Circular No 173

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

Caracas, 26 of February 2005. Circular No. 173

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Dear Friends

I am enclosing emails and photos received from Fr. Abbot, and sent to the Circular.

I must ask forgiveness for the late publication but during November and December I did not send out the required Circulars because I was travelling in the interior of the country.

For those that send in material, I am going to publish all of it, maybe with a delay. This is because I try to collect a few emails from the same person and try to get photos for the story.

Those that would like to send information, please send it thru Kertesz11@yahoo.com or Kertesz11@netscape.net. In these I have 250MB storage space. Of course you can use the multiple email addreses that I use to SEND the Circulars, but the above I check daily and the others only when I mail the Circulars.

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From: "John P" the-mount@carib-link.net
Subject: Photos of Fr Francis and Fr Igantius
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 07:57:47 -0400
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Dear Ladislao,
I have attached a few photos from my recent trip to Holland.
Fr. Francis Friesen and Fr Ignatius are quite happy in Holland.
Fr Abbot

(I am sorry to say that Fr. Francis has a weak eyesight and Fr. Ignatius has asked not to be sent emails, because of the limitations at their home, ed.)
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From: "ladislao Kertesz"
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 04:20:47 -0700
From: John P
Sent: 10/12/2004 11:28:10 PM

Thanks Ladislao,
Yes, the highlighting of MSB anniversary was well done!
Keep up the good work!
I will send you a photo of the community.
God bless!
Fr Abbot

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From: ladislao Kertesz
To: jaebp@hotmail.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 9:09 AM
Subject: Re: Article LK

Dear Fr. Abbot
Thank you for the newspaper report.
I shall include it in the next Circular No. 154.
I hope you got Circular No. 153 remembering the MSB Anniversary.
Please make comments on it as I just took old anniversary issues and got information that is not precise.
Also could you check out the photo with the clergy?.
Fr. Christopher helped me on it.
If I had the new photo of this year I shall include it also.
The photo that you have in the web page is not sufficiently detailed, need on with better resolution.
Please send the photos thru KERTESZ11@YAHOO.COM, there I have enough inbox space.
God Bless
Ladislao Kertesz

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From:laci kertesz
To: jaebp@hotmail.com
Date: 10/8/2004 8:39:19 PM

Dear Fr.Abbot
I saw the anniversaries, but I had other things in mind.
I was the Monastery’s Anniversary, coming next week !
How many years??
Is there going to be something special, visit by the Archbishop???
A dinner???
Mass?
Gregorgian Songs??
Anything out of the routine???
God Bless
Ladislao

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From: John Pereira
Sent: 9/5/2004 11:40:36 AM

Dear Ladislao,
I am now in Belgium attending the General Chapter of our Congregation.
I will also spend a few days in Holland visiting Fr Francis Friesen and Fr Ignatius.
Then I go to Rome for the Abbot´s Congress.
I return to the Mount at the end of September.
Then, I will update the site.
Sorry for my short sentences, but I am trying to get used to these Belgium computers. They have their keyboards all mixed up.
Fr Abbot

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From: laci kertesz
To: jaebp@hotmail.com
Date: 10/4/2004 1:23:46 PM

Dear Fr. Abbot
Can you give me insight on the anniversary celebrations at MSB this year???
I want to include information in the Circular for the occasion.
I hope you had a nice trip.
Did you meet Fr. Francis?, can you write a few words on the meeting???
God Bless
Ladislao

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From: laci kertesz
To: jaebp@hotmail.com
Date: 9/4/2004 7:26:01 PM

Dear Fr. Abbot
Thank you for the information.
I only need the names of those that were teachers at the Abbey School.
In your web site, you will have all, those that were and weren’t.
So if it not a hardship, can you just send me those that I need specifically?
The idea is to have the name and date for a special issue of the Circular.
God Bless
Ladislao


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From: John P
Sent: 8/15/2004 1:50:10 PM

Dear Ladislao,
Very nice to hear from you!
Yes, I have the names of all the monks buried in the cemetery.
I hope to have them up on the website very soon.
Thanks again!
Fr Abbot

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From: John P |
Subject: Re: MOUNT ST BENEDICT WEBSITE
Date: 10/5/2004 11:33:06 PM

