Circular No 875

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

Caracas, 11 of August 2018 No. 875

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Dear Friends,

Emails follow.

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Date: 11 Jun 05:25 (PDT)

De: Isaias Farcheg

Para: lionel.roberts@pobox.com [lionel.roberts@pobox.com]

Caracas May 23 rd. 2004.

Dear good, old, and always remembered Lionel (alias Br. Vincent).

I was really happy to we have crossed the lines of our lives again.

I received your letter about a month ago, and was looking forward to have the time to reflect about many things that have happened since I left the School in 1958.

I was aware that you had been in Brazil, and still have the two photos that you sent me, recently married.

Precisely one of them is the one that I handled to Kertesz in order to send in the circular dedicated to you.

I started to study medicine in 1959 and graduated in 1965.

I did my internship in the Military Hospital of Caracas.

In this hospital I had the opportunity of hospitalizing Father Bernard, while he was the Abbot.

I am actually a Gastroenterologist (digestive system).

I went back to Mount St. Benedict, twenty years after I left it, in 1978, and had the chance of seeing Father Augustine, Cuthbert, Ildefonse...and a few others.

I was really sad to have seen how the monastery, did have difficulties with the new vocations.

Even so, I was conscious of the fact that monastic life, has been abandoned all over.

While I was staying in the states, had the opportunity of seeing a program in the PBS about Old abandoned Monasteries.

So of course Mount St. Benedict, was not going to be an exception.

I did my Fellowship in Baltimore between 1974 and 1975.

By mid-year in 1975 I got married with Marie, who has given me three children...the elder one Simon Jose is an Attorney and is 27 years old, Natalie who is 26 years old and just graduated in Industrial Engineering and the smallest one Said, is trying to fix his future without any success.

We are fighting to get him through.

In looking back to the old days, we have to be grateful to God, that we had people like you and all at Mount, who gave us values, like discipline, and the desire to be better day to day, organization in our life, sense of leadership, sense the value of friendship and responsibility, and many others values.

When you mentioned the phrase, that was and I can imagine your quality as a person.

You got us involved in the team work of the Houses.

Sometimes when we have a dinner meeting, is unbelievable how every one remembers the House that he belonged to...my House was St. Lawrence and Elias my brother belonged to St. Francis...

By the way the last time I went to Mount, I stopped in our football field, and walk it up and down and really felt sad but at the same time grateful to think of the moments of glory in sports that we had been able to experience in the different games.

I still remember Michael Howell running in front of me in the 100 yards competition and in the 220 yards, or even trying to compete with Lucky ( by the way he is a Judge in Trinidad).

The great moments when we had the luck of making a goal...and how we got to be admired like miniature Pele of football.

There were the workers in the kitchen that use to leave on my seat in the refectory and extra amount of peanut butter or extra portion of cheese, as a reward for the goal one scored.

Brother Gerard has been coming frequently to Venezuela, since he is in charge of the Swimming boys that represent Trinidad. Brother Gerard has the opportunity of putting me up to date, with the news of the Mount.

I am glad that you are in the Ministry of being a Deacon for the Church.

I will remember you in my prayers.

By the way Sarkis Farcheg, my cousin has moved to Tampa, so he might visit you one day in the near future.

He is at the present in Venezuela, and I think will be going to the States in two months’ time.

I will not get you tired for this time, but since we have this means of communicating, I will be giving you more information about Elias, Manuel Prada, Gerard Most, the Fedaks and talk to you about the wonderful work Ladislao Kertesz has done with the Web Page of Mount St. Benedict.

Greetings to your wife, and receive my wishes of a good embrace and big smile, that the famous Lionel has appeared once more in our life.

God Bless you and your family.

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Here I am including an account taken from memory on an event that had taken place during my time at the school.

With this, you may include me in the writers list.

And now <<<<<MASS: (not to be confused with anything of the Carnival)

Can anyone remember the daily Mass?? Seven days a week!

Well here an account as I remember the daily event and its transformation from a seven day event to a three times a week event.

The original resume was sent out in Circular 64.

Again I am writing about another regular event that happened at the Mount:

In this one I wanted to recall our everyday going to Mass at 6:15 am.

The chapel was part of the small boy’s dormitory, its Southern wing; you may recognize it by looking to our Web page, next to it was the staircase going down to the play hall or where we had pictures on Saturday night, 16mm pictures.

What can I say, it was a routine when I arrived in 1955 and for some of you the memories of going to Mass might recall happiness but for the majority it was no fun.

The bench prefects had to keep their charge awake, no head was allowed to touch the bench top and the kneeling had to be straight, no backside was allowed to touch the seat.

This drill, which some objected, did make us what we are today, I do not regret it.

In 1958 there was a change, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, instead of going to Mass you had the choice to change Mass time for study time.

In my case I was one of those that preferred study to Mass, I always had something to write or read, mostly unfinished homework.

From the time I entered MSB, Prep A (I entered MSB on Sept. 1955) to Form III (1957) the routine was of going to Mass as soon as we woke up, you had 15 minutes to dress and get in the Chapel.

After Mass you had again 15 minutes to get to the Refectory that was located next to the Church bells, close to the Monastery’s main entrance and on the North side.

The Mass lasted exactly 37 minutes!!!, joking, but I had favourite priests who took about 30 minutes and those not so favourite that took 45 minutes.

