Newsletter
for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 29 of March 2014 No. 647
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Dear
Friends,
The
first part of REUNION AGENDA AND EXCHANGES - 18 March 19 March
Roberto
Lipavsky has left us, a sad bit of news for all,
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Don Mitchell
Mar 28
Thank you, Nigel.
I barely remember him, but the name is there in the recesses of
my mind.
Hopefully, the Venezuelan contingent will give him a good send
off.
Don
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From: Nigel
Boos
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2014 10:31 PM
Well, I'm sorry to have to advise you yet again, but Roberto
Lipavsky (Class of '58) has now left us.
He had been working as a lawyer on Margarita island, where he
probably died sometime during February 2014.
In this 1958 Scout Camp photo, taken in a coconut estate,
probably in Tobago, Roberto, who was the P.L. of Woodpecker's Patrol, is on the
left, kneeling, wearing his customary white hat and holding a cutlass, while
Geoffrey "Bighead" Ames is "cleaning" a pot and Pablo
Figuera is strumming a guitar. It seems that one of the Date boys - might have
been Christopher? - is wielding what looks like a pickaxe, while Arthur Xavier
is listening to Roberto's strumming. A nice camp photo.
I have fond memories of Roberto, and I wish him peace and eternal
joy in the presence of Almighty God. May he rest in peace.
Nigel
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REUNION
AGENDA AND EXCHANGES - 18 March 19 March
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Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 13:55:38 -0400
Subject: Abbey Alumni Reunion 2014
From: frharold12@gmail.com
Hi, Abbot John,
I've attended 2 meetings of a group of Abbey Alumni to plan their
Abbey Alumni Reunion 2014:
The dates are Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 October, 2014.
We have engaged the services of an Event Planner/Co-ordinator,
Mrs Shira Mohammed (whose Office is in Scott Street, St. Augustine).
She will contact you about details of the Event,
We would like to print polo shirts for the occasion using the
Abbey School Crest, which I believe is the same as that of the Monastery, so we
would like to ask your permission to use the crest with the name below as Mount
St. Benedict, so that they can continue to be sold after the Reunion at the
Mount Shop.
Naturally the first printing would be a little more costly
because of the template, but there after any other printing would be cheaper.
If you are agreeable, we would stand the cost of the first
printing and would charge a little more so that the extra mark up would be
collected and presented to you as our Reunion 2014 Gift to the Benedictine
Community to whom all of the Alumni owe a great debt for their High School
Education and Formation.
On another note we would like to ask whether we can gather at
10:30 am in the Abbey Church for a special mass to mark this occasion with you
as the Main Celebrant and Frs Cuthbert and Augustine concelebrating and Bro.
Rupert in attendance.
I myself will concelebrate as a former Teacher.
While this is an extra Mass to your otherwise continued schedule
of Sunday Masses, I am willing to search for extra celebrants for your other
Sunday masses so as to lighten the load on that day.
Thanks,
Humbly,
Fr. Harold
Servant of Mary for Jesus
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From: John Pereira <jaebp@live.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 11:07 AM
Subject: RE: Abbey Alumni Reunion 2014
Dear Fr Harold,
Many thanks for your email.
I have noted the requests therein.
I do not grant permission for the use of the Abbey School Crest
to print polo shirts for the occasion.
With regard to the request for a special Mass at 10:30 am in the
Abbey Church, I do not grant permission for same.
Please advise the past students of the Abbey School that there
are three Masses on a Sunday at the Abbey Church: 5:15 am; 7:00 am and 8:30
am.
They are free to attend anyone of these.
However, we do not intend to have any additional Mass on the
Sunday.
Yours in Christ,
Abbot John
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Glen,
I'm very surprised at Fr. Abbot's state of mind.
Perhaps he has something bothering him that he has not felt
comfortable to admit / say perhaps he just doesn't approve of our Association.
Why? I don't know.
Has someone offended him / the MSB community in some way?
Why doesn't he tell us about his reservations?
Then maybe we'll have an opportunity to understand why he seems
to resent every single thing we do.
In fact, maybe it's because of me.
If so, I'm sorry, but I can't do anything about it today.
You see, I was a seminarian of the Congregation of the Holy
Spirit and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, between 1963 - 1970.
