Newsletter for
alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 1 January 2022. No. 1042
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Dear Friends,
This is the first Circular of the year 2022, Welcome to all.
Here is some information on the 60TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE MSB SEMINARY
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Re: Where are the Circulars ...
Ladislao Kertesz <kertesz11@gmail.com>
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 11:29:17 PM
To: Cornel de Freitas <corneldefreitas@hotmail.com>
Dear Cornel
The pictures are with me or at least I
believe that they are, as I have not opened the February emails.
I try to mix the photos to keep the old
and the recent ALUMNI interested so six photos might take six Circulars alive,
as I publish four per issue.
I have your letters in Circular No.389
also at least two photos.
Since I regard the Circular as a leisure
stress free work, I take longer than some of you would like me to be.
I get a little frustrated after being
over 8 hour in front of the computer at work, as I do this between supper and
going to bed, sometimes my eyes hurt at seeing the screen.
My idea of the Circulars is to gather
ALUMNI and give them food of thought and be reunited with long lost friends.
I started issue No. 1 with 10 ALUMNI and
we are now with a few more than the number of Circulars published, I am sure
Nigel agrees with the numbers.
I have about ten Circulars ready in
draft format.
So some news might wait for a least
three months before published.
I only publish life or death news
immediately.
Sorry, that I have not reached to your
photos as yet.
Please think that the Circulars need
material but if I use all material as soon as they get to me then there would
be times when I cannot publish the weekly Circular for lack of material.
This is the only reason that the
Circulars are still being published while other have failed.
Old news remains old even if published
as soon as I get them.
I place importance to keeping a regular mailing
system, to keep the MSB memories alive.
An example, those that wrote five years
ago quite long essays, have not been heard ever since, they do not have even an
updated photo to share for us to know if they are alive.
Usually, I hear from their friend after
they pass away, this has happened in over a dozen of cases.
I have no excuse but please bear with
me, and hope this is not going to keep you from writing.
But you can always be sure that I answer
all emails, sooner or later.
I extended my reply because those of the
1950s claim that I do not take care of them, it is difficult to cover 40 years
in each Circular.
God Bless
Ladislao
----------------------------------------------------
GEORGE MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net>
Wed, Aug 11 at 7:43 AM
Remember that the Seminary was built during my time at our school
(1956-1962) and the festivities surrounding its opening.
Also vaguely recall a weekend retreat
there for those of us preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
A seminarian, whose name I cannot
remember, was in our class that graduated in 1962.
Recall his excitement in moving from the
old facilities at the Abbey to the brand new seminary building
“down-the-hill”.
Father Ildefons was the rector and also
our scoutmaster at that time.
Did not realize that the seminary was
closed from 2009 to 2016.
Seminary
is the heart of the Archdiocese - CatholicTT
---------------------------------------------------------.
Seminary is the heart of
the Archdiocese
By
Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon
Sixty years ago, the
Seminary moved from the monastery to its present building when Archbishop Count
Finbar Ryan OP answered: “It can be done”.
He
mobilised the monks to construct the building that the Seminary now occupies,
and the Archdiocese remains forever in their debt for that sacrifice.
“The
Seminary is the heart of the Archdiocese,” was a saying of Archbishop Anthony
Pantin CSSp.
He
was absolutely right.
As
the Seminary goes, so the Archdiocese goes.
When
the Seminary closed in 2009, the Archdiocese was having a heart attack.
When
Archbishop Joseph Harris CSSp reopened the seminary in 2016, it was a great
sign of hope and recovery.
A
mature Church produces vocations in a multiplicity of forms—married couples,
religious, priests, lay consecrated to name a few.
It
also produces teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, electricians, plumbers
and business persons who are both conscious of their Catholic identity and live
their vocation.
Beyond
being conscious, they are also willing to pay the price of discipleship in
little and big things.
As
a locally bred Catholic, formed for priesthood at the Seminary, and as
Archbishop, I long for a Church where the whole people of God take
co-responsibility for the mission entrusted to us by Christ.
I
long for a Church where we each live out our various vocations fully and
consciously, where each Catholic uses their gifts and talents for the building
up of the Body of Christ.
I
see a Church that is faithful to the magisterium and yet incarnated in our
Caribbean culture, thus both faithful and pastoral.
I
envision a Church that is a friend and defender of the poor, a Church that
constantly finds new ways to initiate all its people into the mystery that is
Christ.
I
long for a Church of missionary disciples proclaiming the joy of the Gospel.
There
is no doubt that the Church of the 21st century requires priests who can call
forth a plurality of vocations from the people.
The
Church in Trinidad and Tobago needs priests who can work in collaboration with
each other, being vulnerable and humble, conscientiously living their vocation.
