Circular No 752

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

Caracas, 3 of April 2016 No. 752

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friends:

dbratt@trinidad.net

Mummy + money = madness

In our increasingly psychotic society, the worth of a person is measured more and more by his or her assets. So everyone now works outside of the home.

The woman who works at home doesn’t get a pay check or a pension plan. We may say otherwise but the truth is that she is not looked upon as being of much value to society, despite the fact that the effects of her mothering on her child’s development makes an enormous contribution to that same society that rejects her. Rejects her for not having a life of her own, ie for staying home and taking care of her children.

Unfortunately, children from homes where the mother works outside the house, develop more behavioural problems than do children whose moms work at home. Behavioural problems that seem to make the child at risk for developing criminal behaviour.

In psychological terms, the primary need of an infant is to trust his environment.

This is completely dependent on a secure attachment to either his mother or father, as the main caregiver in his life. A baby who trusts his mother does not have to parent himself or to spend emotional energy looking for a parent. He can devote his time to developing his skills to enable him to become a reasonably effective human being.

A baby is at huge risk for not reaching his full potential developmentally if he is insecure in the arms of his mother or father.

Separation from the mother and, to a lesser degree, the father creates a tremendous sense of loss in the child until about the age of two to three years. Most people know this. Think back to how you felt when your mother left you at school for the first time. I was four years old and I promptly got up and ran home crying. Luckily I lived just down the road. How much worse it is for a six-month-old who has just attached firmly to the person he has shared an intimate physical and emotional bond for at least nine months. Talk about tabanca!

Under the age of two or three years, children are unable to understand the temporary nature of separation. For them there is no tomorrow. They live in the present. Every second of separation from the loved one is agony. This can create insecurity, hurt, anger and ultimately detachment. Insecure, hurt, angry and detached children can easily grow up to be dangerous men and women, because they have never learned to trust anyone.

How ironical that in this day and age when we are afraid to leave our home because we can no longer trust our fellow citizens, we cannot understand that lack of trust begins in childhood.

A working mother hires another woman to take care of her children, either at home or in a nursery. When she comes home to find the woman holding her baby, she feels reassured. What would she say if she came home to find the woman holding her husband?

This is not as unusual or infrequent as it sounds. Both relationships, mother-child and wife-husband, have many things in common: attachment, trust, physical intimacy, love. Both also suffer most from outside involvement.

You cannot pay someone to love your children. Mothers cannot be replaced by employees. Forget “quality time”. If “quality time” really counted, a husband could spend all day out with the boys and a measly half hour with his wife and she would be satisfied. And vice versa.

Mothering or fathering cannot be scheduled. Children have unexpected periods of stress and they need their parents then and there.

In our society where most children are mainly brought up by mothers, some special and dedicated women find ways to continue working outside their home and continue to be very involved in their children’s lives, either by taking the child with them or by visiting them, wherever they are, as often as possible. These women should be honoured in society.

Just like women who decide to stay at home for the first two years of their child’s life.

But women who work outside their home and take good care of their children are truly special. Not everyone can do this. Initially children, and later society, suffer the consequences of maternal deprivation.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------.

To:       kertesz12@icqmail.com

Subject:           Skinner

Date:   8/2/2004 4:50:06 PM

Dear Ladislao Kertesz,

I am John Skinner, My wife is Gill

John Edgar Martyn Skinner Career:-
1948 - 1951   Apprentice & Shift Superintendent
                         Sevens Ltd, Jamaica, West Indies
1951 - 1956   Premium Apprentice
                         Geo. Fletcher, Derby, England
1956 - 1959   Assistant Engineers
                         Grays Inn Certral, Annotto Bay, Jamaica
1959 - 1960   Assistant Engineers
                         Sevens Ltd, May Pen, Jamaica
1960 - 1963   Assistant Engineers
                         Ste Madeleine (Tate & Lyle), Trinidad
1963 - 1964   Technical Estimator
                         Fletcher & Stewart, Derby, England
1964 - 1965   Assistant Installation Engineer
                         Bacita, Northern Nigeria
1965 - 1967   Contracts & Projects Engineer
                         Fletcher & Stewart, Derby, England
1967 - 1071   Quality Engineer
                          Rolls Royce, Derby, England
1971 - 1977    Senior Project Engineer
                          Fletcher & Stewart, Derby, England
1977 - 1984    Senior Quality Engineer
                          Internation Combustion, Derby, England
1984 - 1985    Senior Project Engineer
                          Scomack Eng. Ltd. England
1985 - 1987    Inspection & Quality Audit Engineer
                          Renniks Q A Services, Derby, England
1988 -              Suffered a Stroke in February 1988
             Right sided was weak &  Speech difficulties (I could speak)

Robert David Marc Skinner was my Son.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------.