Dear Ladislao,
Many thanks for your email!
I have up-loaded onto our MSB Website, the anniversaries at Mount St Benedict for 2004 and 2005.
There is a link on the Home Page called "Anniversaries".
If you click on 2004 anniversaries, you will get all the data.
Similarly for 2005 anniversaries.
My trip to Belgium, Holland and Rome was indeed very interesting.
One of the highlights was the opportunity to meet with Fr Ignatius and Fr Francis at Berchmanianum.
I had some very pleasant discussions with both of them.
It was my first meeting with Fr Francis as he was working in Jamaica when I joined the Abbey in 1985.
I had heard a lot about him, but I had never met him.
Fr Francis has the Monastery of Mount St Benedict very close to his heart, and he is continually thinking about the community in Trinidad.
He is very concerned about the very few monks at the Abbey and has come up with a plan to help revive it.
He proposed the idea of "Familia Benedictina" as a way out of our present predicament.
He understands this concept as the combination of the monastery with a number of other communities gathered around the Mount and under its influence.
He sees the transition from monastery to family taking place in each of the following fields:

1. The Benedictine Institute of the Oblates
2. The Former Apostolates of the Abbey, e.g. former students of the Abbey School.
3. The all-important work of our Parlours, both Christians and non-Christians.
4. Former monks (solemnly professed monks who left the Abbey).

All these groupings could form a nucleus with the Abbey at the centre.
I will attach a few photos from my meeting with Frs Ignatius and Francis.
God bless!
Fr Abbot John Pereira

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From: John P
Subject: MOUNT ST BENEDICT WEBSITE
Date: 8/12/2004 9:57:29 AM

We now have a website for the Monastery at Mount St Benedict.
The address is www.paxabbey.com
Please let us know what you think of it.
Abbot John

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REMEMBER TO PAY YOUR DUE, 50 WORDS PER YEAR, OR SEND A CHECK preferably from any U.S. Bank, for those that prefer this way to cooperate with the Circular and the expense that this generates. It is 52 issues.

God Bless

Ladislao
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Photo: Fr. Francis at restaurant, Fr. Ignatius, Frs. Ignatius, Abbot John, Fr. Francis

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Look us up at http://www.theabbeyschool.com, an all class msb web site.
Look at www.paxabbey.com, for information on the Monastery, Mt St. Benedict.
For those that want to communicate with the web, use, webmaster@theabbeyschool.com.
Send information to: Ladislaokertesz@hotmail.com, if you would like to be in the circular’s mailing list or any old boy that you would like to include. Telf. 58 (212) 263.5346 Caracas.
Use kertesz11@netscape.net, or kertesz11@yahoo.com, for photos as I leave enough storage space for these.
Please note: you may have missed some of the circulars, if you have not received one every week, do not hesitate to ask for the missing number to idmitch@anguillanet.com,
For those that would like to contact me here I include my telephones:
Telf.Office: 58 (212) 263.5346, 267.2416, From: 11:00GMT to 22:00GMT
FAX: 58 (212) 261.0829,
Home: 58 (212) 238.4084. From: 00:00 GMT to 04:00 GMT
Cellphone: +58 (0416) 612.5695
Remember that Venezuela’s time is the same as Trinidad’s, -04:00 GMT.

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Circular No 172

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

Caracas, 19 of February 2005. Circular No. 172
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Dear Friends,
I am sorry to inform you that in the files received from Arthur Knaggs, BULL No. 12 is missing.
Can anyone help with a copy???
So instead I am going to send a copy of some of the letters that were sent during that time.
Remember to send in comments in case you would like to add, delete or modify anything that is being sent.
I need information on the ALUMNI that are mentioned, I do not have all the email addresses and telephones, or even the wellbeing for some of them.
So here is the first letter:
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16 August 1985

Dear Arthur,

It is always a pleasure to receive on of your newsletters.
So was OASIS No. 14.
I can’t help feeling guilty however, because I have not paid my dues.
The problem is getting the money to you.
Could you let me know how much I owe?
If you get the time to drop me a line, I would be grateful.
In the mean time I am enclosing $10.00 U.S. hoping that it will reach you intact.
I spent an evening at the Mount this week and had a short glimpse of Fr. Ildefons.
He is always very busy.
Being head of the Charismatic movement in Trinidad, he doesn’t have a moment to spare, and gets around everywhere on his motorcycle.
A dangerous means of transport, especially today.
He most certainly has God’s protection.
Since your migration, (wish I could do the same) Trinidad has changed immensely.
It is no longer the quite easy going place it used to be.
You would probably be surprised to see Trinidad as it is today.
The overcrowding, the traffic jams, the parking problems.
On the road to Mount St. Benedict, most of the trees have been cut down.
In the area just before your enter the gate, and on the right hand side of the roads, a housing development has recently completed.
There is also a lot more squatting on the mountain sides, where people have planted gardens.
These are just a few of the many changes that have taken place, besides all the huge Government buildings in Port of Spain and the rest of the Island.
Crime and unemployment have increased, but the police are doing their best to keep lawlessness under control.
Hope you can pay us a visit soon.
My family and myself wish to send our kindest regards to you and your family, wishing you the best of health and prosperity over the coming years
God bless you
Anselm Brunton.
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24 March 1983

