Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 26 of October 2003. Circular No. 103
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
Here is the Eulogy for Fr. Bernard as it appeared in the farewell card that we
received:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Father Bernard Vlaar
1915 – 1991
Monk of the Mount St. Benedict Abbey Trinidad
Born in Hoorn, Holland, on 24th May, 1915, he received the names, Timothy Peter, at baptism.
After being turned down by the Mill Hill Fathers, with whom he studied for a few years, because of frail health, he entered the Benedictine monastery in Trinidad, in 1937, determined now to be a missionary monk.
Monastic Profession followed on 8th September, 1938, and the ordination to the priesthood on 19th March, 1942.
In the following year he was appointed first Rector of the Minor Seminary and first Headmaster of the conjoined boarding-school.
In 1949, he was reading for a science Degree at Oxford and resumed the Headmastership two years after his return in 1951.
In 1972 he was appointed Prior-Administrator and, in 1975, Abbot.
He resigned in 1979, after suffering a cerebral stroke.
In 1981, while on a visit to Holland, he sustained severe hot-water burns while bathing, that left him crippled.
In September, 1991, he fractured his leg after falling down from his wheel-chair.
Further complications set in and he passed peacefully to the Lord in the Caura Chest Hospital, where efforts were made to deal with his pleurisy, on the morning of Sunday, 27th October.
After well-attended funeral Mass on Tuesday 29th, his body was laid to rest in the Abbey cemetery.
Father Bernard was a humble and lovable man filled with the Spirit of the Lord.
The spirituality of the Charismatic Renewal, which he served as its Spiritual Director, swayed and transformed his life of faith and prepared him for these twelve years of physical confirmed which he endured prayerfully with heroic patience.
---------------------------------------------------
The circular is inviting those that have a golden pen for a short resume on Fr. Bernard´s life, to write and let others know, how life was influenced by our beloved headmaster, and to set an example…..
But in case you wonder how my life was under Fr. Bernard, here is a very short episode that I wanted you to have.
I remember him as the HEADMASTER and I was always afraid to be called by him, as it was a sign that you did something wrong. But of course this was not so but it was in the air.
The first time I was called in to his office was on Sunday, right after the study period at 10 am, the study period where you were supposed to write letters to your family and friends.
Naturally the first step was to scan my brains of my last few hours movement, to check of any deviation of the rules, just in case I had to make up an excuse.
I knocked on the door of his office and was ushered in, I cannot express the felling that I had upon crossing the threshold but the feeling was there, maybe because of the multiple rumours and the general fear that his call generated and the sight of the CANE propped in one corner.
I was told to sit down in the straight back chair in front of his desk, and I was ready for the dress down or the unknown.
With my eyes and ears tuned, I was suddenly aware that the situation was not a reprisal or punishment. He asked me about the address on a letter that I had just written to my aunt in Hungary, the letter did not have a Mr, Miss, before the name as was customary, so I was asked kindly, for whom the letter was addressed; male, female or the way the Magyars were accustomed to address a person. Once I gave him the right answer I was relieved how easy was it all. But no matter, until I again crossed the threshold of the door, I did not feel easy.
Outside my friends were waiting to find out how I did or what I did. Or maybe to hear my cries!!!!
I know that this does not say a lot about Fr. Bernard but I can tell you that he was respected to a great extent, at least by us the younger generation, I was 13 at that time and in Form I in 1956.
I regret that I never had a closer friendship with him during my five years at the school, but somehow he represented an authority that was not to be joked about.
In a later issue I shall recount another episode that might help to gauge the appreciation and general , that I have had and still remember of this great teacher and HEADMEASTER.
---------------------------------------------------
Now another bad news, but this one recent, year 2003, for those that knew him and had him as a teacher.
---------------------------------------------------
Date: 15 Oct 13:28 (PDT)
Dear Ladislao,
We received the sad news of the passing of Fr. Paul van den Eijnden in his native Holland on October the 13th.
The funeral will take place on Saturday, 18th October, after which according to his last wishes his mortal remains will be cremated.
Paul had been battling cancer of the kidneys for a number of years and was getting increasingly weaker.
In the end he was longing to die and return to his Lord.
God bless and every good wish.
Fr. Christopher.
----------------------------------------------------
I am sure that there is another story to be told on Fr. Paul’s chess abilities.
----------------------------------------------------
"Rafael Echeverria G."
Date: 12 Oct 07:04 (PDT)
Ladislao !!!
Gracias por esas bellas fotos... cuanto lamento no haber estado allí.... me
impresionó ver a Father Cuthbert, Mi Scout Master!!!! Se ve bien, saludable y
fuerte aunque los años no pasan en vano !!!
UN ABRAZOTE A TODOS MIS COMPAÑEROS DE MOUNT !!!!
Rafel Echeverría ..... CHECHÉ !!!!
----------------------------------------------------
From: BC Pires
Date: 30 Aug 07:41 (PDT)
Ladislao
Afraid not.
Swamped at the moment, moving to London soon.
