situation with humour. This prevented him from being the centre of the world by taking himself too seriously. It's another constant in his life.
Keep watching over the SVECJ, Attil, as you've done since its inception.
The Hautes-Pyrénées group
