Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School Mt. St. Benedict , Trinidad and Tobago
Dear Friends,
This Circular has been reserved for the Christmas Celebrations.
I am including the emails received for the occasion and my own wishes for the season.
Here are the emails:
From: Art & Val Knaggs
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 6:55PM
Subject: Peace be with you all
Dearly Beloved,
Our Year and a half of 'flittering and gadding' about, spreading love, sharing laughter, enjoying friends and family, exchanging stories, adding experiences, collecting memories, has made our Great Adventure a truly Christian Encounter.
As we settle back into our slightly expanded nest, and tackle our own many challenges, we realise that we are really no different from any other Couple.
We all have our bridges to cross, our dips into unknown valleys, our climb up mighty mountains; and, in our struggles know it is our own attitudes towards life that makes our trip so fulfilling and worthwhile, as we flow towards 'The Light"
God has truly guided us, in His own special way, through our reaching out to all who are near and dear to us over our years together.
Now, Jesus returns (in the Nativity) to remind and wake us up to His Plans for us, ( which He unfolds ' one day at a time'; then He Challenges us to reach inwards to assess weather we are truly and willingly on the "Right Road of Faith, Hope and Love, that He has set out for us.
May you join us as we all celebrate His Birth with great Joy and Happiness, and share it with all your Clan.
We join you in Prayer at this exciting time.
Have a very Merry Christmas,
As always,
Art, Val and our entire Family. A.B.C.D.E.F Plus.
From: Gillian O'Connor
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 2:40 AM
Just a note to wish you a very Happy Christmas and all the best for 2006.
Thank you for all your letters throughout the year which Leary has thoroughly enjoyed even though he is older than most of your correspondents.
He knows he owes you some words but his good intentions take a while to materialise!
I am off to hospital on Sunday for a new knee so maybe while I am recuperating I can sit him down and get him to dictate something.
Regards,
Leary & Gillian
Thought I would send you a copy of my very scrappy Christmas letter even though it may bore you stiff. Just ignore if you don't want to read it.
This is going to be a very short Christmas letter but don’t want the festive season to come and go without wishing you all the best for Christmas and the New Year.
The year has gone so quickly that it seems no time at all since I was sending good wishes for Christmas 2004 and here I am again!
We had a couple of weeks touring Tasmania at the beginning of the year and a few days up at Coral Bay
The grand children count remains at 16 but the difference is that three are now university age which makes me feel ancient and two more leave school at the end of 2006.
Leary keeps fit and well through hard work.
He is still very involved with the Church and is hopefully earning brownie points for me in so doing.
His land keeps him busy and I keep hoping that someone will make us rich by offering to buy and develop it as I think it is becoming too much for him.
Someone did approach all the landowners in the district and I said my prayers but it did not come to anything.
He says if he did not have his land he would have to join a gym or play golf but at least then he would be able to take time off when he wants.
I am off to hospital on Monday to have my right knee replaced and it sounds like a slow and painful recovery but hopefully will be worth while in the end.
Needless to say, since I made the decision my knee feels a lot better but I have been fighting this decision for three years so it’s probably time.
Did not really expect to get in so quickly and thought it would be after Christmas but if I did not take this spot I would have had to wait till end of February and both Leary and I thought it better to bite the bullet and do it.
I will be missing one wedding but hope to be able to go to Gregory’s on the 17th as he is the last in my side of the family to marry.
Guess I won’t be doing too much dancing though!
I am actually more scared of the anaesthesia than the pain of the op as I always get so sick but am assured they have come a long way in that area.
Will let you know in next year’s Christmas letter if I survive!
That’s about it from me. Hope you all have a great Christmas and an even greater 2006.
(I did some cutting, hope you do not mind. Ed.)
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From: Alex de Verteuil
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 8:09PM
Dear Ladislao,
Yes, we have copies of Wild T & T available.
They can be purchased by going on the web site http://wildtandt.com/ .
I will get back to you later with a bio and some photos.
In the mean time I thought I would send you a piece I wrote some time ago in "rango" Trinidadian.
