Circular No 138

Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I. Caracas, 26 of June 2004. Circular No. 138
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Dear Friends,

I must caution you not to be disillusioned! In Circular No. 133, I sent out the emails that I received from Lionel Roberts, Deacon of St. Petersburg Parish in Florida, USA. The email address used is as it came and was copied, but from your comments and my experience, no answer has been forthcoming, after having received those two emails. I only hope that nothing serious has happened to Lionel Roberts since then. Those that would like to try a telephone call to the parish; the number is (727)867 3663. If any one of you has a positive answer and would like to share it, please write. I am anxious to hear from him, just as others that have written to me.

And now, the emails that I got on Bro. Vincent from you my readers. A few thoughts and memories of 'Bruh Vince'

First of all it is good to know that he is still around to be able to read at least one tribute (and deservedly / hopefully a lot more)

I entered the Abbey School in January 1958 and my main impression after a few days was that 'Bruhvince' (pronounced as one word I did not understand at first) had to be the most important person since he was behind every counter, seen everywhere else and on everybody's lips, 'Bruhvince, look at this", "Bruhvince said that", "Bruhvince gave me permission" etc. were the most repeated phrases used by boys of all forms and ages.

With all due respect to the other wonderful priests and staff at the Mount, this impression was further strengthened over the next 2 or 3 years as I realized the competence, encouragement and enthusiasm of this human dynamo who served as bursar, sports master and counsellor.

As a young boy from a "sports mad" family, "Bruhvince" was almost a hero, playing volleyball in his monastic robe, table tennis, football and cricket- always a little pidgin toed and laughing with delight at some of his successful efforts, swapping 'fatigue', posting match fixtures and arranging transport. I saw him grow irritated on a few occasions but generally he had the most cheerful
of dispositions under trying circumstances.

He related completely to the boys and was respected and liked by all; we all knew the school surely would have been different and far less exciting without him.

I do not remember the year he left but at the time I simply could not imagine the school surviving. As we reached the higher forms, we became less reliant on the staff (and more rebellious/ disconnected) but somehow I always hoped that one day we would
suddenly see the return of "Bruhvince" to his cherished position at our institution

That was the mark of the man.

(Submitted by Stuart Henderson. Ed.)
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From: "Roger Henderson" <rhenderson@tstt.net.tt>
Date: 24 May 09:22 (PDT)

Ladislao,
I do not know how you tracked down Lionel Roberts, aka Br.Vincent, but it was very nice to learn about his whereabouts. During my years at the Mount he was an institution and everything to do with sports centred around him. Ably supported by the great Mr. Tom, father of 6 or 7 daughters. I recall so many instances of our involvement in sport together but one of my favourite was a tour to Guyana when I was one of the youngest boys there. (I think Jeffrey Gransaull was the youngest to go). Bro. V and I used to play the card game Peedra as partners and we developed an intricate system of illegal signs which made us winners against the older boys on tour and they couldn't fathom out how we did it. We had so many laughs at their expense - but imagine a man of the cloth cheating at cards.
Good to hear from him.
Roger
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Date: 11 Jun 05:25 (PDT)
De: Isaias Farcheg [isaiasfarcheg@cantv.net]
Para: lionel.roberts@pobox.com [lionel.roberts@pobox.com]

Caracas May 23 rd. 2004.
Dear good, old, and always remembered Lionel (alias Br. Vincent). I was really happy to we have crossed the lines of our lives again. I received your letter about a month ago, and was looking forward to have the time to reflect about many things that have happened since I left the School in 1958. I was aware that you had been in Brazil, and still have the two photos that you sent me, recently married. Precisely one of them is the one that I handled to Kertesz in order to send in the circular dedicated to you.

I started to study medicine in 1959 and graduated in 1965. I did my internship in the Military Hospital of Caracas. In this hospital I had the opportunity of hospitalizing Father Bernard, while he was the Abbot. I am actually a Gastroenterologist (digestive system).

I went back to Mount St. Benedict, twenty years after I left it, in 1978, and had the chance of seeing Father Augustine, Cuthbert, Ildefonse...and a few others. I was really sad to have seen how the monastery, did have difficulties with the new vocations. Even so, I was conscious of the fact that monastic life, has been abandoned all over. While I was staying in the states, had the opportunity of seeing a program in the PBS about Old abandoned Monasteries. So of course Mount St. Benedict, was not going to be an exception.

I did my Fellowship in Baltimore between 1974 and 1975. By mid year in 1975 I got married with Marie, who has given me three children...the elder one Simon Jose is an Attorney and is 27 years old, Natalie who is 26 years old and just graduated in Industrial Engineering and the smallest one Said, is trying to fix his future without any success. We are fighting to get him through.