During my last year in seminary, I returned from Ireland to
Trinidad, to teach, as a Prefect, at CIC, where John Pereira was a student.
He was a very thoughtful, serious, and somewhat introverted young
man, deeply religious, and interested, it seems to me, in my additional duties
as the Choir Director of the CIC College Choir. (see below).
Note: I do not recall whether he was ever a member of the Choir,
but I cannot find his face among the boys seen in the photograph.
At the same time, I had a major problem with the Holy Ghost
Fathers, which led to my decision to quit my studies for the priesthood - and
so, here I am today.
Could it be that Abbot Pereira was disgusted, disappointed, and
resentful of me to the point that my involvement with the ASAA causes him to
have these negative feelings towards us?
I don't know.
But he at least could let me know, I think, if that is so, and
then I'd have a chance to discuss the matter with him.
In all of my correspondence with him, I have shown civil and
charitable respect.
I have no bitterness toward him, and wish him well in his
responsibilities as Abbot, but I believe that his attitude towards the ASAA is
downright disrespectful and most uncharitable.
I believe that a small delegation from the ASAA should request a
meeting with him to find out what really is the cause of his negative feelings
towards us.
Good luck, guys.
Nigel
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From: "Ian Rodrigues" <rodrigues_id@hotmail.com>
Date: 30 Jun 11:51 (PDT)
Hi Laszlo,
Thank you for your reply.
I attended MSB back in the year 1948 when I was a seminarian at
St. John Vianney.
The main reason was to catch up on my Latin for in those days
that was the language of the church.
Most of my schooling was done in Guyana where I graduated from
high school.
During my time at the Mount some of my classmates were:
Osmond Gomes (since dec'd),
Fr Vincent Compton,
Bernard Gomes,
Cecil DaSilva.
Just to name a few.
A lot of my contemporaries I have lost touch with for obvious
reasons.
There is a Latin phrase that describes it adequately, i.e.,
Tempus Fugit.
However, there are memories of the school that will live on
forever and I thank God for them, and the many good priests that laboured to
make us the men we are today.
I am retired after many years as a lawyer in my own practice and
still find time to volunteer in ministry during the winter in the Caribbean.
Thank God for that!
So much for me and my escapades.
God bless you and your family.
Keep up the good work you are doing!
Ian
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Caracas, 28 of June 2003.
Dear Ian,
Thank
you for the encouragement.
Please
tell me about yourself for the resume section of the web page.
I
would like you to tell me when did you graduate, year, and if you did not
graduate at MSB then what would have been date?
Can
you help with email address of other oldboys?
Did
you have family members at MSB?
God
Bless
Ladislao
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On Mon, 02 Jun 2003 17:17:46 -0400,
"Ian Rodrigues" wrote:
Laszlo,
I want to take this opportunity to commend and congratulate you
on the time and effort you have spent on sending us the MSB circulars.
I hope you continue even though it must take quite a bit of your
time.
God Bless you!
Ian
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From: "Ian Rodrigues" <rodrigues_id@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Fr. Francis Friesen,OSB
Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2003 10:46:29 -0400
Lad,
Thank you for your reply.
No, Fr. Francis did not contact me, neither did I get in touch
with him, since my mail to him was refused and there it stands.
God bless!
Ian
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From: "Ian Rodrigues"
Subject: Re: Fr. Francis Friesen, OSB
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 20:33:12 -0400
My friend.
I took it right from
the bulletin as you suggest; but it did not work.
I would appreciate
any help you could give me for I would like to get in touch with him.
Thanks a whole lot.
God bless! Ian
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From: "Ian Rodrigues" <rodrigues_id@hotmail.com>
Subject: Fr. Francis Friesen,OSB
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 20:42:36 -0400
Dear Ladislao,
Can you please confirm for me the address via e-mail for Fr.
Francis in Holland.
I wrote him a letter but it was returned to me.
The address I used was the one shown in the bulletin.
It was shown as: berchmanianum@wxs.nl.
Thank you very much
Ian Rodrigues
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Ladislao Kertesz at kertesz11@yahoo.com,
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Photos:
58RB0003a2, Scouts
09EB01969EBOGRP, Egan Baichoo and group.
07NB0001UNKNOWN,
60LK0012BOOK,