The
local faithful needs a band of brothers who will generously sacrifice to bring
into being this vision of Church, a cadre of men willing to plumb the depths of
their relationship with God, reaching out with love to all.
As
the Seminary goes, so the Archdiocese goes. This vision of Church is not just a
dream.
Over
the last three years, the formation team has been working to make this dream
into a reality.
Formation
in the Catholic world has four pillars—Human, Spiritual, Intellectual, and
Pastoral.
The
formation team has developed a detailed programme for each pillar designed to
achieve the vision of Church articulated here.
Over
the last 60 years, the Seminary has formed countless priests, religious and lay
persons for ministry in the Caribbean Church.
Indeed,
eight of the current Bishops of the Antilles were formed for priesthood at the
Seminary of St John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs.
Today,
God is looking for more men with courage to accompany the Church to this
vision. Pray with me, that we find the right men to answer this call.
Today…they
continue to look for new candidates…..
----------------------------------------------------
On Sun, 20 Jul 2003
"JonGolding" wrote:
Hi Ladislao
I am settling in to TT very well but
never been so busy in my life!!
I have a demanding but very interesting
job with RBTT Bank.
When I see you on 17th August I will
fill you in.
Hope you are well
God Bless
Jon
> ----- Original Message ---------------------
To: "JonGolding"
Sent: Sunday, July 20
Dear Jon
How are you?
I hope that TT is as you thought it
would be?
I have not written to you before as I
know that if you had any information, you would send it along.
Or can it be that you are not receiving
the Circulars ????
Well just let you know we are still
trying to get MSB old boys a rerun
God Bless
Ladislao
-------------------------------------------------
From: "JonGolding"
Subject: MSB Reunion
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2003
Dear Abbot Francis
I would like to buy two tickets to the MSB Reunion (for myself plus
friend) for the Sunday only event since I will regrettably be out of the
country on 15th August.
Please tell me how much and where to
send the cheque and to whom payable.
Many thanks
Jon Golding
Class of 1961.
PS Please give Fr Benedict and Fr Augustine my regards.
I hope they will both be there on the
Sunday.
IF Fr Benedict has an email address,
please let me have it since I want to ask him if he has a scanner and a
computer.
If not, I can lend him my scanner (if he
has a computer) so he can scan some old photos for us to put on the website.
Many thanks. JG.
----------------------------------------------------
From: "JonGolding"
Subject: Relocated to Trinidad
Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2003
Hi Ladislao
Please pass this on to All the guys who
left around 1960 and 1961.
My brother Geoffrey was in class with
you, the Galts, David Pampellone, Michael Herrera, Manuel Prada, Louis Lacour,
Bernard Johnson, Chris Knowles, Matias de Fedak, Wayne Vincent Brown, Roger
Henderson, etc.
My class had Pablo Figuera, Roberto
Savignon, Robert Elias, Tilson Tang, Peter Gibson, Christian Goddard (at one
time), Richard Farah, Stuart Monplaisir, and many others.
Have you heard from all of these people?
What news of the Figueras, Savignons?
I am now resettled back in Trinidad
after 37 years in Europe, America, Middle East, India, and a few other places,
running the Private Banking Division of RBTT Financial Holdings, the biggest banking
group in the Caribbean.
It's really a great life here relating
to my roots which no-one overseas could really understand and I was blessed to
get this job - helped with references from some of the names I have
mentioned.
The Old Boys Network really does work!!
I have met some of the guys back here
but not had a chance to go up the hill yet.
Do you know if Voosh still has some of
the many photos he took while we were there?
I am thinking of going up with a laptop
and a scanner to capture some of these from him. What do you think?
Best wishes
Jon Golding
PS What is Louis Lacour's email address?
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Thanks for the comments and your help. George
There is a myth that all oldboys use FACEBOOK,
I do not use it except to get at the photos of oldboys so that I may use it in
the Circular.
That is why I copied the conversation of
the Venezuelans giving thanks to the donations by the ASAA.
And now thanks to your reminder I am
going to look up the FACEBOOK page to see if I find something useful for the
Circular being reported on the Reunion.
What is the address, as it is not
"MSB Facebook"?
It is sad that with all the messaging
systems, groups etc. the organisers do not use these means to advertise and
promote their pet projects.
Ladislao
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EDITED by
Ladislao Kertesz, kertesz11@yahoo.com, if you would like to subscribe for a whole year and
be in the circular’s mailing list or if you would like to mention any old boy
that you would like to include, write to me.
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Photo:
17LK8439FBCDFGRP, Cornel de Freitas
64UN0012TUGAWAR, Sport field activity
17LK0007ADA, Adolfo D´aumaitre
82DM0010DMILETTER, An old letter.