Circular No 671

Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

Caracas, 13 of September 2014 No. 671

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Dear Friends,

To see Hans Hermans’ 1955 Cambridge University English Literature Examination paper, see the copy provided courtesy of Kazim Abseil by clicking on the link.

To see Tony Vieira’s version of the aborted October 2014 Reunion Programme, click on the link also provided courtesy of Kazim.

There has been little said on Fr. Peter, loved by all, which makes it difficult to write about.

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From: celandaal@hotmail.com

Subject: RE: - The Holy One / Fr. Peter / Our Saint.

Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2013 19:37:01 +0000

Dear Colleagues,

The Bandito is correct.

I recall Anthony LLanos and me with two other boys, chaplet in hand, looking at Fr, Leo doing an exorcism.

At a point we ran like blazes and agreed to keep it a secret.

I heard of the lady flying out the church window and Fr. Peter bringing her back.

I always thought Fr. Peter was saintly even after I returned as a lawyer and would visit the Mount. 

The man was a saint, however as you know many saints are not recognised.

All the best 

Kind regards,

Anthony

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From: mckoy43glen@hotmail.com

Subject: RE: - The Holy One / Fr. Peter / Our Saint.

Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2013 20:21:09 +0000

Thank You, Sir Bandit,

This is no Tale, this is the real McKoy hombre, this is the truth, this is the Mount some of us knew, eh Bandit, 

I heard an exorcism in progress, me and another buddy from south.

We were hiding right outside the window, I was so scared man.

The Mount is one of the only places in Trinidad, that could have dealt with such rare situations.

The Mount is still a Secret in Trinidad, maybe one of the Holiest places in the region, how would they know, unless they come with open hearts, they did once, What happened?? Did God leave the Mount? 

Best regards my brothers, Glen.       

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From: calypsobandit@live.com

Subject: RE: - THE OFFICIAL ANSWER ????

Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:09:09 -0500

Andres—

Wow -- is that strange --we old boys from 1944 and up always though and considered father Peter a saint.

His demeanour was completely different from all the other priests or brothers.  As a big boy in the 1950 he would tell me and another student Donald Boyd strange stories that happened at the church.

I remember one up to this day, and at the time and even now I still wonder if it was true.  And it was not the first of many strange stories about encounters with SATAN --THE DEVIL, that was told to us by father Peter.

This story went like this, in those days many people went to the Mount with family to drive out devils --it was very, very secretive but I know it happened often as it also happened to a friend of mine sister --that's another long story for another time.

father Peter told me and my friend that a woman was brought to the church to have a devil driven out of her --the woman was black, shaking and cussing the priest in the worst filthy language you can imaginable –

The priest knew it was not the woman but the devil and kept praying and commanding the devil to leave --get out of the woman --when suddenly the woman started walking up the walls of the church.

I questioned father Peter in disbelief --Father how can she or anybody walk up the walls of the church to the ceiling of the church.

His only answer was in his usual gentle voice, My son you have no idea of the power of the devil -and he did not continue to say anything else –

Donald and I walked away questioning the truth of what this saintly priest had told us and both concluded that it must be true for we could not doubt whatever came from the mouth of father Peter –

Up to day I still think he was a saint and my mind still questions what he told us.

I still cannot say what he said was not true.  At a later time I was a witness to an exorcism --not pretty—

"bandit"

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From: andresfreytez@hotmail.com

Subject: - THE OFFICIAL ANSWER ????

Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2013 13:45:09 -0400

Dear Brothers and Father,

I met Fr. Peter, already a very old monk by 1959 and 60.

He used to give us Religion and was very well loved by all of us students.

He had a very mild character and condition, was always smiling.

Used to give his class with a lot of coloured drawings of the themes treated.

Very many drawings.

I still recall the beautiful images such as angels, crosses with lambs and the like.  

I just do not know why but he became like my kind of Confessor.

I used to come to his cell which was a very sober monk´s quarters in the enclosure to chat whatever.

His cell did not impress me very much for I had in an earlier stage of my life visited an enclosured nun, my mother’s cousin, in a cloister convent somewhere in POS.

I remember a sign indicating CHARITAS in that place.

Something which impressed me very much was the quantity of shelves full of books that adorned the entire passage to Fr. Peter´s cell in the enclosure area.  

Books from floor to ceiling!!!

I was by  that time already a classic book worm.  

This is all I recall of Fr. Peter...have always thought of him placidly...

He stills enacts in me this kind of indulgence in myself being!!!  

A saint?? Do not know but for me :  

Saints must be very near to him!!!

Cheers!!!

Andres (Freddy) Freites

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From: mckoy43glen@hotmail.com

Subject: RE: - THE OFFICIAL ANSWER ????

Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2013 19:23:33 +0000

My Dear Brother, Fr. Harold,

You are a True Monk, what a wonderful story of pure blood, sweat & tears, my brother, you are a gift to us.

In you we have a Monk, a Father, a Teacher, a Knight, our Brother.  

Father, God has blessed this Club of Knights, for about 16 years now.

I am so sorry to hear of some of our brothers passing away lately.   

Over the past few years, many of our younger brothers, left us at such young ages, 30's, 40's 50's, friends my age, quite a few in my group, we have had some major hits.

Now the older brothers, 67-77 yrs. old, seem to be smarter and take better care of them, also more religious to some extent, also coming from a more disciplined world, and it shows in this Club. 

They are also at a more relaxed stage in their lives.