Father Harold Imamshah

Dec 21, 2013

The Exorcisms and minor exorcisms (deliverances) continued in my days as a monk and I did witness one or 2 episodes when asked to be part of the Prayer team.

I learnt much from Fr. Leo Van Lleuwen before he died and put much of his advice (and that of Bishop John Mendes who was trained by him) in later years in this Exorcism/Deliverance Ministry in Ohio, Louisiana, Michigan and Mexico and in one case in Haiti.

Guys, let me invite you this Christmas to put aside 10 minutes starting from the time you read this email, each day for the next 9 days at Noon or 6pm to pray for an increase in vocations to the Monastic Life, so that our dear Monastery could continue to be a Centre for prayer for the Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the Caribbean.

God bless you and your families this Christmas; I will remember you in my Christmas Masses at the Church of the Nativity, Crystal Stream and St. Anthony's, Petit Valley. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

From: "Gittens, Peter W."

Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 10:49:11 -0600

Greetings, fellow alumni of the Abbey School:

I attended the Abbey School from 1956-1961. I was one of the (junior) seminarians.

I did not become a priest, but I was ordained a permanent deacon in 1984.

From 1970 to 2001 I worked in Canada in Catholic Education both in the Hamilton and Guelph areas.

I retired in 2001 and moved to warn and spicy Louisiana, only to become busier than in my previous life in Ontario.

Today I live in Harvey, Louisiana (a suburb of New Orleans), and work full-time as an associate professor of Philosophy and Theology at Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans, Louisiana.

I also teach Philosophy at the local Seminary (Notre Dame Seminary) in New Orleans.

It was good to view the photos on the web pages, rekindling many fond memories of some of our "beloved" Benedictine teachers.

Sincere best wishes to all,

Peter Gittens.

------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2002 15:14:09 -0600

Dear Ladislao,

Sorry about the delay in replying to your e-mail. The last few days were very hectic and disruptive with a lot of travel to other cites, which caused me to neglect e-mail correspondence.

My exit year from the Abbey School was 1961. It seems so long ago, that I have forgotten a lot of the people I was in class with. Unfortunately, I have not kept in touch with any one. When he was alive, I would run into Ernest Castillo in Toronto, and now and then someone would mention the name of Robert Elias, and his music.

I was in class with Robert Elias.

I may have some old black and white pictures at my house in London, Ontario.  When next I am in Canada I will rummage through them so see what I can find, and will certainly scan file them to you.

Meanwhile, thanks for the Circulars.

Sincerely,

Peter Gittens

----------------------------------------------------------------------.

On 2-Apr-09, at 12:22 PM, Gittens, Peter W. wrote:

Nigel,

I am retiring from teaching in the  USA and will be living in  Burlington,  Ontario .

I took possession of our new house in  Burlington on Feb. 27 and ever since I have been commuting every week from  Burlington to  New Orleans (weekends in  Burlington) until the end of the academic year at the end of April.

I will resume my old position as an adjunct professor of Theology at St. Augustine Seminary in  Toronto .  I am scheduled to teach a Moral Theology course starting on July 7.

When you update the Data Bank, my new address is

4625 Simmons Road

Burlington  ON    L7M 0J3

Home phone: 289 313-0648

e-mail:  pgittens1@gmail.com

 NB:  I think my years at the Abbey as shown on the data bank are not correct.  I was there from 1956 to 1961

He can be reached at the Diocese of Hamilton for any questions on becoming a Deacon., or how to implement a program similar to what Peter is working to attract new and retired followers

pgittens@hamiltondiocese.com

(905) 528-7988 x2258

-------------------------------------------------------.

Permanent Deacon Dr. Peter Gittens PhD

He is responsible for the Permanent Deacon Program in Hamilton Diocese. He was born in St. Lucia and educated in a minor seminary in Trinidad before going to Rome to finish his formation for the priesthood.

Before being ordained, Peter decided against ordination and left the seminary. Later he married and when the opportunity to become a deacon arose this was a natural fit for him.

Deacon Peter has been a professor at the St. Augustine Seminary and is now in charge of the education of those studying for the class of 2016 in Hamilton.

The deacons in training go to Hamilton once a month for their studies, often, along with their wives.

We wish Deacon Peter all the best in his new role in the Diaconate program in Hamilton Diocese. God Bless You!

------------------------------------------

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.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photos:

14PG0001PGI, Peter Gittens new photo, the elusive Deacon

86PG0001PGIPOPE, Peter Gittens and Pope John Paul II

05PZ0001PZE, Paul Zeven, the elusive businessman

09LK8993FBAL, Allen Keith