Newsletter
for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 26 October 2019 No. 938
---------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
I am reprinting an old article on Fr.
Francis, our choir teacher 1957.
-----------------------------------------
Fr
Francis Friesen
Abbot
John Pereira and the monks of Mount St Benedict report the sad news of the
passing away of Fr Francis Friesen in Berchmanianum, Holland on Sunday, January
29. (Berchmanianum is a home for retired
and infirmed priests and male religious).
He
had suffered a massive heart attack the night before.
Fr
Francis may best be remembered for his extraordinary grasp of Holy Scripture
and his appreciation of the new wave of biblical criticism which he imparted
with great enthusiasm to many novices and seminarians in the aftermath of the
second Vatican Council.
Born
on May 1, 1921, he was looking forward to the celebration of his 85 th birthday
later this year.
He
professed his vows at Mount St Benedict on October 5, 1947 and was ordained to
the priesthood on May 10, 1950.
As
a young priest he was sent to Louvain University in Belgium, where he studied
the biblical languages from 1959 to 1961.
Later
Fr Francis received the Diploma in Bible Studies and Biblical Archaeology from
the Dominican Bible Institute in Jerusalem.
He
then went to the Benedictine College in Rome, Sant' Anselmo, where he continued
his biblical studies and received the Doctorate in Theology (Exegesis).
At
Mount St Benedict, his life was centred around the formation of the young monks
and seminarians who were then under the charge of the Benedictines.
He
was Rector of Studies for the monastery and the seminary.
He
also did yeoman service in the building up of the monastery library and later
the seminary library.
Fr
Francis also did tremendous work in Jamaica.
He
taught Scripture at St Michael's Seminary there and was also involved in
parochial activity.
He
worked in the parish of Seaford Town for many years, and he is fondly
remembered there up to this day.
In
1978 he established a Vocational School as a Church-State venture, the money
coming from the Bishops of Germany.
There
was an arrangement between the Diocese and the Government.
The
Government paid the salaries of the teachers and the diocese provided the land.
The
German Bishops sponsored the buildings.
The
Jamaican Government regarded the infrastructure development (access roads,
electricity, water pipes, etc.) as a model for the rest of Jamaica.
Episcopal
Conference of 1967, taken in Montego Bay when Fr Francis Friesen was one of the
secretaries, serving especially the Dutch-speaking bishops who needed help with
translation into English.
The
attached photos are from the Circulars archives.
Fr
Francis working at his device which allowed him to read the Catholic News up
to his last days.
The
name of the school was Seaford Town Industrial Training Centre, but later the
name was change to St Boniface Vocational School, bringing out the Benedictine
connection.
The
English Benedictine, St Boniface was the apostle of Germany.
A
few years later another venture was launched, this time in the medical field.
This
was called Sacred Heart Clinic to care for a large section of the people in the
interior of Western Jamaica.
This
was also on the property of the Church and built by the German bishops.
All
this time, Fr Francis had hoped that this would be the beginning of a new
Benedictine foundation outside Trinidad.
A
museum was also established between the rectory and the church, showing the
background of the people in the mission.
There
was always a stream of visitors, local and foreign.
It
was also a welcome source of income for the mission.
In
May 1986 Fr Francis had a breakdown and was hospitalised in Montego Bay.
He
went completely blind in two days’ time.
He
then resigned from the mission and Bishop Clarke gave him the last sacraments.
Friends
insisted that he should go to Holland for treatment, if he would survive.
His
niece came from Holland to fetch him and travelled with him to Holland where he
was hospitalised in the Harbour Hospital in Rotterdam.
He
remained totally blind in one eye and partially in the other.
He
then found refuge in Berchmanianum on September 1, 1986.
One
of his disappointments in life was the non-establishment of a Benedictine
foundation from Trinidad in Jamaica.
His
hopes came to an end when the Benedictines chose to establish a monastic
foundation in Guyana.
Although
living away from the monastery of Mount St Benedict for several years (first in
Jamaica and then in Holland),
Fr
Francis always considered himself one with the monks at Mount St Benedict.
