HK150

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 36 (January 2012)

“God, I speak to you tonight with a quiet and calm confidence. 
Your Son has taught me that you are my Father, you should not be called by a different name ... you are the Father! 
Father, make me what you want: here I am to do your will. 
O Father, I have no strength, but I have yours. 
I shall never insult you by being afraid or thinking that you forget about me. 
And if I find the cross very heavy and cannot see the way any more, I can at least keep repeating that I believe in your love and accept your will. 
Lord, here is my life; do with it what you want. 
Your will is that I become more and more like you! I want to walk the same path as the one who first told me your name.”
(Father Lyonnet). 

This prayer of Father Lyonnet, found in Brother Bernard’s diaries, tells us something about his very strong spiritual life. 

Brother Bernard was born on March 23, 1914, in Briec de l’Odet, Finistère South, Brittany, France. At baptism, his parents gave him the name Yves Francois. He grew up happily in a deeply religious family.

On 15 April 1926, at the tender age of twelve, he had made up his mind to devote his life to teaching the young. As he says himself: “When I was still very young, I was already thinking of missionary life. A cousin, who was already a Brother of the Christian Schools, brought me to the Juniorate of the Brothers in Quimper, France.” 

 Four years later he was sent to Lembecq-Les–Hal in Belgium and took the Habit of the Brothers. He was given the name Calixtus Bernard and completed the spiritual year of the Novitiate with fervour. From 1931 to 1936, as a very young man in Belgium, he learned his craft as an educator and teacher at the Brothers houses of formation in Lembecq.  

His desire for missionary life was fulfilled when he was chosen for the Lasallian missions in the Far East. December 1936 saw Brother Bernard’s arrival in Saigon, Vietnam, his new found land, where he would stay the best part of 30 years. In all, his long missionary life in the East would span over 60 years.

At first he was sent as a student of the Vietnamese language to the ancient capital of Hue in central Vietnam. There he studied in the local seminary. In August 1937 he returned to Saigon as a teacher at the famous Taberd Institution where many Brothers spread the Lasallian charism over the years. Apart from a spell of military service and a vacation home, he was to spend the next 15 years teaching at the Taberd school.

On 15 February, 1940, and as a French national, he was drafted into the Coast Artillery. It was there that he learned about aviation. He tells us about his training: 

“I have about 25 hours of solo flying under my belt. I even did a 20-minute spell of loops, reversals and tricks of all kinds. That was my happiest moment, a treat that I shall remember all my life.” 

Demobilization came in 1941. But Brother Bernard kept up his taste for flying all his life. A few years before his death he was to be found under the hot sun at the Paris Air Show! 

We are fortunate that Brother Bernard kept diaries, and we are thus able to tell much of his story in his own words. He begins with the war years:

“During the lead-up to the war years, I worked in Taberd. In mid-August 1941, the Japanese army settles in Cochin China, South Vietnam. In December, the Japanese government requisitions Taberd, then requisitions a part of the Major Seminary and builds classroom accommodation for us along Norodom Boulevard. And life goes on until the first bombing of Cochin China in April and May 1944. So we retreat to Saint Joseph of Mytho by the Mekong river. At the beginning of September 1944, we run only classes for day pupils in Taberd. Air attacks continue and increase in intensity from 12 January, 1945, which we spend in the trenches, to February 7. Fortunately it is the Tet New Year when our district is most affected (school holiday time). All schools are closed for the second time and I find myself again in Mytho. On 9 March, 1945, the Japanese attack. However the lessons run up to the Easter holidays. The French were confined to the big cities. In the south, they are Saigon, Dalat and Phnom Penh. Priests, Brothers and Sisters - considered citizens of the Vatican - may remain on the spot. With 3 other European Brothers I am promoted to "unemployed" for the first time in my life!“

Brother Bernard’s first home leave was from 1948 to 1949. He took the opportunity to practise his Spanish by going to Valladolid. He then takes up the thread of the story:

“On my return, I continue to teach in Saigon until July 1952 when I go to Dalat, for one year only. Then come four years of Directorship in Thuduc - 13 km from Saigon - another year in Dalat, and in 1958-1959, second home leave and nine months in Rome  Upon returning to the Far East, I take the reins of the school Mossard of Thuduc for 6 years. 

In October 1965, I am assigned to our school in Phnom Penh. All goes well until March 1970, the date of the coup d’état by General Lon Nol. On Sunday 12 April, Michel school is closed by the Cambodian government. And for three months, the Brothers of the Miche school are available to the Department of Aid for Vietnamese interned by Lon Nol – a service improvised and adapted slowly to the needs of these unfortunate people. Using the school car, I drive volunteers and relief workers here and there. 

In late June, 1970, along with returning refugees, I go to Hong Kong for the first time. Brother Director of "La Salle College" is an old friend going back to our formative years in Belgium (1930 -1931) and to the war years (1942 -1946). I stay in the British colony until after Christmas and return to Saigon for a week. On 2 January 1971, I arrive in Vientiane (Laos), because I was assigned to the Paksane seminary (153 km downstream of Vientiane on the Mekong). At the beginning of September 1971, I reach Paksane where the Mazenod Institution, the official name of the minor seminary run by the Oblate Fathers, operates. I work with them until the Communist takeover of the country (Pathet-Lao) in May 1975. As a consequence, the Mazenod Institution is closed and students sent home. Now that I am out of work, and instead of returning home, I opt for Hong Kong, reaching there on June 18, 1975. 

With the ease of flying, returning to Europe is becoming more common and I go for home leave every two years during the summer vacation months. In 1984 - unusually - I am appointed to represent the Brothers of Hong Kong at the canonization of the Ecuadorian Brother, Brother Miguel Cordero, after which I go to Brittany until 28 December, returning in time to avoid the great cold wave in Europe a week later. 

Twice, in 1981 and 1986, instead of going to Europe, I opt for the South Seas, that is to say, for New Caledonia, which has been in the news so much since 1984. On this island, 15000 square kilometres, roughly twice the size of Corsica, we run a school in Thio, the first mining centre on the east coast. In Noumea, the Brothers have a place to stay where at least two religious reside permanently. During the southern winter (our summer), the climate reminded me of Dalat in Vietnam. If things go well in New Caledonia, I shall gladly return when I have retired. 

The long leave, from 8 August 1987 to 1 July 1988, was spent mainly in Brittany and, to be precise, in the community at Auray. I had a five-month stay in this house, with comings and goings here and there. For the first time I went to Ireland to greet the old Brothers of Hong Kong retired there. 

Finally, in Rome, I had the pleasure of attending the canonization of the Martyrs of Vietnam. Grand and fervent ceremonies had been arranged to cater to nearly 15,000 faithful Vietnamese coming mainly from the USA and various European countries. This was a unique opportunity to see the faces of friends lost for a good fifteen years. 

On 1 July 1988, I return to Hong Kong in the midst of a summer heat wave (27° - 33°) tempered by a breeze during the day. Classes resume on 1 September and immediately the College finds its cruising speed. Christmas, the end of the first term, is at our door. There are Public Holidays for everyone, but schools take one or two weeks vacation. In early February, the 6th, I believe, there is further leave during the Lunar New Year.”

Here is a quick overview of a half-century - or nearly so - which ranges from 1939 to 1988. We have grown older.” 

Brother Bernard, with one or two minor excursions, remained in La Salle College, Kowloon, Hong Kong, until August 1998. He was not one to retire easily and contributed much at both community and school levels. Every morning he would faithfully drive the community car to fetch the priest for Mass. Indeed, his faithfulness to his prayer and religious exercises was exemplary. He would always be one of the first to church and often meditated privately. He had a particular devotion to Our Lady, something that had been nourished in him from childhood. He would also fast from food twice a week. Although he maintained this was good for his health, we tended to think that he also did this from spiritual motives. Since he lived to be 94 years old, he might have been right.

In school he was a tower of strength to the French Department as well as to the Library and Study Room. He would take over the first 10 to 15 minutes or so of regular French lessons and teach the boys something about French culture and language. He also taught the boys French songs. He had made out his own exercise books of Prayers and Hymns, Popular Songs and Poems, which he would distribute to each student. He was a good singer and the teacher of French as well as the students really appreciated his contribution because it is very rare to find a French person to teach these things in Hong Kong. 

The Brothers would also get him to sing French songs on special occasions. He had a love for music, especially for classical and organ music.

Another sphere of activity was helping out in the school Library and in particular supervising the adjoining Study Room. Under his kind but firm gaze the boys settled quickly to their tasks. Every day at lunchtime he could be seen in his white robe watching over his charges. Not a glamorous job perhaps, but certainly a useful one.
Brother Bernard was fascinated by all modes of transportation and by “speed”. The construction and operation of roads, railways, bridges, trains, aeroplanes and so on were grist to his mill. No wonder the College Library was well supplied with aviation magazines and journals. The proximity of the College to the former airport at Kai Tak was a boon to Brother Bernard. His idea of enjoying a Sunday afternoon was to head for the observation deck of the airport and watch the comings and goings of the planes.

When the new airport was under construction, nothing would suit Brother Bernard but a construction site visit. Various permissions were eventually obtained and the visit came about, much to Brother’s delight. When we arrived, most of us just saw a very large construction site. Brother Bernard, however, was doubtless able to picture the whole process and the end product in his mind. He was in his element.

Another visit, of a somewhat different sort, was to Beijing. Four Brothers, five teachers and seven old boys and their wives made the visit in 1996. Besides visiting a secondary school as well as Beijing University, the group made the usual sightseeing stops. Brother Bernard, as expected, was fascinated by the processes involved in the construction of the Great Wall. He himself managed to climb as far as the 4th Tower. As the elder statesman of the group, he was deemed to be a hero!

Time was moving on and, although in relatively good health, Brother Bernard began to think of his final retirement years. He made up his mind to return to the country and place of his birth, Brittany in France. In March 1998, he transferred from the Sub-District District of Hong Kong to the District of France, to Kérozer, Saint Avé. He settled into a home there for the aged Brothers who needed care. There he devoted much of his time to helping the more dependent Brothers.
 
But he retained his passion for planes and trains! Attendance at the Salon du Bourget (Paris Air Show) and his rail magazine subscription show us this passion for machines! In 1982-1983 he marvelled at the Japanese new train, the "Shinkansen", speed 210 km/h and then the French TGV, in 1983, which made 250 km / h on the Paris to Lyon route. 

“I waited for the departure of the TGV with barely disguised impatience, eager to test it, to experience emotions while rolling at high speed.”  

Brother Bernard never forgot his Breton roots. He kept in close touch with his family, either by frequent correspondence or by home visits.

His general health had all the time been pretty good…perhaps because he fasted twice a week! The Brothers and staff of the home at Kerozer were devoted to his welfare in the final few months. Age could not be denied, however, and he died peacefully on the 17th September 2005, aged 92 and in the 74th year of his religious life.

We close with the words of the Bishop of Xuan Loc, President of the Episcopal Conference of Vietnam:

“To characterize the attitude of the Vietnamese people, three words are needed: 
Faith, zeal, perseverance. I have great admiration for my fellow Christians in Vietnam. They are strong, brave and cheerful. They have shown courage, strength and loyalty."

Brother Bernard must have become at least partly Vietnamese because these qualities applied very well to him.  With thanksgiving, we pray in his own words: 

“Lord, do not allow me to become one of these old grumpies, always groaning, grumbling, denigrating ... 

Let me smile and laugh and keep my sense of humour. 
In your goodness grant me eternal life in your kingdom.” 

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 34 (October 2011)

Brother Wilfrid was born at St. Andre-de-Maurienne, Savoy, France, on the 28th January 1886. He entered the Juniorate at Annecy in 1899. In 1902 he entered the Novitiate at La Villette and it was there he took the Habit of the De La Salle Brothers.

Almost immediately, in 1903, he was sent on the missions and served briefly in Ceylon, and Malaya before being posted to St. Joseph’s College, Hong Kong. He arrived in Hong Kong on the 22nd June 1908 and was assigned to teach Standards III and IV at St. Joseph’s College, then sited at Robinson Road. Apart from brief assignments in Manila and Malaysia and Vietnam, he was to spend the rest of his life teaching in Hong Kong.

In those days there was what was called the English section and the Chinese section of the school, as well as the Commercial class. In the English section, apart from the subject of Chinese, all the teachers were Brothers. There were about 400 pupils. There was also the tradition of having two half-days every week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

At that time the Brothers were paid salaries by the Diocese. A Brother’s salary was Hong Kong $20.- a month and this had to be supplemented by the Boarders’ fees. There were 40 to 50 Boarders coming mainly from the Philippines, Macau, Amoy, Indochina and Hong Kong. Some Brothers were chief Prefects of Boarders while others helped out on Sundays and holidays. Brother Wilfrid also taught Catechism to the Boarders.

He taught in St Joseph’s from 1908 until January 1912 when he was sent to help the newly founded mission in Manila. He returned to St Joseph’s in May 1914, around the same time that Brother Aimar Sauron was sent as Director.  Besides regular teaching, Brother Wilfrid was asked to prepare, type, print and preside over the examinations of the middle and lower classes and also helped out in the Catholic life of the school. In addition, he typed the letters for Brother Director Aimar.

Then came the earthquake. We have it in Brother Wilfrid’s own words: “Shortly after the building of the extended Annexe, an earthquake in 1918 so shook the main structure of St Joseph’s building that we had to evacuate part of it immediately, whilst looking for new quarters. The mortgaged German Club and adjacent grounds were acquired from the Canton Insurance Society. The Club building was partitioned off into rooms for the Brothers’ quarters, Boarders’ accommodation and the upper and middle classes.” And so began the move to the German Club building on Kennedy Road.

Brother Wilfrid continues: “It was about this time (1918-1919) that Brother Aimar asked me to prepare the compilation of a school prayer book. It was closely checked by Monsigneur Pozzoni, Vicar Apostolic. In the course of time it came to be called A Guide to Devotion.”

There followed a short term of duty in Malaya, from 1920 to 1922. His health had suffered somewhat as he recalls: “I returned from Malaya on 7-9-22, an unhealed man from an appendicitis operation which left me with an open wound, discharging matter. After about two months observation Dr Strahan operated again and closed the wound. I healed and have been very well ever since.” He resumed regular teaching at a number of different levels.

Brother Wilfrid was committed to the study of the Chinese language. He would spend hours checking and researching the origins, composition and meaning of the characters and wrote numerous manuscripts, none of which, alas, has survived.

Here is what he has to say: “As to Chinese, I succeeded only in reading medium Chinese not classical or modern literary Chinese. I have what is called a working knowledge of spoken Cantonese and Mandarin but my deafness always proved a hindrance to my understanding.

As to what they call my ‘Chinese Dictionary’, it consists of special devices to quickly learn the ‘Students’ 4000 Characters’. As usual in these things the mnemonic devices are generally looked upon as something harder than the study itself, except by intellectuals. Students who cannot make out the mnemonic parts may leave them out.”

From 1928 to 1932 Brother Wilfrid served in Malaysia before returning to Hong Kong on the 16th May 1933, this time to teach in the newly opened La Salle College. Apart from a few years in Indo-China during the War, he was to spend the rest of his life at La Salle.

He was first put teaching Class 3A and taught at various levels until the outbreak of war. In July 1942 he was issued with an identity card by the College of Education run by the Japanese. By this means he was expected to learn the Japanese language with a view to teaching through this medium. The Brothers held on in Hong Kong until the 22nd March 1943 when, led by Brother Aimar, most left for Indochina. There Brother Wilfrid could help with the teaching of French and English and also with the procurement of material goods. After the war, he managed to get back to La Salle arriving on the 20th April 1946.

