Circular No 975

 

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

Caracas, 11 of Julio 2020 No. 975

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Dear Friends,

The next two issues will be a replay of old Circulars, but of course new photos.

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From: "rdriver" <rdriver@telus.net>

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2004 18:26:59 -0700

Hi Ladislao,

I guess you have shamed me into putting in my 2bits.

It has been quite while since I last wrote, basically, just lazy.

I retired 2 years ago after 42 years with NCR in Guyana, Suriname, and Canada.

Now I volunteer a couple days a week at the local Food Bank, also do Meals on wheels with my wife.

Living here on the West coast of Canada, I see very few West Indians and far fewer MSB old timers, Bruce Peter (1950's). the exception

Some years ago on a trip to the Maritime museum with a few visitors from Toronto, I was approached by a lady who asked if we were from T'dad. I explained we were from Guyana, but that I had connections with T'dad, my mother a Trinidadian, I also lived there for a few years in the mid fifties, and did spend a few years at MSB.

She then mentioned she had a cousin/uncle who was a priest there, Fr. Lee Sing, that brought back quite a few memories, some quite "painful" as he administered justice after some "infraction", getting caught picking mangoes unlawfully, smoking, (haven't touched one since) etc.

I also remember he was pretty good at marbles.

Thanks to your bulletins I was able to find Fr. Hildebrand back in Guyana.

Thanks for everything.

Richard

EXTRACTS FROM A ST. STANISLAUS COLLEGE LOG GUYANA

November 1948

January 15th. Fr. Lee-Sing' O.S.B., of Mount St. Benedict in Trinidad paid a visit to the College

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Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 05:31:03 -0700 (PDT)

To: "rdriver" <rdriver@telus.net>

Dear Richard,

Thank you for the lines.

I am glad you bumped into the lady.

It got me a story.

Remember that the letters you write to others can also be a good source for the Circular.

Just write them in such a way that they can be used without editing.

But you still owe me for the Circulars!!!

No money please but the name of your classmates and those that you remember from your time.

Were there air scouts whose leader was Fr. Leo???

Exactly when did you graduate Form V, no matter in which school?

Fr. Bernard was your teacher??

Did you know Anthony Lucky, John skinner?

Of the clergy in the anniversary photo, whom do you remember?

What did they do?

Now with all the questions I am sure you can pay me back with a few hundred letters.

God Bless

Ladislao

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From: "rdriver" <rdriver@telus.net>

Date:  Tue, 12 Oct 2004 15:06:01 -0700

Hi Ladislao,

You may be sorry you got me started; however, here are 2 email addresses:

Benedict Lopes benedictlopes@sympatico.ca,

Bruce Peter brucepeter@telus.net

Benedict is a lawyer in Toronto, Bruce lives just outside Vancouver BC, he is retired but does some consulting.

Think he's a structural engineer.

Regards.

    rd

(PLEASE CHECK BRUCE EMAIL ADDRESS, ed)

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From: "rdriver" rdriver@telus.net

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 15:30:36 -0700

Hi Ladislao,

Just look at the BBC news, quite a fire in your neck of the woods.

Got this article from today's Trinidad Guardian. (about the story on MSB)

Re Bruce Peter, I see him occasionally, but don't know John Skinner, is he in Vancouver?

Regards.       

rd

----- Original Message -----

From: laszlo kertesz

Sent: Sunday, October 17, 2004 6:08 PM

Thank you, Richard.

What was the name of the article you sent, I tried to look it up but no luck.

John Skinner 1948/49 is in uk

God bless

Ladislao Kertesz

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Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 17:06:36 -0700 (PDT)

To: "rdriver" <rdriver@telus.net>

Dear Richard,

It is not true that you do not have MSB neighbours.

There are some:  we have one in Saskatchewan, others in BC,

Need the email of Bruce, Peter, I suppose Peter is the first name?

If you want to contact them?

Thank you for the lines

Did you know John Skinner?

God Bless

Ladislao

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Here is some of the older correspondence.

From: Richard Driver <rdriver37@yahoo.com>

Date:  Fri, 6 Jun 2003 16:13:17 -0700 (PDT)

Hi Ladislao,

Your “newsletters'" as they come in, have lots of the names I know, mainly from living in T'dad. in the '50's, however your one before last had an article on the Benedictines in Bartica, Guyana, there I came across the name of an old (Long-time) school friend from Guyana. Fr. Kevin Hildebrand Green and I knocked around together quite a bit.

I knew he was at MSB but hadn't seen him for close to 50 years.

We are now in touch again, with him in Bartica, and me in Vancouver C'da.

Email works wonders.

Thanks again

I'm sending you an email address for Bruce Peter (from St Lucia) and was at Mount in the '50s

brucepeter@telus.net.

Regards to all

Richard Driver.

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From: Richard Driver <rdriver37@yahoo.com>

Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 11:46:12 -0800 (PST)

Hi Las,

I left MSB in 49??

It was really interesting getting your email, (nearly didn't open it, glad I did).

Going through your list brought back many memories.

I have forwarded the email to some people I remember, and whose names I don't see.

Like I said, I left in '49 (form 1?) and went back to Guyana and finished school there.

I now live in British Columbia, C'da.with my wife Pauline and two "kids", my daughter Catherine 27, lives in Vancouver, and my son Mark 24, lives in Toronto.

