Newsletter for
alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 3 of February 2018 No. 848
-----------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
Emails follow.
-------------------------------------------
Feb 7
at 4:10 PM
In
case you have not seen/read this article. For me, he was/is very
special...as I suspect to y'all too.
May
God continue to bless him, Merlene and family for years to come.
Praises
for Catholic deacon's pioneering work in African-American community
------------------------------------------
SCOTT KEELER | Times
ST. PETERSBURG — Lionel
Roberts moved to St. Petersburg more than 30 years ago bringing the life
experience of a northern transplant and a Caribbean immigrant.
Before
long, he was immersed in church and community life and organizing everything
from a tennis academy for inner city youth to a Tampa Bay West Indian
Association.
Admirers
point to the role he played in founding the James B. Sanderlin Neighborhood
Family Center in the city's Midtown, the reopening of a closed school to serve
teenage mothers, and his efforts to increase black membership and participation
in the local Roman Catholic Diocese.
"I
just continue to be amazed by all the things he has done. He has never said
someone else needs to do something and never did it for himself, but always did
it for justice," said Bernadette "Bernie" Young, a parishioner
at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church, where Roberts is a deacon.
As
Roberts nears his 90th birthday, Young and others have decided to recognize his
contributions. A dinner Saturday at the St. Petersburg Country Club is expected
to draw community leaders such as Mayor Rick Kriseman and Bishop Robert Lynch
of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.
The
former Benedictine monk said the plans were a surprise. "As the scriptures
would say, you do everything not expecting a reward," he said.
Effie
Alexander, who worked with Roberts to make the dream of a community centre in
the African-American community a reality, is an organizer of this weekend's
celebration.
"I
feel like we've almost let the window close for the people who knew him
best," said Alexander, an officer of the new African American Historical
Society of St. Petersburg.
"I
asked the group if our first activity couldn't be a testimonial dinner for
Lionel," she said, adding that the community owed him "a debt of
gratitude."
Alexander
said Roberts not only played a key role in founding the Sanderlin Centre, he
also helped get its property at 2335 22nd Ave. S, which was donated by the
Catholic Diocese. A condition of the gift was that it continue to be used to
provide services for the neighbourhood, Frank Murphy, the diocese's secretary
of administration, said.
Saying he
couldn't have done it by himself, Roberts credited others, including the late
Doug Jamerson, the first African-American elected to the state legislature from
Pinellas County and a former commissioner of education.
Roberts
also established the Mother and Child Centre, which opened in 1986 for pregnant
teenagers and their children.
Both
projects were undertaken while he served as the diocese's first director of its
office of Black Catholics.
Roberts
said he didn't immediately understand the need for the special ministry.
His
Caribbean upbringing had not exposed him to the effects of segregation.
While his
new responsibility covered the entire diocese, which spans Pinellas,
Hillsborough, Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties, Roberts concentrated on two
predominantly African-American parishes — St. Peter Claver in Tampa and St.
Joseph's in St. Petersburg.
His
efforts included establishing a diocesan gospel choir, now based at St.
Joseph's, and encouraging black priests to come to the diocese.
Roberts,
who was born in Trinidad and grew up in Guyana, said his faith and
determination are rooted in early experiences.
He
immigrated to America in 1969, worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative
in New York and became active in his Brooklyn parish, where he was ordained a
deacon.
In 1984,
he moved to St. Petersburg.
He was
just 11 when his mother — a devout Catholic — died in childbirth in Guyana.
His
father, who didn't have enough money to return to Trinidad with all of his
children, left Lionel and a brother behind and promised to return in six weeks.
"He
never came back," Roberts said.
Determined
to be reunited with his father, Roberts said he enlisted in the British Army's
World War II effort in Guyana at just 16.
He
eventually got to Trinidad through a military exchange program and found both
his father and his mother's extended family.
He joined
a monastery in Trinidad, but sought dispensation from his vows after 14 years.
He had
met Merlene. They have been married for almost 53 years, have two sons, both
engineers, and six grandchildren.
Merlene
Roberts said she is "very proud" of her husband and pleased that he
is being honoured.
At
Blessed Trinity, the Rev. Wayne Genereux praised the longtime deacon. "He
has been able to bring very positive change in the lives he has been involved
in," he said.
"At
the end of it, I am only doing my duty," Roberts said. "I enjoy it,
because you become part of where you're living."
----------------------------------------------------------------------.
Jan 20
at 5:14 AM
Thank
you for that good news, Merlene.
I
shall copy this, as I did your first message, to the main communicators among
the Old Boy network of Mount.
Keep
well.
Don
--------------------------------------------------------------------.
Sent:
Thursday, January 19, 2017 10:48 PM
Yes
I have good family support thank you.
While
he is in the rehab facility I will be passing on any E-Mail to him so do pass
the word around.