Take care
bc
-----------------------------------------------------
On Friday, August 29, 2003, at 09:08 PM, Ladislao Kertesz wrote:
Dear BC,
I am sorry that you missed the EVENT, as I had hoped an interesting narrative, coming from a polemic writer as you have been catalogued.
I am trying to make the Circular as interesting as possible, but you, and the readers are the main actors.
Has any news been published on the EVENT?
By the way can you help me, The name Kurt Allen should sound to you, I have him as an oldboy???,
Where can I get information on P.G. Wilson our sports coach, long gone??
There seems to have been a Glen Campell, singer?, in the internet he appears a born in the W.I., was he a MSB guy?
I have no email address or information to publish on them!, can you help.
God bless
Ladislao
-------------------------------------------------------
On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 09:53:06 -0400, BC Pires wrote:
Ladislao
I’m afraid I missed it.
My family is moving to London soon and I am just too swamped.
I had to work in Chaguanas all day Sunday at a photo shoot that never ended until late.
I do receive the circulars and start reading all of them, even if time doesn't permit me to finish the ones that don't seem relevant to me after a bit. You’re doing a good job, though. I spoke with my old classmate, Joe Berment, who told me he was going. I regret missing it; but work and travel preparations are eating up all my time.
Bc
------------------------------------------------------
On Sunday, August 24, 2003, at 09:27 AM, Ladislao Kertesz wrote:
BC,
How are you?
I hope you are receiving the Circular?, Please comment on them.
Did you go to the 1st, Mount reunion? last week?
Did you write an article on it?
God bless
Ladislao
-----------------------------------------------------
So here is the end.
I have a few questions for all of you, How many of you has all the circulars??,
What is the storage space needed? Are you willing to FW copies to those oldboys that are missing some of the issues??
God Bless
Ladislao
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Listado: C103.xls
Photo: Fr. Bernard in Caracas no.
Photo: Fr. Paul
Wayne Vincent Brown’s column can be seen at www.Jamaicaobserver.com,
Column: dbratt –Alternative medicine
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Caracas, 26 of October 2003. Circular No. 103
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
Here is the Eulogy for Fr. Bernard as it appeared in the farewell card that we
received:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Father Bernard Vlaar
1915 – 1991
Monk of the Mount St. Benedict Abbey Trinidad
Born in Hoorn, Holland, on 24th May, 1915, he received the names, Timothy Peter, at baptism.
After being turned down by the Mill Hill Fathers, with whom he studied for a few years, because of frail health, he entered the Benedictine monastery in Trinidad, in 1937, determined now to be a missionary monk.
Monastic Profession followed on 8th September, 1938, and the ordination to the priesthood on 19th March, 1942.
In the following year he was appointed first Rector of the Minor Seminary and first Headmaster of the conjoined boarding-school.
In 1949, he was reading for a science Degree at Oxford and resumed the Headmastership two years after his return in 1951.
In 1972 he was appointed Prior-Administrator and, in 1975, Abbot.
He resigned in 1979, after suffering a cerebral stroke.
In 1981, while on a visit to Holland, he sustained severe hot-water burns while bathing, that left him crippled.
In September, 1991, he fractured his leg after falling down from his wheel-chair.
Further complications set in and he passed peacefully to the Lord in the Caura Chest Hospital, where efforts were made to deal with his pleurisy, on the morning of Sunday, 27th October.
After well-attended funeral Mass on Tuesday 29th, his body was laid to rest in the Abbey cemetery.
Father Bernard was a humble and lovable man filled with the Spirit of the Lord.
The spirituality of the Charismatic Renewal, which he served as its Spiritual Director, swayed and transformed his life of faith and prepared him for these twelve years of physical confirmed which he endured prayerfully with heroic patience.
---------------------------------------------------
The circular is inviting those that have a golden pen for a short resume on Fr. Bernard´s life, to write and let others know, how life was influenced by our beloved headmaster, and to set an example…..
But in case you wonder how my life was under Fr. Bernard, here is a very short episode that I wanted you to have.
I remember him as the HEADMASTER and I was always afraid to be called by him, as it was a sign that you did something wrong. But of course this was not so but it was in the air.
The first time I was called in to his office was on Sunday, right after the study period at 10 am, the study period where you were supposed to write letters to your family and friends.
Naturally the first step was to scan my brains of my last few hours movement, to check of any deviation of the rules, just in case I had to make up an excuse.
I knocked on the door of his office and was ushered in, I cannot express the felling that I had upon crossing the threshold but the feeling was there, maybe because of the multiple rumours and the general fear that his call generated and the sight of the CANE propped in one corner.
I was told to sit down in the straight back chair in front of his desk, and I was ready for the dress down or the unknown.
With my eyes and ears tuned, I was suddenly aware that the situation was not a reprisal or punishment. He asked me about the address on a letter that I had just written to my aunt in Hungary, the letter did not have a Mr, Miss, before the name as was customary, so I was asked kindly, for whom the letter was addressed; male, female or the way the Magyars were accustomed to address a person. Once I gave him the right answer I was relieved how easy was it all. But no matter, until I again crossed the threshold of the door, I did not feel easy.
