Wednesday, 30 July 2014

Circular No 664 Extra Extra








Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 30 of July 2014 No. 664 extra extra
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Dear Friends,
July 22 and other emails on the REUNION
Also, see:
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Don Mitchell
Jul 22
Hello, Roger,
It occurs to me that Ladislao, who compiles the Abbey School Circulars, may want to know if you have any old photos from your Abbey School days. 
We are always hoping to collect new ones. 
If you do, it would be wonderful if you could have them scanned and emailed to Ladislao.
He also enjoys receiving memories and accounts from Old Boys that he can put into his Circulars. 
Each time he does that, more of us emerge from the woodwork.
Keep well.
Don
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From: Don Mitchell
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 5:47 AM
Hello, Roger,
Good to hear from you, and to learn that the website has been useful.
I have visited the School a couple of times myself. 
We gained access to the premises, and had a guided tour on the last reunion several years ago. 
I wrote a couple of articles about it
A pity about the Reunion.  Everything depended on the Event Organiser.  It took three months to learn that she could not advise us on the best procedures, and had no means of receiving registration funds.  We needed the guys to register months in advance so we could book the various halls and facilities.  They typically require a 50% deposit on reserving, and the Association had no seed money to fund the deposits.
I am still hoping that the Trinidad alumni will proceed with their plans for a mini-Reunion.  I have an unused ticket to Trinidad, so I would attend if they do.  If I hear anything I shall circulate everyone.
Keep well.
Don
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From: Roger Chenault
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2014 10:44 PM
Hi Don,
We have never met but I am one of The Abbey School Old Boys.
My brother Christopher and I attended MSB from late 1948 until April 1950 when we moved to the US.
Still have many great memories of those days and given the opportunity, will tell stories of my experience; my wife and sons have heard them all.
Fr. Placid Ganteaume was the headmaster at that time, (he was a cousin of my mother’s and had been our Parish Priest at Forest Reserve);
Fr. Lee Singh was dean of discipline and I felt the sting his cane more than once.
Br. Anthony (Quenk) was our Dormitory Master.
Michael Ames and I served Mass when the new church was consecrated.
Visited MSB with wife and sons when we were there in 1982 and then again with wife only when we returned in 2010.
Of course, saw Fr. Cuthbert:  he didn’t remember me, but we knew a lot of the same people.
Sad today the school is now a rehab center and we were unable to go into the building.
Disappointed that the reunion will not be taking place as I had every intention of attending.
Some of the planned events looked great.
I’ll keep looking for your updates and hope that something will work out.
We are going to be away most of November and also next February; we stay at home in December and January.
I became aware of the Old Boys when our younger son attended a friend’s wedding and met Peter Ganteaume;
Googled him and eventually found the web site and the rest is history.
Got the data base from Nigel Boos and re-established contact with Earle Kayne from our childhood days at Forest Reserve and MSB.
Best to all.
Roger Chenault
252 Hunter Avenue
Seepy Hollow, NY 10591
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On Jul 8, 2014, at 9:59 PM,
Don Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com> wrote:
Dear All,
Things have not come together for the planned Grand Reunion in October. 
We have been let down by two Event Organisers, who have not helped us do the organising in time. 
It is now too late to make the final arrangements and to give you enough time to plan for travel to Trinidad and to register for the event in October. 
We will have to consider rearranging the Grand Reunion for another time. 
If you have the time, take a look at the attached PowerPoint presentation made by Tony Vieira to show what was planned.
Meanwhile, the Trinidad Organising Committee are still considering putting on a more impromptu, informal Reunion this year, and I shall attend it.
I’ll keep you informed as news comes to hand, and hopefully, you may be able to make it to Trinidad as well.
So sorry for the dashing of hopes and plans.
Don
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From: mckoy43glen@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:44:56 +0000
My Dear Sir Anthony,           (To be a Judge, you must be a Knight).
You are working hard, my friend, hopefully you get some rest also.
A balanced life style at our age ha! ha!  
I am working myself into retirement in two years.  
My job here with a bank, is leading the banking world in scanning & imaging, now my little Halifax is the test site, for a bunch of trial runs, before we get some big clients south of the border, so no time off for 3 months.   
I like my job, they pay me to keep fit and a sharp mind, then I'm drained when ah get home ha! ha!  
If it was not for my classical nylon string guitar, I would be loco, mi amigo.  Glad you took time to write, in the heat of the moment.  
Muchas Gracias, Mi Hermano.  Have a glass of good wine, for a clear mind, ha! ha!  Now get some rest, 