There followed the takeover of the College by the British army and the removal of the school to the ‘temporary’ hutments in Perth Street. The ‘exile’ lasted all of ten years. Old boys of the time remember Brother Wilfrid well and not always too comfortably. He believed in the liberal use of the cane for even minor infringements and sometimes its use was perceived as unwarranted or somewhat over the top. His classes would start half an hour early and finish half an hour late. Those sent to detention, and there were many, meant staying another hour before release. It seems clear that Brother Wilfrid subscribed to the ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’ educational philosophy, common to what some people refer to as the ‘Old Guard’.

‘The man with the beard’ was what he was popularly called. However, the students gave him a Chinese nickname蠶豆meaning ‘Broad Bean’. Presumably his students felt that his facial features bore some resemblance to the shape of a broad bean!

The Silver Jubilee magazine of the College records that he was “as zealous and active as ever.” One aspect of his zeal was promoting religion, especially various forms of Catholic devotions. To this end, with the help of Brother Cassian, he re-edited the prayer-book called “Guide to Devotion”. It was printed in 1952 by the Hong Kong Nazareth Press and some copies are still extant. In its day it was widely used. The author sums up his hopes for the book as follows:

“To sum up, this little book will have fulfilled its mission of being a Guide to Devotion if it helps to make us understand God better, and be more manly in his service, because, by helping us to walk with him, it shall have developed day by day the friendship between God and each of us.”

In one school magazine an old boy writes of an interesting encounter with Brother Wilfrid. Brother was teaching him one fine day when he was in the lower forms and suddenly called him “a blackguard”. The old boy says he always remembered this, firstly, because it was the first time he learned the pronunciation of this word and secondly because he had the uneasy suspicion that the assessment of his character was close to the mark!

Time was moving on but nobody thought that Brother Wilfrid was nearing his end. After official retirement, he had continued to help around the school, and in particular took classes in Dictation. But the body was wearing out and he had to be hospitalised  in St Teresa’s. It was there he passed to his reward on the 27th July 1960 at the age of seventy four. Bishop Lawrence Bianchi celebrated the funeral Mass and Brother Wilfrid was then laid to rest in the Brothers’ plot in Happy Valley.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 33 (September 2011)

Daniel Linehan and his wife Anne reared twelve children, of whom four were boys. Their home was in the village of Tullylease, Co Cork, Ireland. In the years following the children were to be scattered, some going to Australia, some to the U.S.A. Michael, the future Brother Matthias, was born on 14th November 1892. He grew up with his brothers and sisters in a happy and religious atmosphere. He attended the local school. One day, when Michael was in his fourteenth year, a recruiter visited the school and that evening Michael told his mother that he wanted to be a Brother. The parents decided to consult the principal of the school. He advised them to send the boy to the De La Salle Brothers. A letter was sent to the Brother’s formation centre at Castletown, Co Laois, and as a result Michael was enrolled in the Juniorate on January 18, 1908. 

After a year and a half in the Juniorate, Michael started the Novitiate in June 1909, was clothed in the Lasallian habit in August and given the religious name of Brother Amor Matthias. He was deeply impressed by his formators and throughout his life he never deviated from the Lasallian ideals he learned from them.

On the completion of his novitiate he joined the scholasticate, which was also in Castletown. Here for a year and a half he followed the course of studies that prepared candidates for the King’s Scholarship examination. In those years it was the custom for young Brothers to volunteer for the Lasallian missions either in the USA or in the Far East. Brother Matthias volunteered for the East and was accepted. After a brief holiday at home he set sail for Singapore and joined the community of fifteen Brothers at St. Joseph’s Institution.

Brother Matthias spent eleven years in Singapore. There he learnt the art of teaching and developed good study habits. He was a conscientious teacher and all his class-work was prepared methodically. “He was a good teacher” writes a Brother who knew him well “He knew what he taught and knew how to impart his knowledge.” During his years in Singapore he made his final profession of vows, on December 12th 1920.

In June 1923 he was transferred to St. Francis Institution, Malacca, Malaysia. Attached to the school, at the time, was an orphanage. A Brother who was a pupil in St Francis in those days recalls: “The first time I met Brother Matthias was in 1924. Brother Barnitus was Director and he was Sub-Director. What a splendid pair! Both were lovers of the poor and the orphans and had great sympathy and understanding in regard to them. Brother Matthias taught the Senior Cambridge classes and a very successful and much-loved teacher he was. He was strict and insisted on discipline and hard work but this was tempered with justice and kindness.” This is a refrain that would be heard time and time again.

After only one year in Malacca, Brother Matthias was appointed to the community of St. Xavier’s Institution, Penang. A Brother writes “In December 1924, about a week before Christmas, I arrived in Penang from Singapore. We were just out from England. At the harbour waiting for us were Brother James and Brother Matthias. We went in a fleet of rickshaws to St. Xavier’s. That evening at supper we were a small group ranging in age from 84 to 19, and yet our conversation involved the whole group. The one who seemed to have the ability to involve everybody was Brother Matthias. Two or three days after our arrival he took ship for Europe and the Second Novitiate, but before going he was called to the home of one of his pupils who was dying, and was able to baptize him then and there.”

So in 1925 Brother Matthias returned to Ireland and was able to visit his family after an absence of twelve years. After a brief holiday he was sent to Carlsbourg in Belgium to acquire a good spoken knowledge of French in view of making the Second Novitiate. From August 1925 to May 1926 Brother Matthias followed the Second Novitiate programme at Lembecq-lez-Hal. He did so with the calm thoroughness that marked all his life.

After his return to Malaya in 1926, he was appointed again to the staff of St. Xavier’ Penang. A member of the community at that time tells us “He made himself responsible for a good community spirit, joined us in all forms of physical exercises—tennis, swimming, football, athletics, hill-climbing, excursions – he was game for it all. He organized our holidays so that there would be maximum enjoyment. He encouraged study during the holidays and during the weekends and he joined the younger Brothers for a course in mechanics and typewriting which he had planned. He was always approachable, kind but not weak and he had wonderful commonsense. Sometimes there were setbacks in school by reason of hasty and unwise decisions of those in charge. Without criticizing the latter, Brother Matthias would set about putting things right and re-establishing good relations. When people had to be told unpleasant things, he was the one usually chosen to break the unwelcome tidings, not that he was cold-headed or indifferent, but he believed that people should know the truth, however unpleasant.”

In 1927 he suffered very much from eruptions on the skin. He consulted doctors and underwent treatment but nothing seemed to help. It was eventually discovered that the ailment was due simply to the heat of the tropics. Brother Matthias made light of it but the condition would not go away. 

At that time the juniorate, novitiate and scholasticate were all located in Pulau Tikus, a secluded spot on the coast some distance from Penang. It was felt that the Juniors in particular needed a more structured programme. Brother Matthias was sent to Pulau Tikus to take charge. The change was immediate: the boys had to dress properly, good manners were emphasised, cleanliness insisted on and a definite and clear timetable drawn up to regulate the Juniors’ day. The next year Brother Matthias was given charge of the Novitiate. After only nine months in this position, however, he was moved to Manila and after a five months’ stay he was sent to St. Joseph’s College, Hong Kong, as Sub-Director. He arrived 21st September 1929 and began teaching immediately.

The Director of St Joseph’s was the well known Brother Aimar who was just then building the magnificent College that for so many subsequent years was to dominate the skyline of Kowloon. On the completion of the building in 1932 Brother Aimar became the first Director of La Salle College and Brother Matthias replaced him as the head of the community in St. Joseph’s. 

He was now forty years of age and in the bloom of life. He was to be Director of St. Joseph’s College for three years. In all he only spent six years in Hong Kong but his memory is held in benediction there by old boys of those years. One such recalls: “He gave every encouragement to sports during his tenure of office and St. Joseph’s achieved laurels and fame in swimming, volley-ball, basket-ball, soccer and athletics. At the same time the college scored notable successes in the academic field, winning many distinctions and honours in the matriculation examinations.”

As late as 1977 still another Old Boy wrote to him. “You remember our First Fridays when we went to the chapel for Benediction. I was the outstanding choirboy and loved to sing the various hymns in Latin! I remember also the Hall where we had so many cowboy films on Saturdays. And I also remember you emptying my pockets bulging with marbles! One episode I will never forget. One day three of us conspired to do no homework that evening. But next day I was the only one who showed up without homework and two of my companions told Brother Xavier that I had gone on strike. I was sent down to your office to explain and you just got out the cane and gave what you considered due to me! Those were the days.”

A Brother who came to Hong Kong from Ireland in 1932 pays tribute to Brother Matthias. “I spent two of the happiest years of my life with him in St. Joseph’s. He spared no effort in training me for my work. He was strict but kind and fatherly. During the long holidays he organized lessons for the young Brothers in the subjects they had to teach. He himself would give lessons in mathematics and Latin, while Brother Xavier taught us Physics, Brother Hubert Chemistry, Brother Aubert English and Brother Vulbas Joseph French. We had games twice a week and he himself would join in with great gusto.

He was deeply religious and his regularity at all chapel exercises was exemplary. He loved prayer, the Mass, Our Lady and St La Salle.”

He also had a great love for the poor. Quite a large number of pupils were exempted from paying school fees or had them substantially reduced. Really deserving cases had their midday meal free in the school canteen. Every year he had a collection among pupils for the Home for the Aged run by the Little Sisters of the Poor. Contributions were in the form of clothing, food and cash. The class that collected most was given a half-day to take the goods to the Home and distribute them. For many years, the Old Boys’ Association, in which he took a deep interest, continued this laudable custom around the Feast of St. Joseph.

In 1936 Brother Matthias returned to Malaya and was appointed Director of St. Xavier’s Institution, Penang.

A Brother writes “The Brothers of St. Xavier’s, many of them new arrivals from Ireland, Germany and Canada, were delighted at the appointment of Brother Matthias. He brought an atmosphere of humanity, happiness and freedom to the community. Games received a new impetus and he himself joined in.”

After only two years as the head of St. Xavier’s, to the despair of the community, Brother Matthias was appointed Director of the Novitiate in Pulau Tikus, and thereafter was sent to a fill a number of posts until recalled to Penang again at the end of 1941. The fact is that the Visitor, Brother James, had great confidence in Brother Matthias and in view of the imminent danger of a Japanese invasion he wanted to have him close by.

The four war years that followed were dangerous and difficult for the Brothers. Brothers of British nationality were imprisoned. Irish and local Brothers were for the most part allowed to remain in their communities and if they taught school at all it had to be in Japanese.   A lot of the Brothers suffered from hunger and malnutrition. The schools in the main were taken over by the occupying troops. St. Xavier’s was occupied during all the years of Japanese rule and the community there had to seek refuge in Pulau Tikus. 

Brother Matthias was put in charge of the novices and then in charge of the scholastics, and indeed the whole personnel. Every piece of arable ground was cultivated to produce food. Brother James Dooley, in his homily at the funeral Mass for Brother Matthias summed up his role during those difficult years: “The Japanese occupation of Malaya was a particularly difficult time for Brother Matthias. He was responsible for the formation of a group of young men, who, owing to the war situation, could not be promoted to the next stage of their religious and pedagogical formation nor could they be transferred elsewhere. There was an acute shortage of food and clothing. There was the obligatory study of the Japanese language without adequate teachers or text-books. Hardest of all, frequent interrogations, harassment, searches by the ever-suspicious authorities and the worrying uncertainty as to what would be the outcome of the occupation. But Brother Matthias lived through those nightmare years in his calm, unruffled and prayerful way. Only those close to him knew what the calm and confidence he inspired cost him!”

In 1946 a new Visitor, Brother Barnitus, was appointed to succeed Brother James. Brother Matthias was asked to be Director of St. John’s Institution, Kuala Lumpur. He remained there for two years, greatly liked and respected by the Brothers, lay teachers and boys. 

By 1948 the skin-trouble from which Brother Matthias had suffered so uncomplainingly for years, became so aggravated that he begged to be sent to a cold climate. He was sent back to Ireland and there, after some weeks at home, he was appointed to teach in the scholasticate. From 1949 to 1951 he was in charge of the young Brothers studying in the training college in Belfast. His heart was still in the East, however, and in 1951, he returned to Malaya and spent the next two years as Director of the scholasticate in Pulau Tikis. A scholastic at that time tells us “Just before the end of the novitiate we were told that Brother Matthias was going to be our Director in the scholasticate. We also heard from some of his former novices that he was very strict and punished all mistakes. This frightened us a good deal. So when we went to the scholasticate we were on our best behaviour, but as time passed we began to realize that our Director was not at all the kind of man he had been painted. We found him very kind and gentlemanly. When he did have to reprimand us it was always in a calm and gentle way with a smile on his face.” 

Brother Matthias’ skin trouble, which had almost disappeared during his stay in Ireland, now returned as virulently as ever, so there was nothing for it but to return to Europe for good. And so it was that, at the age of sixty-one, he left the East where he had laboured so successfully for forty years. On his return he was appointed Director of the scholasticate in Strawberry Hill, London. This was a hostel for the young Brothers following the teacher-training course in St. Mary’s Training College, Twickenham. There was a mixture of English and Irish scholastics.

 “At last we have a Director for Strawberry Hill” Brother Gilbert, the Visitor, exclaimed some time later. “With Brother Matthias,” said one of the scholastics “we know where we are twenty-four hours of the day”. “He trusted us” said another scholastic of those days. “He was himself a transparently honest and sincere person. His goodness might be taken advantage of from time to time but there was never on his part any bitterness. His gentleness and kindness always worked in the end. And he was a genuinely holy man.” His Sub-Director of those days tells us “I regard him as a saintly, gentle Director. He seemed to be always in close union with Our Lord. His visits to the Blessed Sacrament were frequent and prolonged and he rarely returned from town without some flowers for the altar. When he entered the chapel, after genuflecting to the Blessed Sacrament he would always make a respectful bow to the statue of the Most Blessed Virgin.”

He was truly a good religious – a man of deep calm and quiet piety. He had an air of recollection and of absorption in the matter of things spiritual that was inspiring. His piety was not so much something he taught in conferences or lectures, but something one can see from his gentleness, his silence and his thoughtfulness. He never complained. He was very close to our Holy Founder in that he saw in all things the will of God and accepted them as such.  

Upon the transfer of the scholastics from Twickenham to De La Salle Training College, Hopwood Hall, Brother Matthias was appointed Sub-Director of the novitiate in Castletown. He taught Christian Doctrine, French and English to the novices. His notebooks are full of information on the meaning and pronunciation of English words and he took great pains with the reading of the novices. “Good diction was of the utmost importance for future teachers,” he maintained, so he gave elocution lessons. 

One of his novices recalls: “Brother Matthias was my sub-director of Novices in 1958/59. He was the first to introduce us to the literary grandeur of figures of speech and we learned about such exotic figures as alliteration, oxymoron and hyperbole….together with examples of usage. Two of his spiritual exhortations remain with me. He would frequently say ‘all for God’ and remind us that we were ‘fools for Christ’s sake’.”

Brother Matthias followed the exodus of the novitiate to Faithlegg in 1970 and to Loughrea in 1972. On the closure of the novitiate in Loughrea in 1974, Brother Matthias, now over eighty years of age decided to call it a day! He was transferred to Miguel House in Castletown, where he was to spend the last years of his life. His Director of that time tells us “In punctuality, regular observance, obedience to authority, he was faultless. Never once did I hear him utter a complaint. On the contrary he was at a loss how to express his gratitude to the Sisters and staff in Miguel House and to the District which had provided such a comfortable residence for the old Brothers. He had always the Rosary beads in his hand. He suffered considerably from ill health but never spoke of it. The Sisters and doctor had to find out for themselves for whenever he was asked how he felt he would invariably reply ‘fine’! 

