Circular No 1042

 

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

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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

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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…..

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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

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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.

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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.