I did send it to a couple of my old Mount colleagues and they said it gave them a chuckle.
Best regards,
Alex
Last Day of Term
Papalou squeeze Castro stones in the fight outside Form IV.
Monkey Toenail, Cow Spray and Small World Azar was sitting under the mango julie tree with Muscle Toe Gransaul eating mango chow with plenty pepper when they hear the confusion and run to see what was going on.
The boys was in a ring around the two who was fighting and was shouting: “Heave! Heave!!”.
Castro had Papalou in a lock-neck and was trying to butt him at the same time.
Papalou face was turning purple because the lock-neck was squeezing his throat.
He must have thought he was going to strangle so he put on the stones-squeeze.
Some of the boys say he do that because he was a Frenchman from Guadaloupe and French people was stink.
They always used to tell that to Papalou but he didn’t used to take them on at all, at all. Besides the Venezuela
One time Castro brother, the little one, Timino, nearly poke out Mafisi eye in a fight down by the apiary.
But that was after Mafisi push he finger up the boy nosehole.
In that fight they kick over a hive and the bees sting them up so bad the two of them end up in the infirmary.
Boy, those pagnol used to fight stink for so!
Anyhow, the boys were shouting “Heave! Heave!!” and making one big set of noise. They was making so much noise that when Papalou grab Castro stones and Castro start to bawl and let out one big fart you nearly couldn’t hear him.
But he had to let go the lock-neck because the stones must have been hurting him real bad, boy.
Well, he fall down on the ground bawling and holding on to his stones and Papalou just stand up there with his mouth buss and blood all over his shirt.
Suddenly, “Fweeep! Fweeeeep!” Whistle…..! Fardifornse coming.
The boys scatter like peas and by the time Scroongie –that is what they used to call Fr. Ildefonse – well, by the time he come round the corner every man jack gone.
Only Castro remain, lying on the ground, holding his stones and crying.
But, you know, he never tell on Papalou.
He tell Ildifonse one of the boys, he didn’t see which one, kick a football and it hit him “below the belly”.
Papalou had make the mistake to cuss Castro mother.
Well, he didn’t really cuss she.
All he tell Castro was: “You mudder!….” And that was enough.
If you say anything about a Venezuela
Alex de Verteuil
June, 1996
From: John P < jaebp@hotmail.com >
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 2:11AM
Subject: Book on the History of Mount St
Dear Ladislao,
The Book on The History of Mount St Benedict is now available at The Pax Abbey Shop at Mount St Benedict.
The price is TT$80.00.
There is a Chapter on The Abbey School with some photos of the old days.
It should make interesting reading especially for Past Students of the School.
Please pass on the message via your Newsletter.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Abbot John Pereira, OSB
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I have been trying to find enough words for my season’s greetings, but no avail. So I am copying a few lines to make up for my lack of words.
This is when Christmas comes merrily around.
With children waiting with quiet anticipation,
Santa Claus comes to deliver every expectation.
It's the season to find and decorate a tree.
It's the time for the spirit to be full of glee.
It's a period for families to gather with care.
They exchange gifts, talk and have a bit of cheer.
Still. There is a part of Christmas many leave out.
It is the birth of Jesus Christ without a doubt.
They really enjoy to eat, drink, laugh and sing.
Yet, they forget what this momentous day did bring.
Hence, we must recall this occasion in a Holy way.
We must find time to cease for a moment and pray.
Then, every year at the Yuletide without delay,
Then, every year at the Yuletide without delay,
We must place Christ into our Christmas Holiday.
Merry Christmas with lots of joy from Ladislao and Family.
REMEMBER TO PAY YOUR DUE, 50 WORDS PER YEAR, OR SEND A CHECK preferably from any U.S. Bank, to my address:
Ladislao Kertesz
Apartado 69072
Caracas 1062A Venezuela
For those that prefer this way to cooperate with the Circular and the expense that this generates. It is 52 issues per year.
God Bless
Ladislao
Photo: Coscarat and Fr. Cuthbert, Marothy and coscarat, Main hall Church