In his last years, now in his mid-eighties, he grew progressively weaker, but for as long as he could he came to the dining room for meals and followed all the chapel exercises. Not until the very end did he have to stay in bed. He quietly breathed his last on August 16, 1979.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 32 (July 2011)

We are indebted to Brother Vincent Corkery for tracing, at first hand, the life journey of Brother William: from sun-scorched south India to the plantations of West Malaysia, to schooling in Malacca, to spiritual formation in Penang, to teaching in Hong Kong and finally to fifty five years of devoted educational service in various capacities in Singapore. 

Brother William’s life is best told, as near as possible, in his own words. Here goes.

“The little village of Birisingam Patam was one of thousands dotting the flat landscape of our part of Tamil Nadhu in South India. Here I was born in 1904, the eldest of three boys. 

The sun-baked Hindu temple not far from home was a focus of village life. Here my father patiently taught a dozen children, using the dusty ground for writing. None could afford an exercise book. My father received his wages in measures of rice and supplies of vegetables. 

I was just four, too young to have been his pupil, when my father fell sick and died, leaving mother to provide for our needs. Life became difficult. Mother besides doing all the house-work, helped other people in the padi-fields to earn enough food for us. 

Two years later an uncle came on a visit from Seremban with his wife. They had no children. It was arranged that I should accompany them back to Malaysia. Never again would I see my mother or my two younger brothers. 

We reached Malaysia at last and travelled to Sungai Siam Estate, not far from Pedas railway station, some 20 miles south of Seremban. I found myself in the new wonderful world of a large rubber estate, a world of frequent rain and luxuriant growth, a busy world where the day began long before dawn.  But the estate was mosquito-infested, and after six months there was an outbreak of malaria fever. All three of us - uncle, aunt and myself ¬were rushed to the small Zinc-roofed hospital on the estate. 

One morning the nurse woke me up and took me to my uncle's bedside where his body lay stiff in death: he had died during the night of cerebral malaria. A week later my aunt died as well. 

Left alone in the hospital and in the world, I was inconsolable. The story of my predicament went all over the estate and reached the manager, Mr. Alfred William Muir, an engineer by training. He took me to his bungalow and treated me as his own son. He called some servants and in fluent Tamil told them to cut my hair, give me a bath and get me some new clothes. It was now 1913 and I was nine years old.

As December approached Mr. Muir was conscripted into the British Army and had to return to the UK. He took me to Singapore, to Whiteaways, to be fitted out with proper clothes, then to Malacca to place me in the boarding department at St Francis' Institution, a Lasallian school. It was holiday time and the Brothers were away on retreat. I was placed with the Convent until schools reopened. 

In January 1914 I joined St Francis' Institution as a boarder. Brother Claude was director, one of the nicest persons I have ever known. Boarding life was exciting. I joined in the games, made many friends, in no time I felt at home speaking English and I made good progress in my studies. 

Meanwhile war had broken out in Europe and I felt very upset when news came through that Mr. Muir had been seriously wounded in the thigh in a battle near Basra in Iraq. Unfit for further military service, he was taken home to Scotland where his recovery took many months. During this period he was able to write many letters to me, showing all the concern and affection of a loving father, enquiring about my progress and sending me regular parcels of goodies as well as money for my upkeep and education. 

I attended Catechism lessons but delayed till I was 15 before asking Brother Justin if I could become a Catholic. My Dad, Mr. Muir, approved. I was baptized in 1919 and chose to be called William, Mr. Muir's middle name. Brother Justin took a personal interest in me and soon after put me in charge of the Sodality of Our Lady, an important post of leadership and responsibility among the Boarders. 

In 1919 my Dad accepted the post of engineer and captain on a boat which plied the Pearl River daily between Hong Kong and Canton. His letters were always full of affectionate interest in what I was doing, never making decisions for me, but supporting me in what he saw as God's leading in my life. 

By now I had emerged as a leading sportsman in the school. I was champion athlete in 1925 and for three successive years made it to the school soccer team. 

When I reached the senior class, Brother Justin asked what I planned to do on leaving school. I told him I was thinking of becoming an electrician. 'Why not a Brother?' he asked. I was greatly honoured by his suggestion, prayed over it for several days and finally approached the saintly Brother Barnitus who was my director at this time, and said simply: 'I want to be like you!' He was most encouraging, advising that nothing would be lost by giving the Brother's life a try. It was in February 1927 that Brother Barnitus put me on the train for the novitiate in Penang.

I loved the Novitiate from the start, the beautiful building, the spacious grounds, the abundance of fruit trees and the waves echoing from the sandy beach nearby. Brother Matthias was my director and spiritual guide, strict but understanding. 

My fellow novices came from Malaysia, Singapore, Burma and Sri Lanka. We mingled easily and accepted the silenced and discipline of novitiate life. The training in meditation has stayed with me for life. We were coached to follow the style laid down by De La Salle for the novices of his day. Gradually I was discovering the inner secret of the Brother's vocation. Time was set aside to study the life of La Salle. My enthusiasm for the Brother's life deepened as I saw myself called to walk in his footsteps in simple service to youth. We were taken on beautiful walks, sometimes climbing Penang Hill and staying a night in the cool of the Brothers' retreat house. And, of course, I loved the soccer matches. 

On completing my training I joined the staff of St Xavier's Institution in Penang, one of the earliest schools founded by the Brothers in Asia. Here I lived and worked with Brothers of many tastes, and nationalities. I was touched by their welcome, the variety of friendship and fellowship, and I felt confirmed in my vocation by their example of joyful commitment. I was given a primary class to teach and soon learned to enjoy my work. But I was not allowed to settle into this happy routine because in 1931 I was transferred from St Xavier’s to St Joseph's College in Hong Kong. Here living conditions were cramped and difficult. But the revered Brother Aimar, my new Director, was full of concern for my comfort and well-being, even personally seeing me well supplied with warm clothing and lots of blankets when the weather got chilly. 

It was a joy to meet Mr. Muir again. I was 9 when we parted in 1913. I was now 26 and a fully-fledged Brother, he a seasoned ship's captain. Our mutual attachment had been expressed in regular letters all the absent years. Now I was able to see him regularly and spend hours in his company. 

I enjoyed teaching. In addition I helped with the boarders, ran the bookshop and checked on kitchen supplies. My days were full and I soon learnt to adapt to Hong Kong's special culture, even venturing into speaking Cantonese, just sufficient to get by. 

Among the Brothers close to me in those days were Brother John Climacus Toh and Brother Francis Rozario, both renowned for their personal holiness and piety. An early experience was being awakened at midnight by a regular tok-¬tok sound overhead. It was Brother Francis pacing the corridor, reciting the rosary: this was to become a regular feature of my Hong Kong experience. 

In October 1940 I was transferred to St Joseph's Institution in Singapore. With the general sense of foreboding and insecurity on all sides, it was painful parting with my Dad. I was not to see him again. In April 1941 I received a letter with the tragic news that the Japanese had bombed his boat and machine-gunned the survivors in the water. I suddenly felt alone and lost: I mourned the tragic death of one who had affirmed me with fatherly affection for the most of three decades. Brother Visitor James understood my situation and kindly arranged that I take the next boat to Hong Kong to attend to family matters. The trip was to close a cherished chapter in my personal story.

With the fall of Singapore, the Japanese took charge. The Brothers were under a kind of house detention for some days. I felt scared to go out. Life slowly returned to something like normal and we joined the Japanese language classes, now made compulsory for all teachers. Schools reopened and we resumed teaching, under very different and difficult conditions. 

Now and then a group of soldiers would come by my class, always with the same routine. Their officer would command a student to "Read!" The listening soldiers would glow with pride and end with a great burst of applause! 

After a year thousands of people, including the Brothers, were directed to a jungle clearing Bahau, not far from Seremban, where we managed to survive till the end of the Japanese occupation. We cleared the ground, planted fruits and vegetables, and reared poultry and goats. Among other things I dug holes to contain all forms of waste as fertiliser for our precious fruits and vegetables. 

Months passed, several fell sick, many died, mostly from malaria; medical facilities were poor. I recalled my childhood days in the rubber estate and my uncle and his wife now dead 30 years. The Brothers fell sick also; I alone among them was spared the terrors of malarial fever. Most recovered. I feel the hard work helped strengthen our purpose and keep us alive. Two young Irish Brothers, however, did die of cerebral malaria. 

News of the surrender finally filtered through, at first too good to be true, but soon it became official. Our one thought was to return to Singapore to deter looters and resume charge of our schools. Gradually life returned to normal, schools re-opened.  

I was posted to St Anthony's School where I was to work for the next eight years. I loved working with the teachers and students of St Anthony's. Brother Christopher Chen soon took charge as Principal and set a family tone which pervaded the whole school and made for easy co-operation and hard work. My special passion these years was for art and handicrafts and my students brought off several prizes in the annual interschool exhibitions. Evenings and weekends I enjoyed my badminton game with students and teachers. In 1953 Brother Director Ignatius Barry had me appointed Principal of the school. I felt overwhelmed with the responsibility. 

The following year I was posted to head De La Salle Primary School in Kampong Bahru, a new school. The teachers were full of youthful enthusiasm and over the next 12 years we forged bonds of friendship which continue to this day. My style was simple. I remember once at assembly clarifying my role: ‘As headmaster, I am here to make you all happy’. It was the way I saw my mission as a Brother to these children. I had committed my life to God to help young people find direction and meaning in life. I was always conscious of this, and it gave me a lively sense of God in what I was doing, and I know He blessed my presence among the students and teachers. 

In 1966 I received an apologetic note from the ministry of education, telling me they had bent every rule to allow me continue as headmaster, until there were no more rules to bend! I had to retire! But Brothers don't retire! I went on transfer to St Patrick's School where Brother Joseph Kiely gave me charge of accounts. I also became director of aspirants, guiding a group of young Singaporeans interested in becoming Brothers. I continued my game of badminton. Holiday time, I teamed up with Brother Christopher Chen, my life-long companion and friend, for coach trips up country and even further afield. 

In 1972 after a simple cataract operation I stopped breathing. I was still fully conscious and felt the torture when they kept scraping my soles for signs of life. In the general panic Brother Justinian back at St Patrick's told the students I was in great danger: teachers and students alike stopped to pray for me. Their prayers were answered. That very moment at the hospital a different doctor dropped by, checked and saw glucose was lacking. After two injections I coughed and the funeral arrangements they were freely discussing in my hearing had to be postponed! 

In 1973 when the boarding department was opened, I helped with the accounts, and have continued to do so now for the most of twenty years, years that have been peaceful and fulfilling. I have even managed to learn the rudiments of using the computer. Time passes more swiftly nowadays as I observe changing patterns in society, in the church and among us Brothers. My work continues but I know the lot marked out for me is moving towards its happy completion.”

So ends Brother William’s first-hand account. As the years began to take their toll and nursing care was required, he was admitted to St Joseph’s Home run by the Canossian Sisters. The Brothers visited him regularly and found him cheerful and generally alert. He was happy to be at St Joseph's Home and the workers, nurses and sisters loved him because of his cheerfulness. The Sisters remember him as a man of prayer as he would ask to remain in the chapel longer when asked if they could wheel him out on several occasions. According to them, he spent much of his time in the chapel. 

As time went by, a series of small strokes left him unable to respond much to anyone and retention of toxic urine necessitated hospitalization for a time. His hands and feet were swollen. The hospital did what they could before transferring him back to the Home. The Sisters especially took the trouble to continue talking loudly into his ear in spite of the little response they received. They continued to take him into the chapel for Mass. His condition declined gradually, almost imperceptibly before he eventually slipped away on the night of the 25th July 2004.

The wake was held at St Patrick's School chapel from Monday to Wednesday with nightly Masses at 8 pm followed by the Funeral Mass on Thursday 29 July at 9 am presided by Mgr Eugene Vaz, the Vicar General. Bro Michael Jacques kindly delivered the eulogy. The students of St Patrick's School lined both sides of the road from the chapel to the gate of St Patrick's Road and a class of students stood on either side of St Patrick's Road outside the gate waving at the funeral cortege. It was a great send off as the school band played the school anthem near the main gate, while a student blew the trumpet, the Last Post, at the chapel. 

There were many tributes. One former boarder recalled: “He had a loving heart and he loved Jesus very much and was a very dedicated Christian Brother. I remember when I ran out of money, I would go to him and he would give me a helping hand and usually give me what I needed as well as a piece of good advice on money management.” 

A Brother who lived with William for 7 years from 1951 to 1957 said: “I shall always remember him for his genuine simplicity, his admirable humility and his never failing good humour.  He never seemed to complain and had that little winsome smile across his face even at the worst of times.”

Another Brother remembered how he “often joked with him saying that his other half of the famous "black and white" pair, Brother Christopher, was calling him and he would reply, ‘That fellow is having so much fun that he has forgotten to look for my number.’” 

At the funeral eulogy, Brother Michael Jacques put it well: “To me he was a divine gift and a grace. To me and to many others to know him was to love him for his abiding gentleness, kindness and generosity, humility and loyalty. His company was a joy and an inspiration, an encouragement to be Christ-¬like as he himself was. In all my years with him, I never heard him utter a single unkind word. St James says "He who does not offend with his tongue, the same is a perfect man."

The last words can fittingly be left to William himself. They give us a glimpse of what made him tick, a beautiful glimpse into the inner core of his being.

“As I go for my regular 2-hour evening walk and watch the busy world go by, I find myself pondering a loving God, a God who became very real to me through the diverse people who nurtured, guided and companioned me though every chapter of a story which began so very long ago among the humble villages of South India. 

I cherish above all his gift of vocation to be a simple Brother of La Salle, to help young people, as I myself have been helped, and guide them to discover this God of gentle surprises. Children are dearer to me than ever, and I ask Jesus to give them teachers who are truly spiritual, truly caring, so that the work which meant so much to me will continue when I have passed on. With love to all”

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 31 (May 2011)

Brother Austin was born on the 12th October 1900 in Rangoon, Burma, the country that is now called Myanmar. Some snippets from his early life are best told in his own words. 

“My father was an engineer on the Burma railways. He died when I was five years old. An uncle took my mother and three sisters into his home. I was in the eleventh standard when, during our annual retreat, I experienced a strong desire to become a religious. At first I wanted to become a Franciscan, but a friend of mine, who was about to join the De La Salle Brothers, persuaded me to join the Novitiate of the Brothers. Six other boys had also made up their minds to join. My dear mother was at the jetty to see me off. My mother and I broke down but God gave both of us his grace to carry out my resolve to be a Brother. I never met my mother again, for she died seven months later.”

Brother Austin, together with eleven companions, joined the De La Salle Brothers as an aspirant on the 21st November 1916. They had all been taught by the Brothers in the famed St Paul’s High School, Rangoon. They had to travel to Kuala Lumpur for their initial training. In 1918 they were transferred to Penang where Brother Austin did his Novitiate and took the religious habit on the 1st October 1921. The Scholasticate years followed until he qualified for classroom teaching in 1924.

A strong, determined spirit was one of his characteristics. Everything he did was done with a will. One way this was shown was his persistent and continuous efforts to control stammering. When stuck while reading aloud, he repeatedly stamped the floor with vigour till he regained his speech. At this early stage, he also displayed a remarkable memory, particularly for the scriptures.