Outside my friends were waiting to find out how I did or what I did. Or maybe to hear my cries!!!!
I know that this does not say a lot about Fr. Bernard but I can tell you that he was respected to a great extent, at least by us the younger generation, I was 13 at that time and in Form I in 1956.
I regret that I never had a closer friendship with him during my five years at the school, but somehow he represented an authority that was not to be joked about.
In a later issue I shall recount another episode that might help to gauge the appreciation and general , that I have had and still remember of this great teacher and HEADMEASTER.
---------------------------------------------------
Now another bad news, but this one recent, year 2003, for those that knew him and had him as a teacher.
---------------------------------------------------
Date: 15 Oct 13:28 (PDT)
Dear Ladislao,
We received the sad news of the passing of Fr. Paul van den Eijnden in his native Holland on October the 13th.
The funeral will take place on Saturday, 18th October, after which according to his last wishes his mortal remains will be cremated.
Paul had been battling cancer of the kidneys for a number of years and was getting increasingly weaker.
In the end he was longing to die and return to his Lord.
God bless and every good wish.
Fr. Christopher.
----------------------------------------------------
I am sure that there is another story to be told on Fr. Paul’s chess abilities.
----------------------------------------------------
"Rafael Echeverria G."
Date: 12 Oct 07:04 (PDT)
Ladislao !!!
Gracias por esas bellas fotos... cuanto lamento no haber estado allí.... me
impresionó ver a Father Cuthbert, Mi Scout Master!!!! Se ve bien, saludable y
fuerte aunque los años no pasan en vano !!!
UN ABRAZOTE A TODOS MIS COMPAÑEROS DE MOUNT !!!!
Rafel Echeverría ..... CHECHÉ !!!!
----------------------------------------------------
From: BC Pires
Date: 30 Aug 07:41 (PDT)
Ladislao
Afraid not.
Swamped at the moment, moving to London soon.
Take care
bc
-----------------------------------------------------
On Friday, August 29, 2003, at 09:08 PM, Ladislao Kertesz wrote:
Dear BC,
I am sorry that you missed the EVENT, as I had hoped an interesting narrative, coming from a polemic writer as you have been catalogued.
I am trying to make the Circular as interesting as possible, but you, and the readers are the main actors.
Has any news been published on the EVENT?
By the way can you help me, The name Kurt Allen should sound to you, I have him as an oldboy???,
Where can I get information on P.G. Wilson our sports coach, long gone??
There seems to have been a Glen Campell, singer?, in the internet he appears a born in the W.I., was he a MSB guy?
I have no email address or information to publish on them!, can you help.
God bless
Ladislao
-------------------------------------------------------
On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 09:53:06 -0400, BC Pires wrote:
Ladislao
I’m afraid I missed it.
My family is moving to London soon and I am just too swamped.
I had to work in Chaguanas all day Sunday at a photo shoot that never ended until late.
I do receive the circulars and start reading all of them, even if time doesn't permit me to finish the ones that don't seem relevant to me after a bit. You’re doing a good job, though. I spoke with my old classmate, Joe Berment, who told me he was going. I regret missing it; but work and travel preparations are eating up all my time.
Bc
------------------------------------------------------
On Sunday, August 24, 2003, at 09:27 AM, Ladislao Kertesz wrote:
BC,
How are you?
I hope you are receiving the Circular?, Please comment on them.
Did you go to the 1st, Mount reunion? last week?
Did you write an article on it?
God bless
Ladislao
-----------------------------------------------------
So here is the end.
I have a few questions for all of you, How many of you has all the circulars??,
What is the storage space needed? Are you willing to FW copies to those oldboys that are missing some of the issues??
God Bless
Ladislao
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Listado: C103.xls
Photo: Fr. Bernard in Caracas no.
Photo: Fr. Paul
Wayne Vincent Brown’s column can be seen at www.Jamaicaobserver.com,
Column: dbratt –Alternative medicine
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ATTACHMENTS
Listado C103.xls
| Names | Form V | Contact | Nickname | business address | Phone | |
| Kirpatrick, | ||||||
| Kirton, | ||||||
| Knaggs, Arthur | Scrouge | Nova Scotia | OASIS Editor | av_knaggs@hotmail.com | ||
| Knaggs, Gregory | ||||||
| Knaggs, Jack | boos | brother of Arthur | (868) 639 6284 | |||
| Knogh, Anthony | Bolo | |||||
| Knowles, Albert | ||||||
| Knowles, Christopher | 1960 | Popsie | UK | knowlescb@hotmail.com, knowlescb@ntLworld.com, | ||
| Knowles, Noel | boos | |||||
| Knox, Richard | ornellas | (868) 646 2661 | Datavis@tstt.net.tt, | |||
| Koch, Enrique | glen | YV | ||||
| Koendrat, | roge | brother | ||||
| Koendrat, Gerard | roge | |||||
| Kong Ting, Kenneth | 1964 | gabby | ||||
| Koon How, L (RIP) | ||||||
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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