Dear Arthur,

It was indeed a pleasure receiving your Old Boys Newsletter and as my Mother was here spending time with me it brought back many memories of Mt. St. Benedict.

I have always appreciated the fact that I was able to attend Mount St. Benedict which in my opinion contributed to the greatest hay days ever. I also have a sincere deep feeling for all the “Old Boys” and many who I have met share that same feeling. (They must have done something right).

Now for some news:
I met Adrian Ache about two months ago and we spent a most pleasant day tracking down business contacts.
I have been involved in the Export Market for several years, so please advise the old boys that whatever they may be looking for in the nature of Exports that Dave should be their contact man, for I am part of a World Wide Organization with access to many avenues including not only in obtaining the required products or items but also shipping.
Hence one of my reasons for leaving Canada to be nearer South and Central America and the West Indies.
Delano is doing well in Trinidad and is the President of the Custom Brokers Association. Of Trinidad and Tobago and also runs his own Brokerage Co.
I suppose your know that Phillip Nassief (so I’ve read) is the Minister of Development of New Industry.
Should you have any address of any Old Boys please forward them with your next Newsletter.
I think it may be a good idea to ask the Old Boys to write in any funny situation they may remember.
For instance – Does anyone remember when Joe Azar got a Donnelly Cake for his Birthday and how I, Malcolm Boyack, and some of the boys pestered him for a piece, but Joe refused constantly.
Eventually, I persuaded him to open the tin and at least let us look at the cake, he did “MISTAKE” a dozen hands immediately attached the cake and poor Joe was left crying with the empty tin can.
There must be endless stories and one day I must get Stanley Ferguson (who only lives an hour away) and myself to make a tape and send for you and some of the other boys can do the same to add for a tape collection.
The economy in the U.S. is extremely bad and jobs are very hard to come by, unless you have U.S.A. Documentation even for Doctors, Lawyers, Tradesmen, etc. (no U.S. Certificates, No Jobs.)
My entire family is doing extremely well, however things are pretty tough with me.
One of my daughters Cassandra will graduate this year and has just been awarded the Honour Society of Country Side High School out of 3000.
Students only 27 were picked as the Principle opening remarks said “Ladies and Gentlemen” this is the Cream of the Crop.
Enclosed is a Xmas Greeting Letter that we send out each year.
As you are planning to come down this way, please be sure to get in touch with me.
By the way what does “O.A.S.I.S.” mean??
Best regards for 1983 to you ands all the old boys
David de Castro
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9/2/83

Dear Arthur,

Many thanks for your newsletter.
Fact of all, I now headquarter myself back in Trinidad weekending home in Granada so mail should he sent here.
Brother Nigel till runs his insurance Brokerage firm, Trinidad Insurance Consultants, he is dead keen on farming has an Estate, cattle and race horses.
Naturally he is still playing good golf.
He has 4 kids 3 girls one boy.
I have 3 girls.
Clive Bethencourt-Gomes now lives in England – Meddow Street, Huntlane, Witherley, Atherstone, Warichshire.
Anyway I have enclosed a check to help keep OASIS alive.
With best wishes to you and your family.

Paul Slinger.
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Hope that you are getting these Circulars,
Please write identifying the mysterious elements in the photos !!!.

REMEMBER TO PAY YOUR DUE, 50 WORDS PER YEAR, OR SEND A CHECK.

God Bless

Ladislao
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Photos: By Roberto Bodington, file 0002c1, file 0002c2
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Circular No 171

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

Caracas, 12 of February 2005. Circular No. 171
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Dear Friends,

Here is another surprise for those that knew him, the last missing member of Class 1960, as taken from the class photo.

I am glad that Nigel helped me to track him down.

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From: Patrick Baichoo

To: nigelboos@eagles-wings.ca

Date: 1/20/2005 2:22:52 PM

Hi Nigel,

What a WONDERFUL surprise to hear from you.