In looking back to the old days, we have to be grateful to God, that we had people like you and all at Mount, who gave us values, like discipline, and the desire to be better day to day, organization in our life, sense of leadership, sense the value of friendship and responsibility, and many others values. When you mentioned the phrase, that was and I can imagine your quality as a person. You got us involved in the team work of the Houses. Sometimes when we have a dinner meeting, is unbelievable how every one remembers the House that he belonged to...my House was St. Lawrence and Elias my brother belonged to St. Francis...

By the way the last time I went to Mount, I stopped in our football field, and walk it up and down and really felt sad but at the same time grateful to think of the moments of glory in sports that we had been able to experience in the different games. I still remember Michael Howell running in front of me in the 100 yards competition and in the 220 yards, or even trying to compete with Lucky (by the way he is a Judge in Trinidad). The great moments when we had the luck of making a goal...and how we got to be admired like miniature Pele of football. There were the workers in the kitchen that use to leave on my seat in the refectory and extra amount of peanut butter or extra portion of cheese, as a reward for the goal one scored.

Brother Gerard has been coming frequently to Venezuela, since he is in charge of the Swimming boys that represent Trinidad. Brother Gerard has the opportunity of putting me up to date, with the news of the Mount.

I am glad that you are in the Ministry of being a Deacon for the Church. I will remember you in my prayers.

By the way Sarkis Farcheg, my cousin has moved to Tampa, so he might visit you one day in the near future. He is at the present in Venezuela, and I think will be going to the States in two months time.

I will not get you tired for this time, but since we have this means of communicating, I will be giving you more information about Elias, Manuel Prada, Gerard Most, the Fedaks and talk to you about the wonderful work Ladislao Kertesz has done with the Web Page of Mount St. Benedict.

Greetings to your wife, and receive my wishes of a good embrace and big smile, that the famous Lionel has appeared once more in our life.

God Bless you and your family.

My e-mail address: isaiasfarcheg@cantv.net
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Continuation of Mount Inside No.46 p.o2:

FATHER WILLIAM IS BACK

My long-time friend Fr. William Boers has recently returned from Haiti where he sojourned in a newly -founded and what he described as a "magnificent, mansion-like monastery".

He spent one year among a simple, poverty-stricken, Voodoo infested island people and there attempted to spread the Benedictine way of life.

A gifted artist in local wood and handyman of the Monastery, Fr. William is in love with the Caribbean, its many peoples and with "what is here in Trinidad" to use his words. This kind-hearted, charitable monk was born in Suriname, South America, in 1910 and arrived in Trinidad in 1931.

Attracted to the religious life while yet a school boy (he received his secondary education in Europe), Fr. William is "one of nine children" who always wanted to live and stay in the West Indies. The Abbey at Mount St, Benedict was therefore the answer.

He is fluent in Dutch, French, German and English and managed well in Creole Patois while in Haiti.

Asked to recall the reckless, roaring 1920s during which years he was at school in Europe, Fr. William replied: "Those years had no effect on me whatsoever". He went on to remark that after the Second World War (1939 - 1945) the whole social structure in Trinidad changed dramatically.

He spoke enthusiastically of how he used to be a great walker in his younger years, the leader on many an expedition that set out from the Mount in the good old days.

(More on this brave Benedictine and his Haitian experiences in our next issue)
Mount Inside #46 p02
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Well that is all on Lionel Roberts for now!!! I am sure that we are going to get reconnected again in the near future.

God Bless
Ladislao
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Photo: By.Roberto Bodingtom, File0001dB 150 15, File0001d7 150 15. Would you know the old boys??? Give me a list so that the names can be inserted in the photos.
Wayne Vincent Brown's column can be seen at www.Jamaicaobserver.com,
Column: dbratt ,
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Look us up at http://www.theabbeyschool.com, an all class msb web site.
For those that want to communicate with the web, use, webmaster@theabbeyschool.com,.
Send information to: Ladislaokertesz@hotmail.com, if you would like to be in the circular's mailing list or any old boy that you would like to include.
Telf. 0(212) 263.5346 Caracas.
Use Kaviacion@cantv.net for photos as I leave enough storage space for these.
Please note: you may have missed some of the circulars, if you have not received one every week, do not hesitate to ask for the missing number to idmitch@anguillanet.com
For those that would like to contact me here I include my telephones:
Telf.Office: 58 (212) 263.5346, 267.2416, From: 11:00GMT to 22:00GMT
FAX: 58 (212) 261.0829,
Home: 58 (212) 238.4084. From: 00:00 GMT to 04:00 GMT
Cellphone: +58 (0416) 612.5695
Remember that Venezuela's time is the same as Trinidad's, -04:00 GMT.