His many years of dedicated service to education began at St. John's Kuala Lumpur in 1924 and from then until 1954 he taught in the Lasallian schools in Penang, Melaka, Taiping, Seremban and Singapore. As one Brother contemporary put it: "I clearly remember the stacks of exercise books that lay piled on his desk, but not for long. The piles diminished visibly as he laboured long and arduously at them.” Throughout his teaching career he paid particular attention to the teaching of catechism and moral education. He prepared these lessons carefully and taught with fervour and sincerity. 

He did have one “break” during this time, having been chosen to follow a 9 month Second Novitiate programme in Belgium from 1932 to 1933. There were sixty four Brothers on the course. As Brother Austin puts it: “The nine months did us a lot of good; heightened and deepened our love for our Lasallian vocation, helped us to see its importance and its grandeur.”

Another less welcome “break” came with the outbreak of World War 11. Brother Austin was in Penang at the time. Since he had a British passport and was pro British in every way, he chaffed at the restrictions brought about by the war. In typical determined fashion he refused to learn Japanese. He preferred to play ‘God save the King’ on his mouth-organ while standing to attention!

One of his longer teaching stretches was at St Francis Institution, Melaka, from 1945 to 1953. His old boys have very clear memories of him. His nickname was “Austin Botak”, which can be translated as “The Potter” or more loosely as “Baldy Austin”! He was often observed tenderly stroking his bald head. Some students wondered whether he was of Indian descent or Burmese by race. Brother Austin impressed them by claiming that Afghanistan blood ran through his veins!

In the classroom he was the master in every sense of the word. Learning was a serious business, and especially when it came to religion. All his lessons were meticulously prepared and often accompanied by sketch notes. He would often bring along his jelly printing machine, a forerunner of the duplicating machine. When students questioned him as to how he made this unique machine he would invariably reply: “Sorry, it’s a family secret!” He taught his students to be morally upright and courageous, citing the exemplary lives of many Christians throughout history. He would usually demand learning important scriptural passages by heart. Among his many accomplishments, one in particular used to mesmerise his pupils. He could draw a complete perfect circle on the blackboard, without the aid of compasses.

Another of his talents was in music. He trained a choir to sing in four parts and their public performances drew loud applause and demands for encores. Though usually serious in manner, there was always a glint in the eye. Once, in a foreign land, he was asked to sing a Chinese song. Not knowing any, he immediately improvised by using a tune to the names of his Chinese pupils! His listeners thought he was fluent in Chinese. On social occasions, he would play the harmonica and the Brothers would often ask him to sing, the Irish Brothers demanding an ancient ditty called “Tim O’Shea”. Brother Austin had an accurate tone and a sweet voice.

Yet another talent was in games, especially in cricket, hockey and football. Although pint-sized, what was lacking in stature was made up for in speed and skill. His favourite trick was selling the dummy, leaving his opponent flat-footed and bemused. Besides playing games himself, he would take a keen interest in class and inter-school games and always expected his teams to win. Everyone in the sports-field knew where his loyalties lay. He was generous, however, after defeat, as long as the players had done their best.

Finally, there is the testimony of a Brother who lived in Community with Austin at this time. “No one doubted his religious spirit or his piety. His piety was simple and deep, centring around the Eucharist and Mary. He was very easy to live with and always lived simply.”

1954 marked the end of what may be considered the first phase of Brother Austin’s teaching career. He was then transferred to Burma, the country of his birth, and was appointed Director in Moulmein from 1954 to 1959 and in Twante from 1959 to 1963. It was while he was in Twante that his legendary dogged defence of human rights was severely tested. He was once approached by local protection racketeers who demanded protection money to maintain peace and safety at such a troubled time. Brother Austin refused point blank. Not many days after that, however, some Brothers were abducted and held for ransom. Brother Austin refused to pay at first, arguing that it was not just. In the end he was, most reluctantly, forced to yield. 

From Twante he was transferred to Rangoon and appointed the Principal of St Paul’s Primary School and, at the same time, Director of the Brothers’ Scholasticate. It was while he was at this work that the nationalisation of all Catholic schools took place. That was in 1965 and it came as a huge shock to all those working in the Catholic missions. And it put an end to the second phase of Brother Austin’s teaching career.

He held on to his British Passport for dear life, although this necessitated his forced departure from Burma. He clung to his British citizenship and believed he could sail through any country with a British Passport in tow. This was not to be the case and from 1965 to 1977 he shuttled between Malaysia and Singapore. He then spent the year 1974-1975 in Vietnam prior to its fall to the Vietcong. He spent much of his time there at La Salle, Nhatrang, teaching the young aspirants to the Brothers. When the political situation got bad he was brought to Saigon. The Brothers were able to get him a seat on a plane that was taking out evacuees from the beleaguered city. He landed in Singapore but was refused entry and eventually he obtained refuge in Malaysia.

Brother Austin's 'retirement' years were first spent mainly in Malaysia (1966-1977) and then in La Salle Col¬lege, Kowloon, Hong Kong (1977-1995). Retirement is hardly the appropriate word for Brother Austin, because even up to a few months before his death, he had continued to teach and tutor students. Indeed, he expected to live a long life. He applied for a new passport at the age of 90 and complained that it would expire in only 10 years!

Many images spring to mind when recalling Brother Austin’s life of retirement in La Salle College, Kowloon.

Austin the religious Brother: He was a man of prayer; “knocking sparks off the Blessed Sacrament” as one Brother colourfully put it. He was devoted to the daily religious exercises, particularly devoted to Mary, the Mother of God and therefore to the rosary. He was also a staunch spiritual director of the Legion of Mary Praesidium, Our Lady of Fatima. Br Austin seemed to pray with a direct line, uttering numerous pious ejaculations and he expected answers to prayer and must have got them. And then there was his devotion to the Saints, such that he often amazed people with his detailed knowledge of each Saint. Any hint, however, that he himself might be a holy man would be dismissed categorically.

Austin the teacher: Although officially retired he did not know the meaning of the word and therefore continued to teach in the spirit of faith and zeal as long as his physical and mental energies allowed. He taught mainly in La Salle Primary School, teaching English and even some French but paying much attention to the teaching of religion. He would also tutor boys of both the Primary and College in his spare time. He was a versatile teacher, equally at home with English, French, Geography, Religion and so on. He taught with authority, expecting good order and of course getting it. Yet his type of discipline was always tempered with great kindness, which attracted students to him. He never gave up on a student no matter how slow the learning process and would conclude his lessons with a human and spiritual reflection, suited to the student’s age and maturity.

Austin the chess-player: He would light up at the mention of chess and especially on “chess days”. Prior to the encounter, he seemed to gird his loins for battle and would give 100% concentration to the task. He played to win and might occasionally request the opponent to allow him take back a move he had already made! He kept a tally of his victories against John Lam, a pupil of Brother Austin back in 1949 in Malaysia and who came faithfully to play with him every week. Needless to say, Brother Austin usually had the edge on John but he could never rest on his oars.

Austin’s love for England: England could do little wrong, be it in politics, sports, what have you. Living in a Community with a number of Irishmen made for some delightful banter. The Irish would rag Brother Austin no end with every scandalous story they could find about England.

One good Brother regularly wondered if England would ever learn how to play cricket! He took the banter in good part, saying he understood the Irish temperament! But he didn’t budge an inch!

Austin’s love for his family: He would send his family members parcels, wrote most regularly and spoke lovingly of them all. He really looked forward to his visits to India and also looked forward to all the letters and cards he received from the family. Towards the end, when he could not read their letters or write to them, he asked for help. And when the letters were read out to him, he cried. The very mention of a relative was enough to bring tears to his eyes. Quite simply, he loved his family very much.

Other noticeable characteristics of Br Austin were that he never failed to say thank you for any favour or recognition or help; that he was proud of being a De La Salle Brother and wore the robe almost everywhere and that he could remember and relate incidents, names and stories of yesteryear, which were all fresh in his mind. He was also dead set against waste of any kind, food, paper, clothes. ‘Waste not, Want not’ was his motto.

From October 1995 there was a very noticeable decline in his health and he became bed ridden and had to make use of a wheel chair. He asked at first for hospitalization but after two weeks he wanted home. So he saw the rest of the time out in his room until a few days before his death.

Anita, a Filipina nurse, took care of him during the day and a night nurse was employed from the local St. Teresa’s hospital. The Brothers paid frequent visits to his room, though these were not made easy because Br Austin was shouting loudly at this stage – shouting out prayers of longing for God as well as his family.

A few days before his death he stopped eating and drinking so on the 11th of December, he was brought back to St. Teresa’s Hospital. There he was made comfortable. He could not speak but followed visitors with his eyes. On the 13th he could not open his eyes, though he was breathing normally. However, he had a lot of phlegm. He died peacefully at about five in the morning of the 14th December. He had written to a Brother friend a few years previously: “Now the Evening has arrived, and our dear Lord will soon summon us and say, ‘Come and receive your wages.’ 

At the funeral Mass eulogy the large congregation was reminded that “Brother Austin witnessed events of world shaking importance including two World Wars and he lived through huge changes of society and of thought. Through them all, he remained himself, true to his vocation and to his life values.”

Brother Austin's life was a fine illustration of the spirit of the Institute he joined, the spirit of faith and zeal. In the spirit of faith, he always sought to do God’s will and to see everybody and everything with the eyes of faith. In the spirit of zeal for the instruction of chil¬dren, he taught with efficiency and enthusiasm and regarded the teaching profession with pride. 

Here is a prayer which he typed on the back of a picture of the sacred Heart: “May each morning be for me a new day with possibilities of love, of a smile for all, a new force to welcome with a ‘Yes, my God,’ to all that you will or permit today. May your holy will always be the joy of my heart.”

May his kind gentle soul rest in peace. 
 

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 30 (April 2011)

Brother Vincent Kozak was born on the 8th June 1909 in Oparany, in Bohemia and was baptised Antonin Frantisek Kozak. He died on the 15th June 1990, a week after his 81st birthday. 

He was born a citizen of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a decade before the birth of modern Czechoslovakia. He always identified closely with his native land, and the long struggle of his people for national identity and freedom, a struggle which reached fulfillment with the overthrow of the Communists just months before he passed away. He was overjoyed at the news.

He decided to join the De La Salle Brothers and did the Novitiate and took the habit on the 14th August 1925 at the age of 16. His novitiate and scholasticate were in his own country and on answering a call for volunteers for the missions, he went to Dover in England to study English. He also studied briefly at Le Mans in France.

Brother Vincent was one of a group which travelled East in 1929. He was posted to Burma, (Myanmar) to St Peter's High School, a well-run boarding and day school in Mandalay. He loved Mandalay, the city of Buddhist monks and pagodas, and seems from the first to have developed a fine rapport with his students. It was a rapport which would characterise him through all his 38 years in Burma.

After 9 years in Mandalay he was transferred to St Patrick's High School, Moulmein, as senior assistant teacher. The affable, kind and understanding Brother Remigius Mark was Director. It is in Moulmein that we find photographs of Brother Vincent, in the full vigour of his youth, with flowing beard, in a very racially diverse community consisting of Karen, Ceylonese, Irish and German. St Patrick's was the oldest Lasallian school in Burma, founded in 1859, just seven years after the Brothers had first arrived in Asia in 1852.

It had an enrolment close to 700 at this time, with a wonderful reputation for studies and sports. Boxing had been introduced and very soon the school came tops in inter-school competitions.

When the Japanese army invaded Burma, Brother Vincent was still at Moulmein. The first bombing took place as the community were sitting down to their 1941 Christmas dinner. Despite growing tension, the community went on to have their annual retreat as usual, and in their spare time started building air-raid shelters. Systematic bombing began on the 7th January, 1942, a couple of days after school had reopened. Since no serious work could be done and as most pupils stayed away, the Brothers suspended school.

Some Brothers left for Twante and some for Mandalay for reasons of safety. Brother Vincent was with the group which left for Twante, some 30 miles south west of Rangoon, and it was there that he spent the next three and a half years of the Japanese Occupation. The immediate focus of military activity was Rangoon where the bombing had greatly intensified.

The De La Salle Institute in Twante, where Brother Vincent spent the war years, was a very special kind of foundation. Located in a large rubber plantation, it was set up as an orphanage in 1921 by Brother John Clerc (1873-1942), who was renowned as one of the kindest and most lovable of men. The Orphanage at Twante was his very imaginative response to the needs of the time. It provided a practical and varied education for needy young people. The main emphasis was academic, but all were given a choice of interest to pursue ranging from carpentry and metal-work to gardening, poultry and running the rubber estate. Rather appropriately Brother John was called "Papa John" in that he fostered a strong family spirit. Brother Vincent treasured his experience of this world of Twante.

Brother Gilbert McKenna, a contemporary, records the following: "Throughout the war the Brothers at Twante were allowed full freedom to go on with their work as the Japanese saw it was purely a work of charity. It must have been very hard to provide food and clothing for so many. Besides the 150 boys who were entirely dependent on the Brothers for everything, many people from Rangoon and elsewhere had come to the school for safety. These people had put up little houses on the estate not far from the school."

Eventually, with the Japanese surrender, the Moulmein Brothers started planning to return. Means of travel were limited. But Brother Gilbert had set his sights on taking a plane to Moulmein, and as usual persevered till he succeeded. The story was often repeated in later years about how Brother Vincent shivered visibly at the prospect of taking to the skies, and then how, on final touchdown, wondered why people made such a fuss about flying!

School could not reopen till the 22nd October 1945. There was then a great rush of pupils, and many had to be turned away through lack of teachers. There was much scrubbing and cleaning to be done, and painting. Shelters and fox-holes in the playing field had to be filled in. Next year the inspector was able to report that “the school is perfect in all respects."

No doubt Brother Vincent was a key participant in all this reconstruction activity. But there were other matters to be considered. Since he first arrived in 1928 he had not been home to see his family, and during this long interval their respective worlds had seen traumatic change. In 1947 he was able to return to his native Czechoslovakia to spend time with his family but he also got a raw taste of Communist rule. His first hand experience of life lived under the yoke of Communism left harsh memories which he retained for the rest of his life.

He then proceeded to Cambridge for studies, after which, in 1949, it was back to his beloved Burma once more. He served as senior assistant teacher and supervisor in a number of schools including St Paul’s, St Anthony’s and St Theresa’s, all in Rangoon, as well as serving in Maymo, Moulmein and Mandalay. These were exciting and challenging years, when the schools prospered.

Then came the body-blow. In 1963, and with no advance notice, the Ne Win government nationalised all mission schools. The Brothers were required to relinquish their posts and their living quarters, and all assets were confiscated. Only the property at Ady Road in Rangoon escaped. There followed a time of great trauma, which deeply affected Brother Vincent, as well as his confreres.

Finally in 1966 all non-citizens were obliged to leave the country. Brother Vincent had held a British passport since 1939. A number of Brothers were affected, including Brother Vincent, Brother Hubert Pilz and Brother Austin de Lemos, who all found hospitality and work in Hong Kong. Brother Vincent took the opportunity to return to his native Czechoslovakia to visit his family and assess conditions under communist rule ten years after the brutal suppression of the 1956 Prague Spring. What he saw confirmed him in his anti-communist stance.

In October 1966, at La Salle College in Kowloon, he was happy to resume school work again. He arrived just in time to fill a vacancy created by the transfer of Brother Anthony Cheung to Malaysia. He taught English and Religious Studies mainly in the lower forms. Two of his students at the time have this to say: “He is well remembered for his strong affection towards his students and his tender loving care for them”.  And again “I fondly remember Brother Vincent for his liking to meet with the students, and also for his liking to pinch their tummies”. He himself had a pretty substantial tummy at the time!