While
in Jamaica he received several monks from Trinidad as co-workers in his mission
there and as friends.
In
Berchmanianum, he continued his correspondence with the Abbey in Trinidad and
would often receive monks from Trinidad on their trips to Europe.
He
kept up with all the happenings at the Abbey in Trinidad and was an avid reader
of the Catholic News.
He
read up to his last days assisted by a device specially designed for the
visually challenged.
His
mind was sharp to the end and he had a great sense of humour.
We
will all miss his wonderful personality and ready wit.
The
Abbot and monks request the prayers of the faithful.
(He was also an avid reader of the Circular, EDITOR)
----------------------------------------------------------------------.
Sun, 6 Oct, 17:57
idmitch@anguillanet.com
Happy
Birthday, to the Abbey, Prior Paschal.
Congratulations
are due.
I
shall copy this to Ladislao
--------------------------------------------------------------------.
AN ARTICLE THAT I FOUND IN INTERNET
I
grew up in Trinidad and Tobago during a time when everyone treated each other
like Family.
When
you always had to speak properly when you were with your parents or adults but could "leh go" with your
friends.
If someone got you angry,
you would tell them "how yuh mudda make yuh" with a variety of cuss
words.
If your mom found out, she
made you wash your mouth with soap.
Blue soap, sunlight or
carbolic.
If you can't take
"fatigue", don't start.
Everyone
had a nickname.
The
Chinese boy was "chin"; the African boy was "blacks"; the
Indian boy was "lal", the fat kid was "fat boy", the skinny
boy was "bones", the tall fella was 'lamp post'.
We
went outside to play; we got dirty.
We
used to bathe in the rain, sometimes by the standpipe.
I
am yet to find anything as satisfying as a cup of creole chocolate or hot
porridge on a rainy day.
We
went to the river or springs on a hot day.
Our
fast food was corned beef and rice; sometimes, even hot rice and butter.
We
ate breadfruit, dasheen, yam, eddoes, cassava, boil corn, roast corn.
From
the bakery we ate belly full, chest provoker, currants roll, coconut drops,
milk cake, pan bread, bun, butter bread and hops bread.
We
loved bread and condensed milk or hot bread and butter; sometimes red butter.
We
sucked paradise plum, brittle, kazer ball, dinner mint.
We
ate bene balls, tollum, chataigne, sugar cake, tamarind ball, tamarind stew,
red mango, mango chow, plum chow.
We
got dirty and we didn't eat fast food....we ate cooked food.
We
got ice cream from the ice cream man or if mum was in a good mood and had the
money, we had homemade ice cream on Sunday.
The
best was when barberdeen was in season.
When
mum made cake, we licked the bowl clean.
Cassava
pone or bread pudding was a treat.
Redifusion
had two channels.
To
this day I remember "Portia faces life."
We
listened to auntie Kay on a Sunday.
In
later years, if you had a tv, you saw auntie Hazel on twelve and under, you
watched Mastana Bahar and an Indian movie on a Sunday afternoon and watched
Scouting for Talent on Tuesdays.
Panorama
was time to be quiet.
We
loved snow cone on a hot day, preferably with guava syrup and condensed milk.
We
climbed trees, picked mangoes, cashews, guava, Chennette, pommerac, plum,
pommecythere; whatever was in season.
We
suck and ate cane with our bare teeth.
We
played Simon Says, Red Rover, Mother May I, 1,2,3 Red Light, Hide & Seek,
Jacks, Marbles, Tag, Hopscotch, Cars, Checkers, cricket, moral, rounders, pan
cup, football; we raced against each other in the street and even played jockey
in the canal with a piece of stick.
A
tennis ball and a good piece of wood was enough to start a cricket game, and if
somebody window broke, game done.
The
only time we stayed indoors was when we were sick or as a punishment.
If
you were sick, it was not uncommon to get a "bush bath" with some
"buccano leaf" and whatever bush mum thought would make you better.