Many retired and enjoying that peace and tranquillity we all seek.  

The funny thing in this Club, is the older the brother, the more intelligent he is, ha! ha!,    

The one reunion I've ever been to, was in Toronto a couple of years ago, not one guy from my time, but I felt like we were all there the same time, I never met any of these guys before, Sir Nigel, Sir George, Sir Cornel, Sir Freddy & Sir Trevor, we were hugging when we were leaving, we never got to discuss any serious stuff, as Sir Nigel had we laughing for at least 3 hours, ha! ha! I can't even remember the music that was playing, the food was good, what a good time, looking forward to doing it again. cheers.

I think you know Fr. Peter?  

I don't know much about this Monk, but any time I saw him, I would always go over and say hello Father, he would always say, God Bless You My Son.  After being blessed by this Monk, I don't need no more blessings, he was a saint to me, I think Freddy (Andres Freites) knew him well, I would like to know more.

Now about the Rome statement I made, I am sorry, but I remember one year an auditor came from Rome to the Mount, maybe around 1968, well that's what we were told, is this just a story?? 

So that's where my statement came from. 

Now you know the Benedictines, like the Jesuits, did not always see eye to eye with Rome, but that is another story, ha! ha!  

However, this new Pope, what a breath of fresh air, I hope he stays for a long time, he has the vision, and the creative mind, to put a new paint job on a very old wall, and he is connecting with the young generation and understand these times, that they live in, as he knows, from Argentina & South-America. 

Father, I always talk too much, so I must stop and thank you now, for sharing such a personal part of your life with us, in this letter, only reassuring us, of what it takes, to be a True Knight.  

As we walk in the Light, May God Bless Us All, Amen.   

I remain your humble Brother.  Cheers, Mis Amigos –

Adios, Glen McKoy.  (A Member Of The Writers Of Knights). 

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From: Glen Mckoy <mckoy43glen@hotmail.com>

Date: 4 September 2014 10:12

Hola, Amigos -  

Yes I remembered Franco Marconi from 69 or 70. 

Yeah he was short & fat, a bully to the younger boys and sucked up to the older ones, he was a goalie also.

Anyhow, how could I forget him, one day he was suppose to give sweet drinks to us, and I grab one and ran, he caught meh and kick meh in the face, ah thought ah was dead, he had a black belt in karate, anyhow I was o.k., knight of steel, but ah did cry ha! ha!  We the younger ones would pick on him. 

That restaurant is where someone was killed, believed by the Mafia.  

A bit after or before that he left. 

All the guys from 69/ 70 would remember well. 

Hope this answer your question.

Yes he was a Mount boy, and there are many out there, the good, the bad, the ugly, and then the day boys, ha! ha! 

Our Club knows these differences, and only remain in contact with those who have chosen to walk in the light.

Cheers, Mis Amigos

Adios, Glen.

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Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2014 07:58:25 -0700

From: gyuris@yahoo.com

Hola, Andres and everybody:

Yeah, ... although I don´t remember the name of the Mount boy involved, but I do remember his face and the incident quite well in the late 60´s.

He was a bit older than me.

It was this mount boy (along with others in his family) who all went adrift in the high seas while taking a boat or yacht from T&T to Grenada due to some kind of engine trouble (?),.. and yes, they did drift for many days (or perhaps week (s)? ) in the Caribbean while drifting westward with the tradewinds until they were rescued deep inside Venezuelan waters.

After recuperating, he returned to the Mount, still with a severely sunburned face and with marks of peeled off skin all over.

In due time he recovered and all went back to normal.

I remember the boy´s face well, (at least as he looked back then) but, unfortunately, not his name, since he wasn´t my friend directly, as he was older than me (and in a class ahead) therefore not in my social circle in school..

I remember when he returned finally to the Mount, we all wanted him to tell his story, but he was still in shock and didn´t really want to give details about the incident.

I remember him as a nice, easy-going, "no trouble", kind of guy.

I wonder if this story has come full circle now? 

A harrowing story,... to say the least ...

Attila Gyuris

Mount 1964-1969

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On Tue, 9/2/14,

Andres Larsen <andres_larsen@yahoo.com> wrote:

Date: Tuesday, September 2, 2014, 9:31 PM

Giacomo Tomaselli? Did your family own an Italian restaurant in Port of Spain near the central prison?

Were you the one who was on a yacht or motorboat that went adrift in 1970 between Trinidad and Grenada and the Yucatan current swept you dehydrated and sun-scorched over to Los Roques where the Venezuelan air force and or navy (I don´t exactly remember which) sighted and rescued you about a week later?

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Glen Mckoy

14 Jun

Thank you very much for this, Attila,

Attila, you are taller than I thought.

Glad to see brothers getting together where ever they can.  

It’s all good, 

Best regards, Glen. 

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Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 20:52:36 -0700

From: gyuris@yahoo.com

Hi Glen:

We finally met your brother and his family.  

Hudson, Lynda and Gino came by today for a short visit. 

Got to listen at Gino unreleased CD. 

Wonderful and talented family, especially Gino. 

We had so much more to talk about but they ran out of time as they also had to go somewhere else still.

So it was left for some other time.  

We had a very nice visit, 

Regards,

Attila Gyuris

Mount 1964-1969

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Photos:

PPT by John Vieira on the reunion 2014

14 TH2014THAGRP, Tim Healy in Trinidad

1955English Literature Overseas Exam sent by Hans Hermans

04PG0010PGAGRP, Peter Ganteaume and group