Our re-contact (after SO many years) was a beautiful and exciting event.

Thanks a lot to Ladislao.

As promised, I am copying Ladislao with this email.

We have to meet in person soon.

Patrick Baichoo, Principal Broker/President

pbaichoo@trebnet.com

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To Ladislao,

I have been receiving your email and bulletins for some time now, but for one (lousy) reason or the other, I did not reply to you.

Please accept my apologies.

However, I will be in contact on a one-to-one basis from now on.

Patrick Baichoo,

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From: Don Mitchell, QC

Subject: Season's Greetings

Date: 1/2/2005 5:44:19 PM

Hello Ladislao,

The missing circulars all arrived safely up to No 160, for which many thanks.

Maggie and I are back in Anguilla now since October.

I have retired as a judge and am serving as the first Chairman of the Public Service Integrity Commission of Anguilla.

My other two Board members are a retired Permanent Secretary and a Baptist pastor.

We exist under a statute of the House of Assembly.

Anguilla is such a small place that many people have two or even three jobs.

A customs officer might work at a bar in the evenings and at weekends in the family store to earn extra money to pay for the house mortgage, the bill of sale on the car, the vacation cruise to Alaska, and the college fees for the second child in New York.

Having a second job is not such a problem.

But, sometimes there are complaints and allegations that there is something corrupt about it.

That is what our Board is to look into.

We begin our work seriously early in this New Year.

Our plans include workshops and seminars on conflict of interest issues and the development of a Code of Ethics for the Civil Service.

It is such a relief to be back home.

It was no fun living out of a suitcase for the past 5 years.

The job of being a judge is not difficult, although there were some occasional challenges.

I am proud to boast that I have now served in all 9 of the territories and states of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court: Grenada, St Vincent, St Lucia, Dominica, Montserrat, Antigua, St Kitts & Nevis, Anguilla, and the BVI.

Some of them I saw for only a week, others I was able to explore over months and years.

It was an honour and an opportunity that is not given to many lawyers.

But, now Maggie and I are concentrating on enjoying ourselves, relaxing, and taking up new exercises like walking and gardening.

Keep well and all the best to you, the children and your wife for 2005.

Don

PS: I no longer use the Antigua email "candw.ag" address.

I only use the "anguillanet" email address.

So, please delete the Antigua one from your address book.

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Now a small detour and let me write a few lines on memorabilia from my times 1955-1960.

In this Circular I am including my Terminal Report of December 1955, and I hope no one had a better one!!!.

Also I am including the Receipts for that period; maybe this would satisfy those that wanted to know the cost of tuition at the most expensive school of the island.

The Receipt consisted of three pieces of paper, so here they are.

In those days the USD was 4.00 Bolivars to the USD and 2.00 Bolivars to the TT dollar.

So doing calculus, Fr. Paul would have been proud, the TT Dollar was 2.00 to the USD.

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Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 13:16:31 -0800 (PST)

From: "Stuart Monplaisir"

Ladislao,

I have sent all the circulars that I had to Don and I received confirmation from him that they all transmitted correctly.

Out of the ones he requested I did not have numbers 72-83 and number 98.

Maybe you or someone else has them.

Stu

( Can anyone please help out with the missing issues!!! Ed.)

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REMEMBER TO PAY YOUR DUE, 50 WORDS PER YEAR, OR SEND A CHECK ANY U.S. Bank, for those that prefer this way to cooperate with the Circular and the expense that this generates. It is 52 issues.

God Bless

Ladislao

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Photos: Terminal report, Receipts

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Circular No 170

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

Caracas, 5 of February 2005. Circular No. 170
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Dear Friends,

Here I have included a conversation that I had with Stuart Monplaisir on the Famous swimming, better yet, water hole that was used before the actual swimming pool was built.
Even after the swimming pool was in use some daring souls would go to the swimming hole to catch small aquarium fishes and if lucky glimpses on the local girls using it.