I
spend full days with him while he is doing his therapy and he is slowly coming
around.
He
can never erase Mount St. Benedict from his heart or mind.
All
Blessing to everyone
Merlene
--------------------------------------------------------------.
On
Wed, Jan 18, 2017 at 6:35 PM,
Don
Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com> wrote:
Dear
Merlene,
How
sad to hear this news.
My
heart goes out to you at this time.
I
cannot imagine how difficult it must be for you to cope with all the added
responsibilities.
I
hope you are surrounded by friends and family, and that you are being comforted
and will be helped in taking care of Br Vincent.
I
shall notify the alumni straight away.
With
best wishes and love.
Sincerely,
Don
------------------------------------------------------------------.
Sent:
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 9:50 AM
Hi
Don –
This
is Merlene, Lionel's wife - It was such a pleasure meeting with you here in St.
Petersburg.
I
thank you and many of the students who have communicated with Lionel over the
years expressing their love and appreciation for having been a part of their
lives, he too treasures those years so dear to him.
Please
keep him your prayers as he is now undergoing intensive therapy for a stroke he
suffered about 10 days ago, he is able to communicate well - not perfect - but
well, he is also in the beginning stages of dementia, he is still totally aware
of everything and remembers his time and friends at the Mount.
We
just celebrated 54 years of marriage.
He
began writing his memoirs filled with his love for the many lives he touched
and in return touched him, I don't seem to know where to go from here with his
book, but it is very interesting and touching.
Please
keep him in your prayers and it is alright to inform all those who have been
involved in his life.
He
is now at Bon Secours, Maria Manor nursing home in the Rehab section.
You
know this is a heart break for me, he has been my constant protector and
love.
May
God Bless you all!
---------------------------------------------------------------------.
On
Sun, Jan 15, 2017 at 7:46 PM,
Don
Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com> wrote:
Dear
All,
Ladislao’s
latest Circulars are up at: http://abbeyschool2018circular%20s.blogspot.com/
“Comments”
have been enabled for the 2016 Circulars in case you want to make one.
Otherwise, if you are unfamiliar with the process, just email your comment to
me, and I will post it for you.
Keep
well.
Don
-----------------------------------------------------------------------.
From
Karen Kirkpatrick
kirkpatrick1959@hotmail.com
Dear Brothers
(all of you)!
Greetings
from St. Petersburg, FL, USA!
My
name is Karen Kirkpatrick and I am a freelance journalist living in beautiful
Gulfport, FL.
I
have had the pleasure and the blessing of being requested to assist Deacon
Lionel Roberts in the composing of his memoirs, i.e., autobiography.
I
have interviewed him only once, in the Parish Center at the Diocese of St.
Petersburg.
What
a beautiful and fascinating soul!
We
will meet again tomorrow morning for the second time.
Lionel
has given me permission to interview each and all of you, if you are only
willing to do so.
It
would assist me a great deal.
I
need to know your experiences, impressions and memories of Brother Vincent and
the abbey.
I
have contacted the abbey directly; however, it is your personal experiences
that I am in need of most.
Please
do not feel obligated to share your experiences with me, however, I would be
very much indebted if you would do so.
Most
importantly, please pray for me in this endeavour; that that Lord will continue
to endow me with the talents he has blessed me with as a writer and a
journalist.
I
am in need of "God's Speed" as well, as I am aware that Brother
Vincent feels as sense of urgency in this matter.
The
abbey is mailing me a book regarding its history and I am excitedly looking
forward to receiving it.
However,
again, there is nothing that can replace personal experiences and observations.
Please
advise as soon as possible and assist me in sorting out your various names and
relationships with each other.
God
bless and Happy Lent!
Karen
Kirkpatrick
------------------------------------------------------..
Kazim
Abasali <empowerwithart@gmail.com>
Feb 8
at 3:35 AM
Thank
you for sharing Brother.
May
God continue to bless him and family.
-------------------------------------------------------.
Jorge
Iwaszkiewicz <jjmiwaszkiewicz@hotmail.com>
Feb 7
at 5:16 PM
Thanks
for the article. Very nice rendition of a dedicated person! Am glad I and my
wife visited both of them last year and we enjoyed that visit very much.
Hopefully
can do it again soon when we are back around Florida.
Jorge
Iwaszkiewicz
------------------------------------------------------.
Don
Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com>
Feb 7
at 4:46 PM
Thanks,
George.
I
had not seen it before.
Best,
Don
------------------------------------------
EDITED by Ladislao
Kertesz, kertesz11@yahoo.com,
if you would like to be in the circular’s mailing list or any old boy that you
would like to include.
--------------------------------------------
Photos:
87UN0009JUBILEUM
p24
15UN0001DEACONLIONEL, Merlene his wife
15UN0002DEACONLIONEL , Bro. Vincent
15UN0003DEACONLIONEL , Bro. Vincent
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