As he passed the 60 mark, there were feelings of insecurity with approaching retirement. He began to think about options for old age. It was not possible to return to his native land, and indeed returning to any country in central or northern Europe would mean a change of climate which he could not face at his age. At one stage he set his hopes on joining the Mother House community in Rome but this was not viable. In due course, thanks to an understanding Director, Brother Raphael, and confreres who were kindly and caring, he grew to be grateful for Hong Kong and to identify fully with its life and aspirations. And in Hong Kong he stayed.

After seven years on the staff of La Salle College he came to retire. He was to live for another seventeen years. He continued to take classes in religion, sell religious books and articles, and the Catholic weekly newspaper, and persevered with his hobby of making rosaries, often in response to personal requests. His rosaries were sturdy, made to last. He also continued his work as sacristan, an important assignment which involved much time and labour. He took pride in keeping the chapel clean and tidy and well decorated, and during the vocation novena the statue of the Divine Infant of Prague was enthroned in the chapel. In 1975 he celebrated his Golden Jubilee as a Brother; in 1984 he attended the canonization of Brother Miguel in Rome.

On the last day of the year in 1985 he celebrated his Diamond Jubilee in the presence of all the Brothers in Hong Kong. The Thanksgiving Mass was very much to his liking since Latin was used for singing the Ordinary parts and the concluding hymn was the Te Deum. A Brother John from Czechoslovakia happened to be visiting at the time and was able to give a short speech in Brother Vincent’s native tongue.

His personal world continued to revolve around Burma, his first love, and the Communists, his prime hate. His conversation was always full of Burma and the good old days. His love for Burma was shown in practical ways. He kept up correspondence with friends, many his former students, especially in North and North East Burma. He made up parcels of clothing and sent along papers and magazines as well. And of course he sent his sturdy rosaries. 

The Communists were another matter altogether. He loved his native Czechoslovakia dearly and could not forgive the Communists for the suffering and humiliation which they had brought on his people, people he knew and loved, including members of his own family. His frequent recitation of the rosary was chiefly for the final defeat of communism. 

He followed the extraordinary drama in Eastern Europe in the closing months of 1989 with joy and open glee. The years of painful waiting and hoping were being finally vindicated. His last months were brightened by the political changes which took place in Eastern Europe and especially in his native land. At last, following the fall of the atheistic government of Prague, Brother Vincent was very happy, happy that religious persecution, more or less open, had come to an end. He relished the thought that now Christians finally and openly could practise their faith without any fear!

He usually enjoyed robust health, liked his food and relished the occasional celebration. Brothers from Malaysia occasionally brought along jars of his favourite salt-fish pickle and blachang. When curry was being served and receiving favourable comments, he was prone to remark: “That’s not real curry” His idea of a picnic was a trip to the Brothers’ country house near De La Salle Secondary School. There he would appreciate the natural surroundings and enjoy a meal. Towards the end, in the late 80’s and early 1990, his health began to give trouble and he had to spend periods in hospital. His pain and discomfort appeared to come from a pancreas malfunctioning. 

He felt the separation from community and longed to be with his confreres. His conversation was still of Burma and the old days. He would sound pessimistic at times but, as Brother Anthony McNamara said so aptly: "He was a most amusing pessimist" In fact over the years few contributed such a wealth and variety of jokes to Brother Anthony Cheung for the magazine entitled “The Young Lasallian”.

On Thursday the 7th June, the eve of his 81st birthday, he came to the dining room shortly before noon where it was noticed that his hands were trembling violently. All he could take was a little 7-Up and this with very unsteady hands and a clear look of weariness and exhaustion. He was taken immediately by ambulance to the nearby St. Teresa's Hospital where he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The following day, his birthday, old pupils and friends came visiting. Two days later he went into a coma and four days passed without his appearing to recover consciousness. He gave the impression that he was not in pain. On the15th June at 4.00 am the Brothers were informed by phone that the end was near. Within minutes three Brothers were at his bedside, but already he had breathed his last. He had received the sacrament of the sick earlier in the week. As the body was prepared for burial, the Brothers respected his ardent wish to be dressed in the traditional black robe and white rabatte. 

Owing to intervening public holidays the funeral was delayed to Wednesday morning the 20th June. In compliance with his expressed wish, a tuft of his mother's hair and a flask of soil of his native land were deposited in the coffin. Then the remains were borne to St Teresa's Parish Church for the funeral mass. No fewer than 12 priests concelebrated and numerous friends and acquaintances were present, as well as several Brothers and Sisters. The cortege then took the road to the Catholic cemetery in Happy Valley, Hong Kong Island. The Chaplain from La Salle College, Father James Lea, gave the last blessing before the coffin was lowered into the grave.

Brother Austin De Lemos had this to say in his homily at the funeral mass: "For 62 years he laboured with patience and understanding, imparting knowledge of God's truth and love to thousands of youth, forming their hearts and minds. No wonder he won their hearts. No wonder his memory remains ever green in Burma and Kowloon among the many whose lives he touched. All because he walked with fidelity in the footsteps of Jesus, who had spoken long ago to his youthful heart: COME! FOLLOW ME!"

By Br. Patrick Tierney FSC

I like to read and write.

The latest written offering is called SNAPS.

When I was in Primary school, a photographer used to come to take class photos. He set up, disappeared under a big black cloth and re-emerged. The pictures were in black and white and came out rather well. Snaps was the common name for photos at the time.

The snaps in this book are short, one-page memories which must have been dozing in the mind before awaking into the light of day. Some go way back, others are of modern vintage.

The book was launched on 10th July 2025, to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Brothers in Hong Kong. 

Copies can be ordered from the Hong Kong Lasallian Resource Centre, C/O Ms Amy Poon. Her email address is poon.ypa@lasalle.edu.hk

Happy reading.
 

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 29 (March 2011)

Exuberant, full of zest and energy, busy as a bee, a flair for fund-raising, a hearty laugh, quaint idioms and generous to a fault - such are the images of Brother Martin that flash through the mind.

Born near Macroom, Co Cork, Ireland, Jeremiah Kelleher entered the Novitiate of the De La Salle Brothers in Castletown in June 1927 and in August took the holy habit, receiving the religious name of Brother Martin. He was a strong, sturdy youngster. 

The novitiate completed and his first vows taken, he was assigned to some tasks in the Castletown community. These he tackled with the zest and energy that was to characterise him all his life.

From Castletown he was transferred to the Scholasticate at Kilmacow, not far from Waterford city. Here he assumed the role of 'chef' for the Brothers. He had not the slightest preparation for such a role but that did not baulk Brother Martin. He bustled about the kitchen among the pots and pans as if to the kitchen born and served up wholesome, if somewhat basic, fare. The young scholastics had few complaints.

Around this time, a new Brothers Formation Community was opening up in Inglewood, Berkshire, England, and Brother Martin was called upon to continue with his culinary efforts there as well as take some study courses. It was here, too, he seemed to hear the call to go on the missions to the Far East and so it was that in the summer of 1933 he set sail with a group of ten missionary Brothers. They were led by Brother Anselm Foley as far as Lembecq, Belgium, and there handed over to the care of an ‘old hand’, Brother Marcian Cullen, who was returning to Penang, Malaysia. 

They sat sail in a French ship named the "Chenanceux". For most, it was the first taste of sea travel and the nausea of sea-sickness. After a long and evidently exhausting voyage, they at last arrived at their destination, Penang, an island off the north-west coast of Malaya.     
Recalling these events almost fifty years later, one of Brother Martin's companions writes: "We arrived in Penang harbour on 24th June 1933. There we were met by Brother Paul Gallagher who was Director of St Xavier's Institution. With him was a senior teacher of that same school, Mr Ng Seng Loong. After that a line of rickshaws dragged us along to Pulau Tikus where Brother Marcian marshalled us into a verandah near the kitchen. We had been so long together that we never even thought that now we were to be parted, some of us forever." 

But parted they were. Some were sent to the different communities in Malaya, others to Burma and to the Philippine Islands. Brother Martin was kept in St Xavier’s. Here he was given his first mission assignment, without any initiation or introduction, teaching a class in the Primary school. To the young boys of Primary 3 and 4 Brother Martin may have appeared like a huge apparition but he himself knew this would be the acid test for his career. That evening after school, he confided to a confrere that it was the 'most terrible day’ in his life. "I thought I'd faint," he confessed. But from that first day he never looked back. 

Despite a slight stammer he succeeded in establishing a kind of avuncular relationship with his little tots. He had a special charisma for handling primary kids. His methods might not be found in any pedagogical text-nooks but were invariably successful. Referring to those methods a confrere who knew him well, writes: ”Brother Martin taught in the primary school, usually with outstanding results. This was all the more noteworthy since he did not have any professional training or any paper qualifications. He always managed, somehow, to have good and bright boys in his class and parents had to be very much involved in the progress of their sons too." He showed a special interest in the Christian education of his pupils.  Commenting on this, another confrere has this to say:" He realised that the prime object of his vocation was to teach the Christian Doctrine to his charges and thereby to give his little flock a good knowledge of God." 

Whatever the methods, by hook or by crook, within a month he had the best class in his level and in all the inter-class competitions for the whole school his class was consistently in the lead. This was no flash in the pan as he maintained this high standard throughout his teaching career in many different schools. 

Popular in class, he was equally popular with his confreres wherever he went or stayed. His hearty laugh, his humour, his generosity, his quickness to forget affronts and his occasional eccentric ways, all combined to make him a colourful character. To quote from an obituary note, "There was no mean streak in Brother Martin. He was ever ready to go out of his way to render a service. He knew how to forgive and forget." Enlarging upon this trait, another Brother writes, "I met Brother Martin a little over twenty years since our last parting in Penang, after our voyage out East in 1933. He was the same jolly, chatty and warm-hearted Brother that I got to be friendly with on our voyage out to Penang." 

In 1935 a new assignment awaited him in St Joseph’s Institution Primary School, Singapore where he continued to exercise his special skills mainly in primary 5 and 6. It was at this time that an old stomach ailment recurred and he under¬went a surgical operation which was not entirely successful. Consequently, in 1937, it was decided to send him to Hong Kong where the cooler winter weather might prove more beneficial to him. 

He was to spend the next fifteen years in Hong Kong, his First Spring as it were. St Joseph’s College was the scene of most of his labours. Besides the running of his Primary classes he was also engaged in organising the school's junior scouts or cubs as they were called. This was much appreciated in a school which had established the first Scout troop in Hong Kong. As had now come to be expected, he showed the same charisma for dealing with Primary boys in Hong Kong as he had in Malaya. 

Then came the war years and the Brothers in Hong Kong and in Kowloon found them¬selves in dire straits. As one Brother put it, "For the Brothers in Hong Kong it was a time of extreme uncertainty and anxiety. There was no income of any kind; food was in short supply, the College was occupied by the Japanese Army, and there was no guarantee that an Irish Passport would continue to give any protection. Brother John Lynam, Director of St Joseph's, knew that hard work and endless ingenuity would be needed. He also knew his man and when most of the other Brothers were leaving for Indochina he asked Brother Martin to stay in Hong Kong."  After the war, Brother John was heard to say that only for Brother Martin they would probably have starved. Shortly after the Japanese capitulation Brother Martin was offered a place aboard an aircraft carrier for his services and welfare activities and he was borne south¬wards to Australia where he spent a few months recuperating amongst the Brothers 'down under'. Here in a pleasant climate, amongst a happy people and with good wholesome Australian food he quickly regained energy before sailing home to Ireland, He was given a year's furlough like all those returning after the war. 

He returned once more in 1948 to his El Dorado of the East, Hong Kong. Here, he carried on in St Joseph's for some time and then, in 1950, was shifted to La Salle College, Kowloon. A Brother who lived with him at the time takes up the thread: 
“At that time La Salle College was being used by the British Army as a mili-tary hospital. The Brothers resided in a private house while the Boarders were accommodated in some temporary wooden structures nearby. As we had a small community of six, the vacant rooms in the building were used as a boarding department. Here Brother Martin was appointed as Prefect of Boarders. He paid great attention to two important items in the life of his boarders - food and recreation. He got a piece of ground close by levelled out as a football pitch by the servants. He then raised sufficient cash to purchase a projector and even set up a 'cinema hall' in one of the vacant rooms." 

He likewise turned his energies to help out in other local charitable activities like aiding in fun fairs to raise funds for St Teresa's Church and collecting clothes and Christmas toys for parochial charities. Such activities engaged his attention until in 1953 he was due for home leave. After that holiday another surprise was in store for this man of many surprises. He was asked to return to Penang in Malaya. This change would not have been his personal choice but he obeyed and found himself back in St Xavier’s Institution where he had first started his missionary life. 

He was to find a new St Xavier's, arisen out of the dust and debris of the old school that had been flattened to the ground by American bombers who suspected it of housing Japanese personnel. Once more he took up the chalk which he had first taken up in 1933. This time he was given one of the weaker classes in which to perform some miracles of improvement. To the astonishment of Headmaster and Staff alike the miracles swiftly materialised. Unorthodox methods were proving effective once more. Outside of all this he found time and energy to scrape and repaint the roof of the Brothers' bungalow on Penang Hill - an infernal job under the tropical sun. 

From St Xavier's Penang, he was now transferred to a newly opened school and community in Klang, Selangor. His principal task was once more fund-raising. He was seen as having the Midas touch! His methods were down-to-earth and direct. No tilting at wind-mills but just in the front door with a knock and a smile and a plea for a good cause. And so the funds were raised. His former Director of Klang community has this to say of him, "When I was posted to take charge in Klang, Brother Visitor warned me just before I left, that it was a very poor locality and that I would not be able to raise funds for any building projects. And so it was until the arrival of Brother Martin. He started working wonders that astonished even our staff”. 

Even during school holidays Brother Martin was on the go. One of his confreres notes the following: "During the holidays up on the Cameron Highlands, Brother Martin would devote a lot of his time to assiduous preparation of lessons down to the smallest detail. He would frequently enlist the aid of any Brothers who could type and request them to type out pages of material relative to the primary topics in hand. He was never a man to talk or worry about his health, never of the hypochondriac bent of mind, notwithstanding his advancing years”. 

Although he threw himself with gusto into the school and church life of Malaya, he pined for Hong Kong. He left no stone unturned, or boulder either, in his striving to get back there. Despite his idyllic surroundings of flower and fragrant bloom and fanning palms he yearned for the 'Barren Rock'. He must have made many private novenas on this account for in December 1966 Brother Visitor yielded and gave him his obedience for Hong Kong. 

On reaching there he first ran the school book-shop in La Salle College for a brief while. A far more important assignment, however, awaited him across the harbour in St Joseph's. He was requested to take over the duties of Head-master of the Primary Section of the College. It was to function temporarily as an afternoon school while awaiting the opening of a new Primary School at Wood Road in the Wanchai area. In this capacity the new H.M. (as he liked to term it) swung into action once more, relishing the challenge and drawing on all his years of experience for organising and getting things done. These things included seeing to the furnishing, staffing and enrolment. The new St Joseph’s Primary School opened its doors in 1968 and became Brother Martin’s pride and joy.

A Brother who knew him well at the time declares: "The new Primary School was a major project. It was indeed to cater for over 1,600 pupils and it was big enough to draw out the best in Brother Martin. Hence it was that his new school incorporated the finest available in design, internal arrangement, materials used as well as up-to-date equipment." And in reference to the high hygienic standards the "H.M." maintained, the same Brother concludes. “In fact, the Heads of other schools including the Head of one European College came to find out how it was possible to uphold such high standards so consistently."