The conversation was as follows:

The first part is about email addreses then my favourite subject, Scouts.
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lazslo kertesz: there is no one as yet, I have even had Marothy´s address as unknown.
sm: Well I am on most of the day so if you need anything more from me you can IM me and get it right away.
lazslo kertesz: thank you for your offer of help.
lazslo kertesz: mainly I need information on the past, those MSB days.
lazslo kertesz: were you a scout?
sm: Yes, ended up being a Queen scout. About a year ago you published a story that I sent to you about a scout trip
lazslo kertesz: ok now I remember!! sorry.
lazslo kertesz: but I need additional information, simple information
lazslo kertesz: such as badges??
sm: Well you get a lot of stuff it must be hard to remember it all
lazslo kertesz: Everybody studied for them but nobody as yet has given me the names or other information, photos or the difficulties .
lazslo kertesz: I know, I still remember of the construction of a bridge in the basketball court.
sm: As far as badges all I remember is the Queen scout. The others are lost from memory. If I remember I will send you an email.
lazslo kertesz: with Fr. Ildefonse riding his motorcycle thru the bridge, with Fr. Abbot watching.
lazslo kertesz: but that is another story to be published
sm: I remember digging the hole for the swimming pool and carting all that rocky soil away in wheelbarrows and Fr Ildefonse directing things
lazslo kertesz: oh that must have been the swimming hole??
lazslo kertesz: off the sports field at the end of the main road at the start the zig zag road before the sports field.??
lazslo kertesz: I remember that we walked down to the river and about 100 meters there was a swimming hole.
sm: Yes, down behind the Tennis courts
lazslo kertesz: good story, can you write something about the event.
lazslo kertesz: I arrived in 1955 and until 1956 sept. we did not have the new pool.
lazslo kertesz: And the actual swimming pool was closed immediately after, because on side was built higher than the other and the filters were up and dry.
lazslo kertesz: I used the swimming hole down by the main road quite often even in the last term of 1956.
sm: I will try and dig up some memories but they are getting very faded over the years.
lazslo kertesz: But I am sure it is fun to try to reconstruct the past if it was enjoyable?
sm: It was an enjoyable place until it turned green and we had to clean it after they drained it.
lazslo kertesz: Until the new pool was build and then had it rebuilt because of faulty levelling.
lazslo kertesz: the hole was the place.
sm: I had forgotten the relevelling.
lazslo kertesz: I remember the hole specially when we encountered others bathing especially girls.
lazslo kertesz: yes, Bro, Gabriel had the levelleling instrument placed at the center of the drained pool and the lower side was raised so that the edge was level.
lazslo kertesz: Naturally the bottom of the pool was and is still deeper on one of the lateral sides.
sm: I don't remember girls in the pool. I hope that I have not gotten so old that I forgot something like that. Maybe I was playing tennis at the time.
lazslo kertesz: it was a case of luck, not an everyday item.
lazslo kertesz: In the hole there was a large rock, that claimed few bruised heads and I believe a broken arm??
sm: Where in the pool area. Don't remember.
lazslo kertesz: I remember these because there were cases of bruises that merited closure of the hole for extended periods.
lazslo kertesz: luckily no one was killed but I remember the crazy guys that jumped of the rock, trying to show how brave and bold they were.
sm: Yes I remember the earth walls used to have small landslides. They probably should have had a professional company dig the hole but it a pleasant memory 50 years later.
lazslo kertesz: By the time I used it, the biggest problem was the shallowness and people throwing rocks from the road.
lazslo kertesz: and naturally the mosquitoes.
sm: Yes we used to complain but look at what we have now memories to cherish. I for one am glad I went there. Bernard Johnson tells me it is now a school for troubled boys.
lazslo kertesz: yes it is, they have placed a gate and it is closed to the public.
sm: Going to have to sign off for now. Will be back on later. Nice to talk to you. I will watch to see if you are on again and I will try to come up with a story for you.
lazslo kertesz: please do. I am glad that you are helping me with stories.
lazslo kertesz: till next time

WOULD APPRECIATE COMMENTS BY THE SWIMMING HOLE USERS
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From: David E. Bratt MD
Date: 1/31/2005 10:11:36 PM

That must have been eons ago……
I’ll check it out.
Dave
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From: Ladislao kertesz
Sent: Sunday, 30 January 2005 04:10 PM
To: dbratt@trinidad.net

Dear David,
Ok, mum until you send me a resume.
Was there an old association ??
Arthus Knaggs used to mention it.
There was a president etc.
Who was the last, was there a secretary?? maybe Kitty?

God Bless
Ladislao
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From: David E. Bratt MD
Sent: 1/30/2005 4:02:05 PM

HI Ladislao,
I’ll ask Roger for his email when I see him.
All the best for 2005.
David Bratt

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Please Christian, resend photos as those that you sent have low resolution.

God Bless

Ladislao
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Photo:. Christian Goddard CG001, Pool LK 1960

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