No matter, those with a watch always found that time crawled.

Naturally I am talking as a personal experience and the looks on the faces of those that kneeled around my location.

Piece of wood plank was the surface for kneeling; not the soft kneeling stools of nowadays. But I enjoyed the Latin of them days to the local language now days and the Gregorian singing to the rock and whatever and wherever is done today.

Maybe someone would like to add to this!!!

(Your editor)

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Hello, Ladislao

How are you and the family?

Hope everything is going your way over there.

Well I am happy to inform you that I spoke with Mr Stanley Ferguson in Lakeland Florida.

I also ask him about his brothers Duncan and Peter and his cousin Christopher.

They all are still alive and living in Florida and his brother Peter became a priest and is leaving by Galveston are but has retired and will be moving to Florida to live as well.

He had been in touch with Lionel Roberts and I ask him to get in touch with him and let me know and to give him my phone # .

I have also told my brother to try and get in touch with Lionel in St Petersburg.

By the way Mr Stanley is 72 years old.

As soon as I get more information from them I’ll pass it along.

Stanley doesn’t have a computer he says he leaves the old fashion way still.

I told him to go on the Abbeyschool.com web if he got someone with a computer.

I ask him to give me some names of old boys that he could remember and this are some of them (Johnny Camacho, David De Castro, Arthur Knaggs, The O’Connor brothers, he will give a list as he remembers later on.

Well I hope this is good news, he also told me he went from 1945 to 1951 he was one of the first students, he also remembered Father Cuthbert and Father Augustine, and of course Brother Vincent.

We had a very pleasant chat.

Well I also want to thank you for the circulars I still enjoy them even though it is from the old school 40's 50's 60's not much on the 70's any way it is good to hear from all the old boys

God bless

Salvador Coscarart. 

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WhatsApp:

19-02-2017 Zanelli Enrique: Hello guys.... FYI Salvador's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at 9 a.m....I just left the hospital and he is in good spirits .... pls 🙏 for him and that everything goes well.... I will update you once I know more.... good night..

19-02-2017 Tito: Está en buenas manos, todo va a salir bien

19-02-2017 Ibarra Frank: Gracias Enrique!🏻

20-02-2017 Ramsahai Winston 99: Tks

20-02-2017 Dornellas Michael: Thanks for the update.  Keeping the situation in prayer.  Specs.

20-02-2017 M Coscarart Salvador: ready for action. waiting for the happy juice.

20-02-2017 Alfredo Montiel Bezara: Everything is going to be fine !

20-02-2017 Gyuris Attila: Salvador: I know you must be  under anesthesia right now. My thoughts and prayers  are with you .  May the surgery  be totally successful. Que Dios te bendiga,Saludos cuando despiertes. Attila.

20-02-2017 Kenny Azizul: Talk to u soon brother

20-02-2017 Zanelli Enrique: Doctors first report is that everything is going well.... another 2 or 3 hours to go

20-02-2017 Montiel Bezara: 👍🙏🇺🇸🇻🇪

20-02-2017 Zanelli Enrique: Actually they just finished and he is going to recovery now.... everything went well...

20-02-2017 Tito: Q bien

20-02-2017 Cantore Oscar: Lo vamos a llamar cuero de mato Salvador

20-02-2017 Kenny Azizul: Great

20-02-2017 Ramsahai Winston 99: Be strong you in good hands

20-02-2017 Ibarra Frank: Gracias a Dios!

20-02-2017 Moffie Edgar: Keep up brothers things will work out good....Sal will be ok....

20-02-2017 Fr. Imash: God is Great!!!

20-02-2017 Dornellas Michael: Amen and amen

20-02-2017 Ramsahai Winston 99: "'I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,' says the Lord" (see Jer 30:17). Neal will you take up.the offering

20-02-2017 Zanelli Enrique: In recovery

20-02-2017 Gomes Ian: Get well soon salvador. You are in all msb boys prayers for a speedy recovery. God bless you and keep you.

20-02-2017 19:04:17: M Cantore Oscar: Cuero de mato get well soon glad to ser you waking Up

20-02-2017 Alan: Get well soon my brother

20-02-2017 Charles Neil: Sure,once ok get some wine. Salvador is on cloud nine

20-02-2017 Cantore Oscar: He does not need wine

20-02-2017 Tito: Mañana un buen pebellon o cocido gallego

20-02-2017 Gyuris Attila: You look like  you are full of that happy juice. !  😁

20-02-2017 Coscarart Salvador: Living in the hospital. Viviendo en el hospital. Houston texas. 2 20 2017.  Starting on recovery

22-02-2017 Ibarra Frank: Cómo te sientes Sal?

22-02-2017 Moffie Edgar: Well done brother......que ha dicho el doctor??....

22-02-2017 Cantore Oscar: pareces un maniqui te ves fino me alegro que todo haya salido bien Sal saludos. All good stared physical therapy and then the kemotherapy.  Muy bien Frank 

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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.

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Photos:

53MBS0011ABBEY, Marie Boisserie

17LK0002LKEAOB, Ladislao Kertesz and Anthony Obrien in Bogota

12LK7031FBCTE, Chandra Teelucksingh

12BG0014BGOSTE, Brian Goddard and Stephen Tempro Barbados