Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St.
Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 27 of February 2016 No. 747
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Dear Friends,
I now dedicate this issue to the Monks and Mt. St. Benedict.
Articles that I have had for some time and would like to share with you.
First article is the CV of BROTHER GERARD, Brother Rupert
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Bruds’ of St
Benedict
BY ANGELA PIDDUCK Monday, October 6 2008
BROTHER GERARD, Brother Rupert, or just plain
“Bruds”, are the names by which Brother Gerard (Rupert) Alexis OSB, the beloved
swim coach of the Abbey Aqua Lads and Lasses of Mount St Benedict, is known.
An Aqua Lads and Lasses reunion luncheon is
being planned in celebration of 40 years (1964-2004) of swimming, friendship
and fun, under this Benedictine Monk, on October 18, his 75th birthday. All
past Aqua Lads and Lasses are invited to contact 352-3526, or e-mail aqualadsandlasses@yahoo.com for more
information about the function.
It came as a surprise when, at age 19, this
Woodbrook boy decided to enter the Monastery at Mount St Benedict on June 1,
1952. Brother Rupert, his given name as a monk, has never been ordained
priest:
“I was never inclined to the priesthood and wanted
to be a monk living that life in the monastery where I still live to this day
since monks never retire, and through vows of stability, must remain for life
with the monastery. Monastic life starts as a novitiate, then goes on to
different classes, taking five years to be fully professed as a monk. I am
immensely happy and would not have changed this life for any other.”
Says the quiet-spoken monk: “I was always
involved in sports and thought I would have to give it up, but actually got
more and more involved in sport up there.”
In 1956, Brother Vincent, sportsmaster at The
Abbey School, asked the then Abbot Adelbert Van Duin, if Brother Rupert could
assist him in coaching sports. “My first love is cricket so I started off
coaching the two sports which I played, cricket and tennis.”
In 1964, seven students, Gordon Mitchell,
Russell Cunha, Bernard Lange, Peter Boland, Edward Watson, Douglas Watson and
Richard Knox, formed the Abbey Aqua Lads swim club. Brother Rupert was
assistant sportsmaster to the late Father Gregory Kloeg, who foresaw that while
a student swimmer would leave after sitting their Senior Cambridge exams,
Brother Rupert, as a member of the Benedictine community would provide
continuity as swimming coach.
Bernard Lange, one of the founders of Aqua Lads
and Lasses also served as assistant coach to the team, a position he held for
18 years.
“By 1967 the first four Aqua Lads had made the
National swim team,” says the former coach.
In 1970, while on a swim tour to Venezuela, the
Venezuelan coach was astounded that there were no girls in the club, and told
Brother Rupert it was the norm to have swim teams of both boys and girls. How
was Brother Rupert to get girls into the Abbey in 1970?
“Such was the attitude that the Abbey was off
limits to girls. But always ready to support change, I got the headmaster, the
late Father Bernard Vlaar, to agree to my sourcing girls from the Convent in St
Joseph. A survey of the school by the principal produced 45 girls to the 12
Abbey boys, so great was the interest. And that’s how the club became Aqua Lads
and Lasses.” “It’s like a whole other family you have,” says Heather Hutton,
who swam with the Aqua Lasses in the mid-70’s.
“The beauty of being a part of a swim club like
Abbey Aqua Lads and Lasses is that you have a whole new family, everyone is
still in touch. It’s just great in that sense. We have benefitted so much from
being part of the club in friendships, discipline and in life generally. This
is why we are looking forward to the reunion.”
“Obedience,” says Brother Rupert, “a word never
popular, moreso today, but I obeyed the sportsmaster, gave up cricket and
tennis and concentrated on swimming.” For 12 consecutive years from 1974-1986,
Brother Rupert took the Aqua Lads and Lasses to the Miami Springs Swim Meet and
other meets in the United States.
“In 1987, we won a meet in Pennsylvania. It was
the best bunch of swimmers that we happened to get in all age groups,” says the
proud coach.
Other Abbey teams went to Martinique,
Guadeloupe, Barbados, Grenada and were in winner’s row many times.
Although the Abbey pool is currently under
repair, the indomitable Brother Rupert is sure “there could be a resurgence of
interest when it is completed, with all forms of competitive swimming including
the masters, water aerobics, water polo and life saving”.
“Bruds” says Hutton “is still very much a part
of our lives, we still go to him with our problems.” Says this dedicated monk:
“It is my joy from 40 years of hard work and discipline with thousands of young
people who have passed through Mt St Benedict and as a result through the swim
club.
“Meeting them now and seeing their development
into wonderful men and women, I thank God for the opportunity which was given
to me to deal with these youngsters, and that He gave me health and strength to
work with them for 50 plus years in sports.
“Sometimes my boys come back from large American
universities and are always thrilled to give me the news that the people up
there cannot understand that their swim coach was a Benedictine monk. The
foreigners had never heard of any such thing.”
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You guys know about this..
Happy 80th Birthday to my amazing Dad! 80 years, 29,219 days, 701,265
hours, 42,076,800 minutes, 6 amazing children, 14 beautiful grandchildren, ONE
BLESSED LIFE! Love and Miss You and hope to see you soon!! Xo
Happy 80th to The bandit, you have good genes.
A Very Happy Birthday. Sir Bandit, how can we begin to thank you for the
energy and inspiration you have bestowed upon us since the late 1940's.
You have shown us what it is to stay young and live life to its fullest,
you have certainly done that.