Within a short time the new primary had established itself as one of the leading Primary schools in Hong Kong, much sought after by the parents. If a parent heard one of Brother Martin’s quaint idioms such as, ‘He’s a nice little ladeen,” the way to school admission opened up. One of his gifts was a good eye for staff. He had the knack of attracting good teachers. He also liked to meet the pupils during recess or lunch in the school playground. The pupils liked to shake hands with ‘Uncle’ and he would sometimes distribute sweets. One Headmistress of the school recalls how Brother Martin’s special treatment of naughty students who had been punished to stand outside the Principal’s office. In passing, Brother Martin would enquire the cause, give the boy sweets and send him back to class. Some of these boys would then follow Brother Martin at recess time looking for more sweets!

But the years were stealthily gliding by. He was now in his late 60’s. In characteristic fashion he began to register his age in official documents with an enigmatic 60+. It was a noble gesture of defiance against old age and senile decay.  

When a new Head-Master was appointed, Brother Martin took over the job of "Maintainance Manager”. This included supervision of all the premises and janitorial staff as well as the running of the book-store and ordering the book supplies. A former Principal of the school recalls: “Minding the school stationery was no easy job. There was the daily selling of exercise books throughout the school year and twice a year he had to cope with the bulk order of each class teacher. He was sometimes seen shifting piles of books from one place to another. Yet we never heard a word of complaint from him”.

Time was marching on and ill health began to take its toll despite the best efforts of the doctors. Although hospitalised a number of times he still strove to carry on. When in Queen Mary Hospital, he would frequently be surrounded by other patients, all chattering away amicably. As his health deteriorated the Brothers decided to trans¬fer him to a nursing home in his native land. On the flight to London, an elderly British gentleman seemed to recognise a kindred spirit, remarking: “poor old chap, tough as old leather”. All seemed to be going well at the nursing home and it came somewhat as a shock when the news was received of his death on 8th March 1983.

Here is the testimony of a close friend: “We have had many erudite men in our ranks, men who got more opportunities to develop their skills and talents, but not so many who can match Brother Martin’s dedication or even his achievements. He was a man of simple, trusting faith, untroubled by the doubts of the more sophisticated. Here too let us add in conclusion the great devotion he had to our Blessed Lady. Her rosary was continuously in his hands, slipping slowly through his fingers as “he told his beads”. May he rest in peace.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 28 (January 2011)

The benevolent side of Brother Patrick was shown in different ways. One such had to do with academic awards. For some years the school had no Speech or Prize-giving Days. At the end of the year, just before the final examination, he would go around to all classes from Form 1 to 4 and personally give away his “prizes”, exempting the top 5 students in each class from the final examination! This unique system of awards was never forgotten, especially by the recipients.

One of the students who happened to be in the junior forms at the time, and who was later to become a world-renowned iconic figure, was Bruce Lee. Bruce was hyper active, a veritable dynamo, a little dragon. The Head of the junior classes, Brother Henry Pang, did a pretty good job of reining in his exuberant spirits but occasionally Bruce became too much even for Brother Henry who would then send Bruce up to Brother Patrick’s office for cooling down. Brother Patrick, a man of few words, would point to a chair and Bruce would sit there quietly until Brother Patrick considered he had cooled down sufficiently. He would then be sent back to class.

All through these years Brother Patrick was directly caught up in the efforts to wrest back the grand old school on Boundary Street from the British army. As late as 1956 we find him writing to the relevant Government department: “We feel we have a right to expect from Government something more substantial, commodious and convenient than the flimsy structures we have had to work in during the past seven years.” He would, however, already be retired before his efforts bore fruit and would not witness the celebratory return to the old school.

Brother Patrick was a quiet, reserved, philosophical type of person but when he spoke he did so with authority. He commanded absolute obedience of the students who held him in awe. He liked animals, including cats, and some people said he moved like a cat! This kind of atmosphere was not conducive to indiscipline and so, by and large, the school ran like a well-oiled engine. A teacher recalls: “We used to call Brother Patrick ‘Gum See Mao’ because of his blond hair. Whenever we saw his golden head rising from his chair in the Principal’s Office or through the windows, everybody got down to work and behaved.”

As one of his students put it: “In the years he was with us as Principal, we never heard any speeches from him; he educated us simply by walking the corridors.”

After forty six years on the missions in the East, Brother Patrick returned to his native country in August 1957 to spend his remaining years. He was appointed to St. Patrick’s Community in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he remained until his death in September, 1968. We are indebted to a Brother who lived with him during his retirement years for much of what follows.

Brother Patrick was not the man to sit back and enjoy a well-earned rest after devoted and arduous service in the Institute. Immediately at the start of the new year he took over part of the Office work dealing with the school accounts. His quiet and unobtrusive efficiency much endeared him to everyone on the staff. Nothing was too much trouble; his only desire was to oblige and render service to everyone. If some invoice didn’t seem to be in order or if there was some other such irregularity, he soon got it straightened out and with a charming smile explained the discrepancy to the particular individual concerned.

He was full of fun and thoroughly enjoyed a witty joke or literary pun. A serene gaity was one of his outstanding traits. The writer lived with Brother Patrick for about ten years and never in all that time had he seen him in a bad mood or heard from him the slightest criticism of any person or detail of community life.

He was a deeply religious man. For him there was no formalism or externality of religion. Living religious life was something to be truly happy about. His regularity at all the spiritual exercises was something, I am sure, every young scholastic passing through the Community must have admired and benefited from. Right up to the last few months before his death Brother Patrick was to be seen making his way feebly along the corridor to the Oratory or community room for one or other of the Community exercises. I think it was with no little difficulty that the Director was able to persuade him, towards the end, to make his exercises and prayers where and whenever he was able.

Reading was Brother Patrick’s pastime; and when he suffered from a stroke in 1963 its cruelest effect was its depriving him of this facility during his leisure hours. He was an extremely well-read man, but if some wag in the Community tried to draw him into argument, Brother Patrick always countered with a few gentle words and a pleasant smile.
Another of his amiable characteristics was his great fondness for animals. When he took his stroll around the grounds of an evening, as was his wont, the school dog watched for him and scampered off before him leaping and bouncing with delight. Even the farmyard cats, almost a dozen of them, rather wild and completely undomesticated outdoor creatures, rushed along the path to meet him at the very sound of his footsteps. Of course Brother Patrick always had some little tit-bit for them.

Brother Patrick made a wonderful recovery after a serious stroke in the summer of 1963. But a year or two later he began to get somewhat feeble. Nevertheless he tried to keep up an outward appearance of fitness and cheerfulness and never complained or sought the slightest extra attention. When some members of the Community offered him some little service or other, the usual reply was, “Oh! That will be alright, don’t trouble, you are too busy. I’ll manage alright”.

During the Summer of 1968 his health deteriorated a good deal and he was obliged to keep to his bed. The Bon Secours Sisters and the Brothers gave him constant attention, but all the while there was never a complaint or request for anything special. He accepted his infirmities with the serenity and gentleness that characterized his active years.

The end came at 11:45 pm on Friday 27th September, 1968. Brother Patrick just slipped away peacefully. The Community had been in and out of the sick room most of the evening, and all were around the bedside when he departed this life to the Heavenly reward awaiting him.

The 1968/69 La Salle College, Kowloon, school magazine paid Brother Patrick this tribute:
“He was a man of great affability of character, with a quick and ready wit, a keen mind and a fine sense of humour; a man of great intelligence, a first class teacher and a strict but fair disciplinarian. He made himself a scholar of no mean order. Reserved and calm, he was held in the highest respect by both pupils and parents.”

Life’s work well done
Life’s race well run
Life’s crown well won
Then cometh rest.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 27 (December 2010)

In the 1920’s, a number of young German Brothers were sent on the missions to the Far East, to Ceylon, Burma, Manila, Hong Kong, Penang and Singapore. Many were to meet their sad fate at the hands of the retreating Japanese forces in Manila in February 1945. But those who were fortunate enough to be elsewhere at the time continued to make a very solid contribution to the Lasallian world of education. Among them was Brother Hubert Pilz.

He was born on the 25th September 1906 at Bung in Saxony. He was never a robust young man probably because of the hardships endured during the First World War (1914-1918). The disturbed state of the country meant that many in Germany were starving. Brother Hubert once recalled how the only food he could get was a handful of straw taken from the haggard, boiled, and given to him for breakfast before he went to school.

It is unclear what prompted him to join the Brothers but he made his Novitiate in 1923 and Scholasticate in 1924. He was earmarked for the missions in the East and so was first sent to the Brothers’ Community in London to learn English and even did some teaching in the school. He learned fast. Despite his youth, he had no problems with class management. Indeed, if for some urgent reason, he had to absent himself from his class, the students would apply themselves to the work he had set, just as if he were with them.

At this early age he also showed signs of being attracted to the presence of God, a strong Lasallian trait. At Christmas and the great Feast-days of the Church he spared no pains in helping with the decoration of the chapel. He took delight in making the Christmas crib. He had a talent for craft and would make beautiful objects to adorn the chapel and statues of Our Lady.

In 1927 he was one of the first of the German groups to come out East. He was posted to Manila. He was a born teacher with a flair for organising, but never content to follow the stereo¬type approach. He constantly tried to construct some initiative, something new. In his short stay in Manila, 1927-1932, he made great personal impact on his pupils. Forty years after, they remembered him and on his visit at their invitation, he was presented with this plaque by his alumni.

His next tour of duty was in St Joseph’s College, Hong Kong, where he taught and was prefect of boarders from 1932 to 1937. It was an exciting time, with preparation for and celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of the College. One Brother who was with him at the time recalls:

“He was a gifted organnist and on Sundays used to play in the Cathedral at High Mass and Benediction. He took great pains to make the Boarding Department distinctive. Most of the Boarders came from overseas: Philippines, Malaya, Singapore, Indone¬sia, Thailand, Indochina, and a few from Japan. The Boarding Department then was the main source of income. Teachers were not paid by the Government, but by the College, and outside the low school fees charged, the Government gave a small capita grant. St Joseph's Boarding Department soon became attractive to parents: famous for its games facilities, clubroom with billiard table, concerts, choir of young boarders, musical sketches, plays during the year. The Y.M.C.A. held an Annual Basketball Tournament and Brother Hubert raised a team which won several Championships over the years.”

Brother Henry Pang was a student in St Joseph’s at the time and wrote as follows: 
“As a young Brother, Brother Hubert was versatile, capable and possessed boundless energy. As a result he was given a number of jobs which would have taxed a saint with the power of bi-location. He was Prefect of Boarders, Supervisor of the Lower School, Community Bursar and Sports-master. In spite of the multiplicity and variety of activities occupying his attention, Brother Hubert's loyalty and love for the Institute never made him lose sight of priorities. He showed a deep interest in local vocations even in those far off days. He found time every week to gather a number of promising boys in the Chapel before the Blessed Sacrament to speak to them about vocations. 

I was fortunate enough to be one of those on whom he bestowed his attention in those days and I know at least of one other Brother who is in the Institute today and doing valuable work, who, after God, also owes his vocation to Brother Hubert.” The other Brother being referred to was Brother Anthony Cheung who responded as follows:

“Yes, Brother Henry, I am that one; and yes, under God and my father I owe my Lasallian vocation to good Brother Hubert.
It was in 1935 that I first became, with lots of boys my age, a great admirer of Brother Hubert. I am no sportsman, but it was Br Hubert’s basketballers, relay runners, tennis players, athletes that made me and others look up to Br Hubert, as well as his reputation as a Science Master and his job as Prefect of Boarders. I still remember how Br Matthias then Director of St Joseph’s College, Hong Kong, and he and the winning inter-school relay teams would come round the classes; and amid loud applause from us the lower forms kids, our heroes poured orange crush into the large trophy cup and would share the drink in our presence. Also the motorcade honking all the way from Caroline Hill along Queen’s Road East and up Garden Road to celebrate yet another Interschool victory! Br Matthias and Br Hubert made us love the School so! And so with Br Henry and other Catholic pupils we trooped into the Chapel or to the Science room to hear our great Brother talk of winning races for God! And some of us were ‘caught’! And we went to La Salle Juniorate! Thanks Be To God!”

Brother Felix Sheehan also recalled those far off days:

“I first enjoyed the company of Brother Hubert for about six months in 1937 before he left for the Second Novitiate. I had just come to Hong Kong and was very impressed by Brother Hubert both as a religious and a teacher. Held in high regard by his Superiors he performed with great efficiency the functions of Prefect of Boarders, Senior Science Master, Sports-master and Organist. Highly esteemed by Brothers, teachers, pupils and the public, he tempered the qualities of discipline and efficiency with humour and kindness. Towards us younger Brothers with whom he was charged, on rest days, to the Country House at Castle Peak, he showed great generosity and understanding.” 

In 1937 he was selected to do the Second Novitiate at Lembecq, Belgium, a sign that the Superiors thought highly of him and that he was expected to make a major contribution to the Lasallian mission.  On its completion he was posted to Rangoon and he was to spend the next 28 years in Burma as teacher and Director of Lasallian schools in Rangoon, Mandalay and Maymyo. St Paul’s High School, Rangoon, was the largest Lasallian school in the world at the time, catering to about 5,000 pupils.
One of his students, who was later to become Brother James, remembers:
“It was in 1947 that I first met Brother Hubert. He was then the Director of St Paul’s Rangoon. He was very kind and charitable to poor boys. It was because of his encouragement that I am a Brother today. I can never forget the advice he gave me as a boy. ‘You want to be a Brother some day? Say your prayers well daily and go to the sacraments as often as you can.’ ”

Brother Austin De Lemos takes up the story:

“It was in December 1950 that I first met Brother Hubert. He was then the Director of St Paul’s High School, Rangoon, Burma. He received me with open arms, a warm heart and a gracious, welcoming smile. That impression remained with me, and grew during the thirteen years that I was in Burma.

Brother Hubert’s community was a happy and well-integrated one. He not only directed his community, he led his Brothers. He was a kind, understanding and generous Director. One of his aims seemed to be to make community life happy. He was Director of St Paul’s for many years; but he also was the Director of St Peter’s High School, Mandalay, and of St Albert’s High School, Maymyo; and in each of these he directed and led a happy community. Before taking over the reins at St Albert’s he was granted home leave. He had not seen his homeland for all of eighteen years.

Brother Hubert was a very efficient Director of a school. As administrator, disciplinarian, schoolman, and science teacher, he was quite up to the mark. Teachers and pupils knew well that what he wanted of them was application to their respective duties. His kindness and understanding were, generally, not taken advantage of; and, when it was necessary to do so, he did not hesitate to call the offending parties to order. Under his direction, progress in academics, sports and the school’s moral tone were maintained and heightened.”

In April 1965, during the long vacation, like a bolt from the blue, came the news that all the schools had been taken over by the Government. Some eight or ten months before this, all the Irish and English Brothers were told to leave Burma. This, surely, was a hint of what was yet to come; but, in the meantime, things continued to function normally, with only an occasional faint rumour of nationalisation. When the ‘Big Grab’ did occur and the Brothers lost their school buildings, furniture, books, science laboratories, music and band apparatus and practically all the money in hand, the shock was considerable and painful.” It was with a heavy heart that Brother Hubert had to say farewell to the land and the people he loved. The parting, in 1965, seemed like the end of the road.

His old stomping ground, Hong Kong, came to the rescue and received him warmly. In 1966 he was assigned to De La Salle Secondary School in the New Territories, a school close to the border with mainland China and which had just opened its doors the year before. Here he would spend 13 years as teacher, Director and school Supervisor. 