Castor
oil or senna pods during vacation was the worse.
The
boys flew kites that we had made ourselves; sometimes we made a mad bull and
hope it wasn't so big that it took you flying.
We
made zwill with flour and grounded glass; put razor blades in your kite tail
and when you battle, who lost, saw their kites "hi-yo".
The
first one to reach the kite is the new owner.
We
drove carts we had made from wood with old bearings for wheels.
An
old bike wheel with the spokes removed was a toy.
Who
never tried to get "laglee" from the breadfruit tree to try to catch
a semp?
There
was no bottled water, we drank from the pipe.
We
walked to the corner store and rode our bikes (if we had one) for hours without
a cellphone.
We
weren't AFRAID OF ANYTHING.
If
someone had a fight, that's what it was...a fist fight.
Kids
didn't have guns when I grew up.
The
street lights were your curfew.
School
was mandatory.
Police
used to take you to your school when they find you on the road during school
hours.
We
watched our mouths around our elders because we knew if you DISRESPECTED any
grown up you were gonna get it with whatever was close and get a second one
when your parents found out...!!!
Re-post
if you're proud that you came from a close knit community and will never forget
where you came from!
---------------------------------------------------
2019
PROJECT TO UPDATE AS-MSB DATABASE2
GEORGE
MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net>
Nov 2 at
10:03 AM
Great
idea. Ladislao.
I
will continue to try to keep it up-to-date based on the inputs that are
periodically sent to me.
Best
Regards,
George
M/C)
901 246 2909
-------------------------------------------------------
laszlo kertesz <kertesz11@yahoo.com>
Nov 2 at 9:14 AM
Dear George
I shall be publishing your proposal.
In my listing I have split the NAME column to Surname
and first name
It makes it easier to order, especially when making
corrections.
Also I have a column for SCOUTING.
Just my way of thinking
Ladislao
---------------------------------------------------------------------.
ASSISTING VENEZUELAN
ALUMS-IN-NEED EXCHANGE RATES
On Monday, September
16, 2019, 06:06:40 PM GMT-4,
Hi,
George,
The
buying rate is the fluctuating local DICOM supplementary foreign currencies
buying rate.
The
receiver instructs ZOOM or Italcambio here to credit the specific local account
in the specific local bank within 3 bank working days.
This
mechanism is simple and hassle-free.
Both
the sender as well as the receiver are able to track the inbound money transfer
on the Western Union and Moneygram website tracker page respectively with the
10-digit MTCN (Money Transfer Control Number) or the 8-digit Reference Number,
respectively.
Once
processed with the local input from the receiver at ZOOM or Italcambio here,
the receiver then has the money transfer available on the specific local bank
account.
Best
regards,
Andrés
------------------------------------------------------------------.
On Monday, September 9,
2019, 07:15:09 AM GMT-4,
Hi
Andres,
Thank
you very for your detailed information and explanations that Ladislao shared in
Circular 929 below.
To
understand the actual exchange rate involved in the options that you
shared:
What
would you get today from Casa de Cambio Zoom and Italcambio in Sovereign
Bolivares for $10 USA?
Are
there any security/safety issues after the receiver leaves with his money from
the exchange house and is on his way home?
Any
thoughts on the Bitcoin option?; been reading a lot about this in the USA
media.
Hi
Aumaitre and Joe
What
would be the impact if the approach shared by Andres is undertaken in the
future versus that in the past years of our courageous Dr. Aumaitre acting as
the brave courier between Venezuela and Trinidad?
Gracias,
George
------------------------------------------------------------------.
Remember to subscribe and help the publishing of the Circular. It takes time, effort and materials to prepare
each weekly issue. If you appreciate this, subscribe for one year.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Photos:
57UN0001SIGNATURES, One
of the original Fr. Francis photos had these signatures.
04UN0003FFREST, Fr.
Francis at the retirement home in Holland
04UN0001FFREST, Fr.
Francis at the retirement home in Holland
19AO0001AOB, Anthony
Obrien