Adios, Glen.       (I will tell Shaun, you liked this one).
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From: celandaal@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 14:57:42 +0000
Dear Sir Glen, Chief Knight,
Thanks Glen.  This is refreshing especially after a hard day's work.
I am still here in Hamburg in fact in my office reviewing my draft Judgment in the Case.
This morning we attended and I participated in a Seminar on Gas Emissions by Ships and GHE and Climate Change.
Keep in touch,
Anthony
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Glen Mckoy
Sep 26, 2013
My Dear Joe,   
Thank you for your blessings.
It’s been a long and winding road, but it’s good to know we are still here with our Alumni.  
I recognize your great efforts in keeping things together for so long, on the home front, so many events etc. over so many years.  
I hope there were more good times than bad.  
You said you were ill, I pray everything is O.K now.
Joe, I know you are very busy with life. 
Just want you to know, please feel free, to contact me anytime, if I can be of service in any way.   
We must open up our hearts to the universe, and the universe will open up to us.
Best regards.  Take care, my brother,
Cheers, Glen. 
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Subject: Re: Contribution to Fr. Cuthbert's travel expenses
From: bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 12:08:46 +0000
Dear Glen,
My pleasure.  Thank you for your kind words.
Although I don't respond, I recognise the valuable contribution that you make to our fraternity and salute your efforts.
Be good to yourself.  I wish you happiness, good health, luck and that your needs will be amply supplied by the Lord.
Love and Best Wishes,
Joe
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From: mckoy43glen@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 13:58:04 +0000
My Dear Brother & Friend, Sir Shaun,               
You made my day & also made me proud to be a Mount boy all over again.
How can you not be proud?  This aerial footage says a billion words.  Welcome to your club - mis hermanos & mis amigos - long live our Mount. 
Always a pleasure to hear from you, hope all is well with you and yours.  
You must be busy, have not heard from you for some time now, amigo.    
This is the best I have ever seen, what great footage, will treasure this one hombre.    
Oh yeah, I am personally inviting you to the reunion, if you can't afford it.  Don't worry I will take care of that too, no excuse is accepted,
There are lots of people I also don't know, but you have done so much behind the scenes for us in the Club,
I must personally want to thank you and many others, I hope to see. 
Thank you again, for making this Club a nice place to be,
Cheers, Mis Amigos – Its Sunny, 0 degrees.  It’s Spring.
Adios, Glen.   
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Brother Gabriel Mokveld
He was born on 31th January 1894, in Delft, Holland. The young Everard, his baptismal name, desired to be a missionary and left in 1921 for the Benedictine Abbey in Bahia, Brazil; the same year this Abbey was making a foundation in Trinidad.  So, early in 1913 he was sent to the new foundation where he would make his noviceship, receiving the name Gabriel, and put his skill at carpentry to work.  His contribution lay in the field of construction, and he is responsible for nearly all the buildings on Mount St. Benedict and for several churches, convents and schools.
Brother’s personal life was marked by a humble devotion to the Eucharist and the Mother of Christ, hard work and a childlike innocence.  He kept active and useful work to the end, and his final words were his oft repeated name of Mary: “Maria!  Come and take me, Maria”.
A week after fracturing his left femur, complicated by chronic bronchitis, he died peacefully early Sunday, 18th July, 1982 at 88 years of age.
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Me
To carolamokveld@gmail.com
Aug 18, 2013
Dear Carola
You could read thru the BLOG, where there is mention on the Mount St. Benedict construction
Also, two books that were published recently, and sold at the monastery.
But, outside a mention on Bro. Gabriel, nothing really long.
I knew him personally since I graduated in 1960.
But then lost track of the School, and by the time I started to publish the Newsletter most of the Bros. and Priests were dead.
I am sending you some info on what I have.
I would appreciate information from that era, photos or writings
God bless
Ladislao Kertesz (editor)
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From: Carola Mokveld carolamokveld@gmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 7, 2013 6:35 PM
Subject: History of monastery 
Dear Kertesz,
On the internet I found information about the Monastery in Trinidad, a building by Bro Gabriel Mokveld.
I found letters from him in the post of my grandfather, brother of Evert Mokveld.
I like to get more information about him, and I would like to visit Trinidad and the place he lived.
He was the uncle of my father.
My father is at the moment 84 years.
Do you have more information about this?
Thank you much,
Carola Mokveld, the Nethetlands
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Photos:
6003 East St. George Sports Event p22
82AKBULL04BROGABRIEL, Bro Gabriel
13FH0001FHE, Fr. Harold Imamshah
08HE0001HENBRO, Henderson brothers





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