As usual he endeared himself to both staff and students. One endearing trait as Supervisor was to announce occasional half days out of the blue. It soon became apparent that these half days tended to be on Fridays. Brother Hubert would then retire to the Brother’s house, enjoy a whiskey before lunch, followed by siesta. The staff and students did not object in the least! As Brother Felix remarked, ‘he made life happy by his wit, and droll humour and many a prank.’

All his life Brother Hubert had never shirked work. After his so-called ‘retirement’ he was still doing a tremendous full day job in Fanling, teaching Chemistry and Music. He also took care of the catering and keeping the accounts of the Community. So it must have caused him some stress when he found his general health deteriorating. He had no physical infirmity or pain but became a bit slow on the legs. He could hobble around on a stick and tried to remain his normal, cheerful self. 

In May, 1979, he was relieved of his duties and responsibilities in Fanling and, together with Brother Paul O’Connell, took up residence in the new La Salle College Community, Kowloon. With up-to-date accommodation, Chapel, Refectory, Lounge, and Library, all on the flat, he was very happy. 

His months of retirement were pleasant. He could amble around without difficulty with a walking stick. God was good, his eyesight was not impaired, and he could watch T.V. and read. He had a mixed batch of books on his desk: “The Wise Men from the West”, “The Honourable School Boy”, “Live Your Vocation”. He had a word and a smile for all and was determined to cause the least amount of trouble.

He had no severe pain, was never in bed sick, and was up every morning faithfully for the Chapel exercises at 5:45 a.m.  Six days before his actual death, he did not appear in the Chapel for morning-prayer. Brother Director paid him a visit and was a bit alarmed. Brother Hubert seemed to have a heavy flu with heavy breathing. The doctor was called and he diagnosed heart trouble. He was placed in the intensive care ward in St Teresa’s Hospital.  The chest condition quickly cleared up and the doctor thought his condition had so much improved that he could go to the ordinary ward. A doctor visited him very early in the morning on 4th March and found him much improved, but at 9:25 a.m. the heart stopped beating. His death was peaceful but its suddenness came as a shock to the Community.

“I was very much surprised at the turn-out at the graveside,” wrote Brother Michael Curtin. “He had no connection with La Salle College, never taught here. Old Boys, teachers, pupils did not know him. Even his connections with St. Joseph’s was way back in 1932, forty-eighty years ago. But the cemetery in Happy Valley was crowded with priests, nuns, the elderly, old-timers, Burmese doctors, business men and of course, pupils and staff from De La Salle, Fanling.” 

Brother Hubert was a very sincere man, a man of very solid religious conviction. Though not very talkative he was very genial; he would listen to your jokes and laugh, and remember amusing incidents of by-gone days in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Burma. Always a charitable man, he never gossiped. He was a mature man, never grouchy or over-sensitive, or sorry for himself. He believed in Community life and the sharing of kindness. For all these reasons, he was a much-loved figure in the Brothers’ Communities.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 26 (October 2010)

"I was born in Burren on 8th September 1908, where my mother was Principal of the village school", wrote Brother Lawrence."My father worked in Lavelle's bakery, Main Street, Castlebar, and he used to cycle there and back to Burren daily. When my mother died, my father took a house, No. 5 Chapel Street, Castlebar, and so my father took us to town, and my grand¬father, Tom McGreevy, took over Burren school."

Lawrence Kelly's father was also called Lawrence and his mother was Catherine McGreevy. He had two brothers, Tomás and Aodh and two sisters, Dolly and Kitty. “The family environment was very musical and intensely patriotic", writes his brother, Tomás. "Father played the violin and Mother the piano. Young Lawrence was an outstanding singer, and his solo singing as a boy at Masses and concerts left a very memorable impression”. 

The child does what he sees, and having gone to school to the Brothers in Castlebar, County Mayo, and having liked what he saw of them, young Kelly decided to join them. This is how he himself puts it: “The Head Brother in my young days was Brother Joseph Teehan and, as I used to spend a lot of my time in the Brothers’ garden and grounds, we became great friends. On the 28th August 1913 I was taken to school and, my English not being so good as I spoke mostly Irish at home, I was put in low infants. Our teacher was Brother Senanus who was a great favourite with all of us, a fine musician. He was replaced by Brother Francis when I graduated to high infants. I have also very happy memories of him. 

During this time I met Brother Philemon and told him that I would like to become a Brother. Being a specialist on vocations he gave me all the facts and I decided to go. I left Castlebar on 24th June 1924 and set out for Castletown, Co Laois.

He spent one year, 1924-25, in the Juniorate in Castletown and entered the Novitiate the following year where he was given the name Brother Raphael. Later in life he reverted to his family name and became known as Brother Lawrence. On completion of his year’s novitiate he pronounced his First Vows and proceeded to Kilmacow Scholasticate where in 1928 he qualified for entry to De La Salle Training College. In 1930 he graduated as a qualified teacher. He was posted to a small town called Hospital, Co. Limerick, in 1930 and spent five happy years there.
Then in 1935 he received an obedience to go to South Africa, to East London, a harbour town on the South Coast.

During Brother Lawrence’s seventeen years in South Africa he filled the following positions:

De La Salle, East London ………….    ……Jan.’36 - Dec.’37.    Teaching.
St Joseph’s, King William’s Town ……....    Jan ’38 - Dec.’39.    Teaching, 
St Anthony’s, East London ………………    Jan ’40 - Dec.’ 43.    Teaching, 
St Anthony’s, East London ………………    Jan ’44 - Dec.’46.    Principal. 
St Joseph’s, King William’s Town …….    Jan ’47 - Dec.’49.    Director. 
St Anthony’s, East London ………………    Jan ’50 - Dec.’53.    Principal. 

His arrival in South Africa was over¬shadowed a few days later by the tragic drowning of Brother Calixtus, as Brother Adrian Farrell explains:

"Brother Lawrence arrived in East London on December 21st 1935. On January 24th Br Lawrence, Br Calixtus and Father Erasme, O.M.I., went for a swim to a beach west of East London called Hickman’s River. While swimming Br Calixtus was washed out to sea and was drowned. His body was recovered shortly afterwards but all efforts to revive him were in vain. He was buried in the cemetery in East London.

"Brother Lawrence was transferred to King Williamstown on the 1st of April 1937 and taught there until 1939. On January 27th of that year the Parish school, St Anthony’s, was taken over by the Brothers. Br Boniface was Principal and Brother Lawrence was on the Staff.

"In 1944, he was made Principal and he held this post until 1954. During his time as Principal he was respon¬sible for the building of a new and modern St Anthony's. He was an excellent Principal and was very well liked by pupils and parents alike. He was an excellent coach both of soccer and cricket and won many cups and trophies during his stay in St Anthony’s. As a confrere he was always pleasant, chatty and always in good humour. He had a great sense of community and was noted for telling the most out¬landish yarns!"

"He was my Director in Kingwilliamstown in 1947", writes Brother Kilian Quinn. "He showed great organisational skill, refereeing soccer or umpiring cricket. He was an extraordinarily entertaining community man and an enchanting singer with a voice that could outshine the song-birds. He played a fine game of tennis and cricket."

Brother James Dinneen had been a companion of Brother Lawrence in formation and they soldiered together again in South Africa. "I have known Brother Lawrence almost all my life. He was a fine singer and an excellent game ball-player; he was also a good companion in any undertaking and in community. He could talk on any or all the people we both knew, and their idiosyncrasies and humorous ways and sayings. Brother Lawrence was also a serious religious Brother. I worked on his staff for some time in St Anthony's Primary School, East London. I always found him fair and just in all matters of school-work and conduct. He was never slack at Community prayers or exercises. He had a good sense of humour and he could make a joke and carry off a situation with aplomb. He was never bitter and always appreciated others. God rest his happy soul!"

Brother Lawrence was recalled to Ireland in 1954 and after a few months in Kildare he was posted to the Training College in Waterford. As well as teaching the trainee Brothers, he also taught geography and mathematics to the secondary pupils. Brother Gabriel White knew him when he was a young student in Waterford. “I can still see him out in front of the College mowing the lawns and clipping hedges. He was a good worker and took pride in his work. He always had a smile for and a chat with the young Brothers. He was popular with us all."

From South Africa, the next step was Hong Kong. "Brother Lawrence arrived in Hong Kong for the opening of the school year in September, 1958", writes Brother Peter Phelan. He was assigned to teach in St Joseph’s College. He was then 50 years old and this was his introduction to life in the Far East. He was teach¬ing mainly in Fourth Year Secondary classes.

He was a very competent and conscientious teacher and took great interest in his students. After a couple of weeks one of his non-Christian students approached him in private and said, 'Brother, please call me PETER'. It seems that Brother Lawrence’s pronunciation of the boy's full Chinese name was a source of embarrassment to some and amusement to others. It is to Brother Lawrence’s credit that he was very humane and kind in rectifying the matter, and ever afterwards he had a special regard for the embarrassed student.”

"When Brother Lawrence came into our lives in St Joseph's College, in the 60s", writes Brother Patrick Tierney, "he appeared like a genial genie. Puckish and spritely, belying his age, he glided around the school community dispensing his own inimitable form of benedict¬ions. He held his classes in thrall and well we knew how. For many a time he held us Brothers under his spell too, as he wove and spun yarns galore. Daredevil exploits, hair-raising stories and exotic constructions were his raw material. When some of us sought sometimes to separate fact from fiction, we were left so entranced at Lawrence’s astute sidestepping that we ended up either laughing or dumbfounded. Lawrence was a character and as such he was an adornment in Community, often lightening a dull day with a touch of humour and a twinkle in the eye.”

"Once settled in", writes Brother Meldan Treanor, "we found him to be a very happy addition to the Community and he was a very popular Brother with one and all. He wasn’t too happy at first in the higher classes so Brother Brendan Dunne, Director and Headmaster, gave him a lower class where he was a great success and very well liked by the pupils and the parents.

I say Brother Lawrence was a very happy addition to the Community as he was always in good humour and had a fund of stories, jokes and incidents, some true, some probably true, but most in the realm of the purest fiction. One for instance was about how he drove a tank from Capetown to Cairo, the time the allied armies there were in dire straits. When asked how he managed to cross the big rivers he said they were all dried up, as it hadn’t rained for months! Another yarn was that mosquitoes never bit him and he never used a mosquito net over his bed in Hong Kong. The little lizards on the wall always came to his help when mosquitoes were about to attack him and gobbled them up! This was told in Castletown during his retirement there. No Brother used a mosquito net in Hong Kong! Everyone learnt to accept these stories without contradiction for to contradict him was to spoil the fun and maybe curtail future stories re¬quiring a greater degree of pretended acceptance.

Before he left Hong Kong he organised a farewell outing for his class in St Joseph’s and I was invited to the picnic in the lovely village of Shatin in the New Territories. He and I led the boys across the Kowloon range of mountains and down the northern slopes to Shatin, a most pleasant walk on a cool, windy and sunny day. When we arrived in the village we found that many of the parents had also arrived there by car, bus and train! A real gathering of the clans! Even some Grannies made the journey. Lawrence did not arrange this for he was as much surprised as I was and delighted that the boys themselves had arranged it. I took a different route near the end to see some plants I admired and when I arrived in the village there was Lawrence in the midst of a group of happy parents with a good tumbler of scotch in his hand! This is an example of how the boys liked Lawrence and of how the parents were so pleased to see him, thank him and bid him farewell."

In the New Year of 1965 Brother Lawrence was transferred to Sabah, Malaysia. Brother Peter Phelan writes: "He began as a teacher in La Salle Secondary School, Kota Kinabalu, in January, 1965. Later that year, in Sept-ember, he was appointed Principal of Sacred Heart Primary School, This did not involve a change of community but now he had to commute a few miles to school each day. Again he showed great dedication in this post. He read widely and was particularly well-versed in all forms of sports."

"He was a good community man", writes Brother Charles O’ Leary, "always willing to lend a hand and to liven up the conver¬sation whether at meals or when we sat down for a game of bridge or some social occasion. He was noted for his ‘tall stories’ and everybody enjoyed them and looked forward to what might be his next concoction. He told these stories with such verve that he himself seemed to believe in every word of them. Once he told of how he played golf in the snow on Kilimanjaro and when some sceptic asked how he could see the ball, he quickly replied without batting an eyelid, ‘I used a black golf ball, of course'. You could never catch him out or embarrass him as he told those stories, so quick and imaginative was he.

Tall stories aside, Brother Lawrence had another side to him. He was a good teacher and administrator and he was much loved by the teachers and pupils of the Primary School. He had a way with young children and, no doubt, his gift at story-telling was part of his success with them. He could come down to their level and go on picnics and outings with them.

Rarely did he miss morning Mass or a chapel exercise. He could be happy alone, reading a book, and yet, on social occasions, such as a feast day, he could be most entertaining. On a few rare occasions, he would dress up and give a rendering of the 'Zulu Warrior' in highly dramatic fashion. His stay in Sabah was short but long enough for him to make an impact on the people he served."

One of his former students, Mr John Tham Kun Hin, pays him this special tribute: "The one single person who had the greatest impact upon my life as a youth was Brother Lawrence who was my principal in Sacred Heart for the year 1965 and 1966 as well as my maths teacher.

I completed my primary Chinese education in 1963 and was admitted into Sacred Heart in 1964. In the Chinese School I was branded as naughty, mischievous and a trouble-maker. I had very poor self-esteem. In Sacred Heart, Brother Lawrence saw the beauty in me. He was most kind and under¬standing. He restored to me my sense of self-worth. He made me feel important and lovable. He gave me responsib¬ilities and he helped me to discover my talents. Brother Lawrence was like a real father to me. His arithmetic lessons were interesting and stimulating. I loved and adored him as my principal, my teacher and above all my educator. To a large extent he is responsible for what I am today."

"In the latter part of 1967", says Brother Peter, "he suffered from angina pectoris. It was decided that a return to Hong Kong would be good for him; better medical attention would be available and it would not be necessary to commute to school."

"Brother Lawrence returned to Hong Kong from Borneo where he had suffered a mild heart attack", writes Brother James Dooley. "But he was not a man to rest for long and soon he was Form Master of a Third Year class, a class made up mainly of overseas students whose parents were on tours of duty in Hong Kong. The boys whose studies were often disrupted could sometimes be difficult to manage, but not for Brother Lawrence. He had great class control, taught his well- prepared lessons with zest and spirit and held his students spellbound when, on a weary Friday evening, he relaxed a bit and devoted the last period to story-telling.

His next assignment was as Principal of St Joseph’s Primary School. His concern for his pupils, his appreciation of the staff and his ways with parents all contributed to the good name the school enjoyed locally. He had to step down as Principal in June 1971 because of failing health and he was replaced by Brother Gilbert Perrier. In July he was strong enough to go on home leave and he sailed away in a hail of glory buoyed up by the excellent results in St Joseph’s Primary School, a lovely parting gift.

I cannot recall ever having seen Brother Lawrence angry or in a bad mood. He was a most cheerful, helpful and supportive community member. He was actively loyal and intensely proud of the Institute, school and community. He was a successful teacher, and a man of strong relig¬ious convictions. He attained the 'eighty for those who are strong’ - long years well spent in the service of God and of youth.

His favourite China-based story dealt with the time the Red Guards shanghaied him during the Cultural Revolution. It was his Irish passport and his earlier invol¬vement in the Irish People’s struggle against Imperialist running dogs that saved his life!" And then they rolled out the green carpet…

"When he reached retirement age", continues Brother Meldan, "he thought he could settle down in St Joseph’s doing odd jobs around the place, one of which was making and repairing rosaries. Soon, however, he tired of generally inactive life and could spend hours leaning out of the window of his room, five or six stories up, looking down over the harbour to far-off Kowloon City and down Kennedy Road to the area where the primary school was situated. The desire to return home became more intense as this type of existence could not go on forever. We were all sad when he packed his bags and returned to Ireland."

