Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
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Dear Friends,
Here I am including George Mickiewicz memory downloads.
Thanks to him we can relive long forgotten activities.
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FW: 1956 - 1962 REFLECTIONS - SPIRITUALITY
George Mickiewicz
Sunday, February 4, 2007 11:35:37 AM
Hi Ladislao: Not sure if you still have this one in your files. God bless, George.
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Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 11:17 AM
Subject: 1956 - 1962 REFLECTIONS - SPIRITUALITY
Hi Ladislao & Fellow MSB Friends and Colleagues:
Greetings from Mumbai (Bombay ), India
I will be in Baroda
Three plane flights and 36 hours in transit gave me an opportunity to reflect on the important aspects of my life that I personally experienced and gained at MSB.
Glimpses of my memory involving spiritual foundation follow:
- Mandatory daily mass and in late 1950’s the option to study or attend mass.
- Sunday evening benediction with the distinct aroma of incense.
- Kneeling to receive communion.
- Latin transitioning to English after Vatican II.
- Weekly hymn practices led by Father Eugene.
- Praying the rosary.
- Religion classes.
- Stations of the Cross during lent.
- Confessions ………. good, bad and in-between.
- The progression (regression) from front to the back of the chapel as one graduated from one class to the next higher one.
- Gregorian chant when we attended masses at the Abbey. The monks led by Father Benedict.
- Attending the funeral mass when a member of the MSB community died.
- The seminary and the seminarians.
- Mount Tabor ….. not sure why and how it gained this name but always assumed that it had some relation to the one in scripture.
- Sweating like a …. when we had to wear our tie and wool blazer to special masses.
- “The Secret Society”- not sure how much general awareness existed of this group and we, its members, did not publicize it for obvious reasons. “The Good Boys Club” was formed by Father Cuthbert in 1962. We would meet in the Boy Scouts’ building weekly to pray, say the rosary, share personal “good” acts, scripture, etc. Not sure if this effort continued beyond my graduation in December, 1962.
- Waking up at 5am to wake up the 2 servers who would assist in the early mass at 5:15.
- Going down to serve mass for one of the monks at one of the side chapels in the Abbey’s Church.
- The pilgrimage to Mount Saint Mary? (I believe) when Form V boys walked from MSB to the aforementioned location to join a huge crowd who prayed the rosary.
- Sneaking in a gulp of wine in the sacristy after serving a mass if the priest had leftover wine.
- How time, societies, cultures and religion change. The monks at MSB and our teachers were primarily Dutch; very conservative at the time. Today the Dutch and its Catholic Church are one of the most liberal in the world. Wonder what our school would have been in today’s environment versus what we experienced 45-50 years ago?
Today I am a practicing Catholic trying to serve God in the best possible way that the Lord is leading me; a sinner in a journey to become a being that Jesus will beckon to be one of His own when I complete my life on earth.
I attribute my early spiritual foundation to 2 entities: my parents and the MSB community.
Be Blessed, Be Good and Be Safe y’all,
George (Shish, Yury)
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From: "George Mickiewicz"
Subject: 1956-1962 REFLECTIONS - STUDIES
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 08:52:17 -0600
While at MSB, the major part of the day, other than sleeping, was spent STUDYING.
These studies increased in Form V when the boys would stay up late and/or rise early in the morning to prepare for the GCE examinations.
My memory is pretty blurry as to what subjects we took in which Form and which teacher taught which class/subject.
Do remember that we were expected to be quiet, pay attention, be organized, participate, do our homework and study hard.
This focused approach developed a discipline within me that helped me very much in my university studies and subsequently in my work.
It is helping me today in my consulting efforts.
Related glimpses:
Bernardo Fontaine mailing me the results of how our class feared in the GCEs.
Miss Kitty sending me the certificate which is the only memento that I have found so far of that era. It is attached.
Performing crazy experiments in Biology, Chemistry and Physics in the Lab.
Our books were small in size compared to the ones used by kids today. Also significantly lower cost.
Having to perform all mathematical calculations mentally versus the calculators, slide rules and computers that followed in subsequent decades. Abacuses did exist then but we were not allowed to use them!!!!!
Penmanship and spelling were very important; today I deal with the corresponding differences between the British and American versions of the English language.
A real problem if one truly needed to go to the bathroom during class.
Taking piano lessons from the Polish gentleman.
Writing a letter home very week during the evening study period.
Being rewarded for good grades by my mother with Bolivares (at that time 3 Bolivares = 1USA$)
I am also attaching a family picture taken in 2006.
Be blessed, be good and be safe y’all,
George (Shish, Yury)
(Please resend photo, I lost it! Ed.)
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This Circular is short but thanks to George, full of information.
Use the code on the photos when replying.
This is for now, keep well.
God Bless
Ladislao
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Photos:
62GM0001GMIGCE, George´s GCE certificate
60LK0001LKEGRP, Michael Howard, Ladislao Kertesz, Pepe Braggio, Fr. Cuthbert
60UN0001LKEMENU, Christmas Menu 1960
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