It gives us great pride and honour to be associated with you big
brother.
Big Party @LeClub.
All Knight affair, we have a small pan side, a limbo dancer, and a few
local calypso singers will be there with the band.
Special dancers from Aruba, just for you buddy ha! ha!
All the best. Love You. Cheers from all your brothers - Abbey Boys
International.
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Monks help fight blaze
...Mount St Benedict saved
Stories by Kristy Ramnarine kramnarine@trinidadexpress.com
Friday, May 18th 2007
MONKS at the Monastery in Mount Saint Benedict,
fire officers and woodsmen spent most of Wednesday night and yesterday morning
trying to control raging bush fires, preventing what could have been the
destruction of one of Trinidad's most historic buildings.
Using fire hoses, buckets, garden houses and
even sand, the team had a tough task battling the flames which threatened the
Monastic Building (where the monks live) and the church.
The fire, which started in the pine forest last
week spread closer to Mount Saint Benedict, St Augustine, on Wednesday. Firemen
were able to prevent Benet Hall-Top of the Mount, The Hermitage and the
Astronomical Society Observatory, from being damaged on that day.
Mount Saint Benedict Abbot, John Pereira, said
15 monks live at the Monastic Building, which is located next to the church.
"Mainly the younger ones were able to
assist," he explained.
"We were quite impressed by the fire
officers who attended to the fire and would like to commend them for their
work. They really did a good job in containing the fire."
Abbot Pereira said with the absence of rain and
the high winds in the area embers can be ignited, so staff will continue to
monitor the situation.
During the commotion the fire spread further
East to the rear of the Pax
Guest House where staff there also spent most of
Wednesday night controlling the fire with boxes, fire extinguishers and garden
hoses.
"We tried to put a fire break in the ravine
at the back of the guest house to prevent it from coming up," said Gerard
Ramsawak, Proprietor of the Pax Guest House.
"It was very crazy because there were fires
all over. Both appliances were fighting so many fires that they kept running
out of water really fast."
Ramsawak said the fire was very close to the
western side of the guesthouse.
"Everywhere was covered in smoke but
luckily nothing was damaged.
More of the monastery was affected by the ashes
because the wind by blowing North East," he said.
Tunupuna fire officer, Mohan Sooknanan said
officers spent most of the night on the Mount.
"There are walls right around the building
so the fire itself was not a threat," Sooknanan explained.
"However people were being bothered by the
thick smoke and ashes in the air."
Sookanan suggested efforts be taken by the
administrators of Mount Saint Benedict to clean the surrounding areas of the
building which make of the popular site.
"Approximately 25-50 feet around all the
building should be cleared," said Sooknanan.
"The fallen dry leaves and branches help
the fire to spread faster. If these are removes then the fire will be
controlled easier."
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Along a winding road, high on a hill,
overlooking the Caroni Plains is The Abbey of Our Lady of Exile, popularly
known as Mt St Benedict.
Founded on October 6, 1912, by Abbot Dom Mayeul
de Caigney of the monastery of San Sebastian, Bahia, Brazil, after the Order of
St Benedict of Italy, it recently celebrated 92 years.
Abbot John Perreira and a cloister of 15 monks
are looking forward to the 100th anniversary celebration in 2012. In
preparation for this auspicious occasion, the abbey has invited Irish monk Dom
Mark Tierney to write Mt St Benedict’s history.
Pereira said: “We would be 100 in 2012. We would
like to celebrate 100 years with the writing of a more detailed history of Mt
St Benedict. We want something on which we can put our stamp on our 100th
anniversary. It is something of which our society could be proud.
“We are upgrading our archives to preserve the
records of the monastery which has become a historical site. We are trying to
bring it up to international standards. Tierney is world-renowned and we are in
safe hands.”
Beyond Mt St Benedict walls
Beyond the stone walls to the main entrance of
the compound, at the heart of the monastery is the Mt St Benedict Church.
Abbot John Pereira said: “People from all walks
of life...all religions...come and spend quiet time in the church. People do
not identify it as a Catholic Church... Hindus, Muslims, Baptists, Christians,
Catholics...people from all faiths come and spend time here.
“Some people come at the point of suicide. After
a bit of quiet contemplation and meditation, they go back down the hill
refreshed, to face the reality of the situation with which they are dealing.
They leave with a more positive impression.”
Flowers are left at the feet of a statue of Our
Lady of Fatima.
Flickering candles cast a soft glow. The light
illuminates St Benedict, who clutches a chapter, reminding monastic’s to put
“Christ Before All.”
Beyond the reception area, a door leads to a
pathway overhung with pretty blossoms from the trees sloping the hills. Birds
chirp on outstretched boughs. The view from the top of this secluded haven
presents a delightful panorama of villages and towns nestled in the distance.
At the end of the walkway, is the Mt St Benedict
Credit Union which has evolved to include the wider society. Further along, is
a former abbey school, which was converted into a rehabilitation centre for
cocaine addicts and gamblers.
Apart from a yoghurt factory, the remaining
6,000 acres are under mango and cocoa trees.
Just as they protect the water basin which
engenders life and first attracted the pioneering monks, the abbey clings
tenaciously to the Benedictine way of life.
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EDITED by
LadislaoKertesz, 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:
13GD0001GDIGRP,
Garnet Diaz and ladies
12BR0001BRUMPR,
Bro. Rupert and Manuel Prada
15PB0001PBOWFE,
Peter Boos and wife
15CM0001CMA,
Carlos Maneiro and Daughter
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