I just retired after 42 years at NCR corp.

Hey, how did you find my email address?

Hope you and your Family have a very Merry Christmas and all the best for '03.

Thanks again. 

 Richard Driver.

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Here is an article that was sent to me by Fr. Abbot, regarding the Yogurt factory at the Mt.St.Benedict. The attached photos by Anthony Harris and the article by Michelle Loubon

Those in Trinidad are enjoying the wonderful product.

Here in Venezuela are hoping the once production increases, we can also taste it.

So down to the Story:

Dutch monk Cuthbert van de Sande, “the brain behind the yogurt,” samples sour sop in the chiller of a small factory on the grounds of the Mt St Benedict Abbey, St John’s Road, St Augustine.

Tobago will soon get a taste of Pax yogurt from the monks of Mt St Benedict in St Augustine.

Maxim de Comarmonde, manager of Pax Yogurt Company Limited, was buoyed by the response he got from hotels last Wednesday.

“A lot of hotels are interested in it, especially those with German guests,” he said.

“The chefs in the hotels use it for cooking.

They are very interested in it.

We did some sampling from the local company.

The tasters found it was excellent...a local company producing this neat product.

I will be going back within the next week.”

Pax yogurt produces six delicious flavours—almond, guava, passion fruit, pineapple, soursop, strawberry and natural.

Vanilla is expected to be on stream by month’s end.

Prior to producing yogurt, the monastery produced Pax (Latin for peace) honey on a small scale.

The monk/apiarist died and the abbey sold the hives to another priest who continued the practice.

The more successful business venture, Pax Yogurt Company, was innocently started 14 years ago in the kitchen of the Mt St Benedict monastery.

Abbot John Pereira credited former Mt St Benedict abbot Francis Alleyne, now bishop of Guyana, and Dutch monk Cuthbert van de Sande, the “brain behind the yogurt,” for their pivotal roles.

Tracing the birth of the company in April 2003, Pereira said:

Yogurt making was simply an attempt to improve the diet of the monks.

It began as a “kitchen master” finding ways to improve the diet of the monks. Fr Cuthbert grew up in a dairy culture.

He also makes fine goat cheese.

It is sold to the embassies.

Then, we started to sell the yogurt to friends.

We opened up a little outlet in the front.

We started getting orders.

Suddenly, we had to think of a way to respond to this trend.

Little by little, it was catching on throughout the length of the island.

Soon, the Abbey invested in a refrigerated vehicle to meet the demand of Hi-Lo, Tru Valu and Xtra Foods supermarkets.

A half-litre of the signature health food fetches between $10 and $11, and a litre, $21.

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News from Guyana

From: "Guyana Benedictines" benedictines@solutions2000.net

Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2004 18:16:56 -0300

Dear Laszlo,

Peace!

Thanks for your on-going articles about the Mount.

Two notes:

1. Fr. John Chrysostom Lee Sing (notice, no 'h' in the spelling of  Sing; it's Chinese not Indian).

2. Bro. Robert (Wilfred) John left the monastery, got married, and fathered a family.

Then his wife died of cancer and he went back to the Seminary and was ordained a Diocesan Priest two years ago. Isn't that something?

All the best,

Bro. Paschal Jordan, OSB

(Joined 17 Aug. 1964; professed 08 Sep. 1966; sent to Guyana to open a new monastery, 16 Dec. 1988 together with Fr. Maurus Superville - who has since left and married an Amerindian lady, and returned to Trinidad.)

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Now some bits of information on Fr. Abbot of the years of the 1960s

Here is the annunciation of an award given to him

Van Duin, Adelbert (Rt. Rev.) - O.S.B.

Lord Abbot, Mount St. Benedict

NATIONAL AWARDS

HUMMING BIRD MEDAL GOLD 1972

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The Abbot’s successors: this news was taken from a newspaper.  Maybe someone might remember the date??

RIP

Old Abbot van Duin, from Holland, once the man in charge of Abbey at Mount St Benedict, had suffered with his heart. When he retired, he was succeeded by Abbot Hildebrandt, then Abbot Francis.

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A letter from Fr. Adelbert van Duin.

7 of July 1982.

Greetings from the Old Mount –Inside!.

I was in Holland earlier this year, I met with Fr. Bernard.

His speech has not improved.

The burns he suffered last year he is unable to stand and so is confined to a wheel chair.

He is in a rehabilitation centre where they are giving him therapy to see if they can make him able to walk.

It seems he will be coming back in September to the Mount.

He surely is carrying a heavy cross!.

You will remember him specially, I am sure.

When last you visited T´dad, you give me some book-markers with Teen-agers 10 Commandments printed on it.

As I have passed that age, unfortunately, I give them away and people have been asking if I had more of them.

On your next visit or in some other way, could you bring some of them if possible?

Thanks a million in advance.

God´s abundant blessing be with you and your Family!

Very best wishes and kindest regards.

Adalbert van Duin

(Dear reader, I need articles on Fr. Adelbert, there is so little on now, ed.)

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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:

10EL0001ELAWFE, Esmond Lange

63NS0001NSMMSB, Norman Smith

13LK0242FBALEWFE, Allan Leo and wife

69HB0001CLASS1974,  UNKNOWNS