"My fifteen years in the Far East were very happy and I was very sorry to leave, when, having reached retiring age, I decided to return to Ireland in 1973", he wrote. A few days before his departure he gave an interview to some of his former students in St Joseph’s. His parting advice was: “Be loyal to your family, your school, your country, your friends. But most of all, be loyal to your religion. That’s one of the anchors of your life.” He admitted he very much regretted leaving Hong Kong. “But I want to spend the twilight of my life among my own people.”

He was first assigned to the Irish speaking school at Ballyvourney, Co Cork before being transferred to Raheny, Dublin, in 1974.

"He wasn’t here long enough to make any history", writes Brother Canice Kearney, "but, if always being in good form, showing a ready smile and being ever helpful mean anything, well then, I consider he was super. I found him a wonderful community-man and I will never forget his kindness. He told tall tales by the score but we all knew that he knew we were not being fooled. He loved to be called on to supervise classes for absent teachers and the lads drank in and swallowed all his stories to the last letter. Many a lad asked me if it was really true that Br Lawrence had driven a tank from the Cape to Cairo during the war!

Yes, he was a prayerful man too, who carried out without ostentation all his religious exercises conscient¬iously. He was very much missed both in school and in Community when he was transferred to Ballaghaderreen."

In 1975 Brother Lawrence, who had laboured in so many far-flung places, found himself in retirement in his native West of Ireland.

Mrs Rosemary Gallagher, Principal of the Boys' Primary School, Ballaghaderreen, writes: "In my memory he was always there, and we seemed to be working together in extra-curricular activities with the boys. He supervised in the yard for the eleven o'clock break and at lunch time. He in-spired unremitting affection in the boys and indeed even now I often think of him as I stand in the yard where he observed their games, and arbit¬rated in their altercations. For me Brother Lawrence fitted no narrow slot of what I imagined a 'Brother should be. He loved his prayers, his garden, the boys, his visits to the family farm, being useful and seeing the fruit of his labours, be it boys playing happily after a row he had settled or producing a basket of garden fresh vegetables for his many friends."

Brothers who attended the De La Salle pilgrimages to Knock in the early 1980s will recall how the various centres were ranked in the procession according to the alphabet. 'Balla’ led the way with its school band; but leading 'Balla', in robe and mantle, was Lawrence, a picture of dignity and devotion.

"I had the pleasure of living with Brother Lawrence for one year in Ballaghaderreen", writes Brother Dermot McLoughlin, and during that short time I found him to be a man of many parts. Essentially he was a truly religious man and he took his spiritual exercises seriously especially when he was on his own, as he was for most of the day, being retired. He was a simple-minded man who delighted in cowboy stories, especially on T.V., and he had no time for programmes which portrayed any form of loose morality.”

"I lived with Brother Lawrence for a year, the last year the Brothers were in Ballaghaderreen", writes Brother Ferdinand Lynch. He loved the simple things of life and his lively imagination often enlarged them into enthralling and en¬trancing experiences. Zane Grey was one of his favourite authors, but any book dealing with the Wild West was welcome, and he whiled away many a happy hour among the cowboys, rustlers or Indians.

He kept in close touch with his family and their mutual visits afforded him much pleasure and was often the topic of his conversation. He was interested not only in their temporal welfare but also in the quality of their lives and their faithfulness to all their religious duties. He was proud and happy to belong to a close-knit family”.

"Brother Lawrence retired to Castletown in August 1985", continues Brother Meldan Treanor. "I had arrived there on June 29th and was feeling a bit down and out and lonely. Lawrence’s arrival cheered me up to no end and we continued to be good friends till he died. He was always in good humour and full of jokes and stories of different kinds - ones I had not heard in Hong Kong. On one occasion he sang the ZULU WARRIOR and that was the last occasion. This had been his favourite song in Hong Kong and when there was occasion for any comm¬unity celebration there was a loud demand for the ZULU WARRIOR.” 

"I have nothing but the happiest memories of him", writes Brother Albert Tierney. "He was an ideal community man. He had a marvellous sense of humour, narrating numerous anecdotes which at times could reach epic proportions. Far¬fetched though some of the stories might be, they brightened up the atmosphere at get-togethers, at meals or round the fire of a winter’s night.

He was always in good form even when his health came against him in the latter years. He appreciated the smallest favour, whether it was taking time off to visit him in his room, or even such a simple thing as giving him his favourite bar of chocolate. You felt good after visiting him; he could never let you go without cracking a joke or relating a funny incident. Even though he was childlike and gentle in his manner, when it came to certain principles which he cherished or considered important, he would display a lot of courage in arguing and upholding his viewpoint.

He prayed a lot without making any display. Sticking to what is of faith he was, one could say, a faithful ad¬herent of the ‘old’ religion. He was most faithful to his daily religious exercises, but you would often find him also in the prayer room, deep in his personal prayer, whether it was saying the Rosary or making the Stations of the Cross. He had a great devotion to the latter.

He had a great devotion to the Mass and it was a sad day for him when, due to the deterioration of his health, he couldn't make the parish Mass. Once he realised he couldn’t attend Mass, then, even though he loved the Holy Family Community, he asked to be changed to Miguel House, where Mass would be available daily for whatever time the Lord had still left for him."

"I visited Brother Lawrence many times in Miguel House", says Brother Meldan, "but when he grew weaker and older and en¬tered more into himself, he did not like long visits or too much talk. He wanted to be left alone and he prayed a lot and spent long visits in the Oratory. Despite all his disabilities, towards the end he was generally happy, content, full of faith and never gave way to depression. He was a good and faithful Brother and did good work in Ireland, South Africa, Hong Kong and Borneo."

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 25 (September 2010)

Francis Gaughran, later called Brother Fridolin, was a small man with a big personality. He was born on the 15th of November 1915 in Trim, on the plains of County Meath, Ireland and was always to hold a special affection for the County of his birth, the ancient seat of the high kings of Ireland. He was one of a family of seven children. They were brought up to love and serve God according to Catholic teaching. He received his early education at the local Primary school. In 1930, he joined the Juniorate of the De La Salle Brothers in Castletown, County Laois. He entered the No¬vitiate the following year and took the Holy Habit and was given the name Brother Fridolin of Jesus. A further year of studies followed the Novitiate before he was selected to complete his studies at Inglewood in England. A companion at the time records that Brother Fridolin was quiet, steady and sincere, and not given to fanfare. 

It was in the lovely surrounds of Inglewood that he felt called to volunteer to serve in the East. Before departure, he was allowed a short holiday home which he much appreciated. As the holiday was nearing its end, however, and Brother Fridolin was visiting relatives and friends, tragedy struck. He saw a crowd on the banks of the River Boyne and went over to see what was happening. Alas, the body of his younger sister was being taken from the river. She had fallen in accidentally. Brother Fridolin attended the Requiem Mass and burial service and had to leave for the East the next day. He carried this tragic loss in his memory all through his life, mentioning it only very occasionally.

He sailed for the East towards the end of 1934 and was not yet 19 years old when he began his missionary career in the classroom starting in St Patrick’s School, Singapore and then in turn St John’s Institution, Kuala Lumpur, St Xavier’s Institution, Penang and St Joseph’s Institution, Singapore. From the start he was a fine teacher, capable and conscientious. Though short in stature, he never faced discipline problems, even with the oldest or slowest students. Indeed, he was quite opposed to any form of corporal punishment. A former student wrote: 

“He always wore a smile on his face and had a quick wit and a pleasant sense of humour. He never failed to give a word of encouragement to the needy, irrespective of race or creed.”

One aspect of his personality soon became evident, a passion for cleanliness, neatness and order. As one Brother put it, he was “the trim wee Brother from Trim”. Everything had to be in its proper place. His bedroom was spick and span. He carried this passion for neatness and order into the classroom.

It was during these early years, while serving at St Xavier’s, Penang, that Brother Fridolin took his first lessons in playing the violin. With practice he became quite proficient and playing a few tunes became a regular part of his afternoon routine. He joined the school orchestra and had weekly orchestral practice. Performances were given on Prize-giving and Speech days and Concert nights at which he played with great finesse and enjoyment. He also loved a singsong and particularly appreciated some of the old Irish rebel songs. His own favourite was “A Nation Once Again”.

Brothers, young and not so young, are not exempt from occasionally joking or teasing. Brother Fridolin’s 5’2’’ stature was the butt of many jokes which he took with good grace. Questions like “Do I hear a voice?” or “Where is he?” would be aimed in his general direction. Or when playing games he might be advised to keep a “low profile”. Whatever he lacked in height he more than made up for in spirit and determination and would fight his corner to the last.

The sudden onset of the War brought an end to those happy and relatively carefree days. Brother Fridolin was in St Joseph’s, Singapore, at the time. He survived the initial deadly Japanese bombardments and, when things settled down somewhat, was allowed to teach in a government school but the learning and teaching had to be in Japanese. His main task was teaching Japanese songs to the accompaniment of his violin. When the chance of escaping the watchful eyes of the Japanese came, Brother Fridolin, together with a large number of other Brothers, the Bishop and some Catholics, headed for the jungles of Malaya. The Japanese authorities had led them to believe that everything was in order for occupation and settlement. The reverse was the case.

In a place called Bahau, some miles from the town of Seremban, the settlers had to start their jungle occupation almost from scratch. Duties were assigned and Brother Fridolin was first assigned to kitchen work, washing and drying dishes. Later he was to take charge of livestock but only managed to purchase a few skinny goats from the local farmers. The worst scourge of jungle life was contracting the dreaded malaria disease. Brother Fridolin succumbed to a serious attack but fortunately recovered before the War ended in September 1945.

As soon as peace was declared the Brothers returned to Singapore and home leave was arranged in turn. Brother Fridolin’s turn came towards the end of 1946 when he was told to take a holiday home followed by a degree course in University College Dublin. It had been 12 years since he last saw his family and there was much rejoicing. His degree course finished in 1950 and in November he was setting sail once again for the East. He was posted to St Xavier’s, Penang.

Just over three years later he was given a much tougher assignment. He was to be Director and Principal of a school called Sacred Heart in Sibu, Sarawak, East Malaysia. He had to start a new Community of Brothers, take over the running of both the primary and secondary school and find means of paying the staff, a daunting task. He set to work assisted by Brothers Austin Moylan and Justin Phelan and later Brother Columba Gleeson. Conditions were pretty primitive, the school consisting of three wooden shacks and the Brother’s house a wooden hut. Yet when Brother Fridolin left Sibu ten years later, the old wooden shacks had given way to a sturdy two-storey concrete school, complete with large hall and modern science laboratories and the Brothers were housed in a fine new community building. The secret of this success was Brother Fridolin himself. The people grew to love him and his straightforward and gentle ways. They were happy to help him in every possible way. Brother Columba Gleeson, who lived with him at the time, says it well: 

“He was a great religious, strict, almost scrupulous, in ways; a man of simple faith and deep commitment. But he was also deeply human, a man of great kindness and gentleness. I never remember him punishing a pupil physically; it wasn’t necessary and he would not have had the heart to do it”.

Sacred Heart school built up a reputation for strong academic performance, for good discipline and for extra- curricular achievement. As Brother Fridolin himself wrote: “The boys are good, hardworking, intelligent and generous. They are anxious to succeed”.

More pioneering work beckoned in January 1963 when he was sent as Director and Principal of St Mary’s School, Sandakan, Sabah. This time he was assisted by Brothers Frederick Lynch and Xavier Jones. The school was in poor condition and consisted of a two storey structure with eight classrooms. It was on the edge of a swamp and mosquitoes and rats abounded. When school opened in January there were several teachers short and there were no books for the students. It was a constant draining battle to find and keep qualified teachers on the meagre salaries available, as well as to raise money to improve the school. But once again Brother Fridolin attracted widespread public support and within a few years a transformation had taken place as Brother Xavier recalls: 

“Brother Fridolin built a fine three storey block, comprising office, library, classrooms and two science laboratories. He also recruited teachers so that Sixth Form classes were started. He himself taught English, English Literature and Scripture in Forms 4 and 5, something that could be said of few Principals, then or now”. 

Whatever the conditions, Brother Fridolin would remain upbeat and was averse to negative comments about people or about the school.

In 1967 he was transferred to La Salle School, Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of the state of Sabah. He taught for a year in the secondary school before being appointed Headmaster of the primary school some distance away. He was much relieved to be saved from the burden of high office. It was in Kota Kinabalu that he graduated from the push bike to a motor cycle and it was a sight to behold the small headmaster whizzing up to school at some speed. Brother Charles O’Leary sums up his memories of Brother Fridolin at the time: 

“He was a born community man. He loved companionship, a joke, a song. He loved a party and would contribute his share. He was a true Lasallian. I doubt he ever missed a chapel exercise. He was a man of simple tastes and simple lifestyle”.

Completely new pastures called in August 1971 when Brother Fridolin was transferred to Hong Kong. He taught English and Bible first at La Salle College and then in the summer of 1973 was transferred to St Joseph’s College where he continued to teach until retirement in 1976. It was the era of English compositions and précis and which the students did in their exercise books. Brother Fridolin would sometimes refer to such exercise books as “sizzling on my desk.” Even in retirement he continued to do some teaching and could be seen, book in hand, heading for the classroom well in advance of the bell. He taught the English Readers ‘across the two’s’. In addition he was a much loved Spiritual Director of Our Lady of the Star Praesidium of the Legion of Mary.
A strong interest was supporting the school sports teams. He would regularly go to the large sports-ground in Happy Valley to watch the football teams in action against other schools, a custom he observed throughout his life. He thought all games should open with a ‘blitzkrieg’, to pulverize the opponents from the start as it were, and was frustrated unless or until his team scored when he would dance with joy. “Why don’t they kick it?” was a constant refrain, referring to the football of course.

Another hobby was hiking and he was a familiar figure among the Kowloon hills and walkways of Hong Kong. He would usually head for the countryside every Saturday, always without headwear and often in the broiling sun. As a consequence his face became as red as a beetroot. A favourite walk was through the 14 villages in the New Territories. He would invariably end up in a shebeen and enjoy a cool beer and the company of the local people, the salt of the earth, as he would call them.

He did not neglect his old friend, the violin. Every so often, we would hear the strains of the violin from his room. In his younger days he had been among the first violinists in the school orchestra of St. Xavier’s Penang. And for a while during the War, as we have seen, he used the violin to teach Japanese songs. We knew that the day he hung up his violin would be a personal milestone.
Brother Fridolin had enjoyed excellent health throughout his life, apart from a malaria attack in the jungle camp at Bahau towards the end of the War. Now however the years began to take their toll, a stroke affecting his mobility. He could only walk the corridors in St. Joseph’s College and even that with difficulty. His decline in health resulted in hospitalization a number of times. He hated putting people out. In these circumstances he requested a transfer to Castletown, Ireland, where elderly Brothers are cared for. This was in 1986.

In the Holy Family community at Castletown he had the company of many Brothers including Meldan Treanor and Lawrence Kelly who had been out East. They were known as the three wise men. Fridolin liked the lovely countryside around Castletown but could not roam freely because of his stroke. He accepted his limitations realistically and never complained. He also appreciated any little kindness done for him. Some of the time was spent watching television, especially programmes on Irish dancing, music and folklore.

His Director at the time in Castletown was Brother Albert Tierney who had this to say about the end days: 
“In his final illness he must have suffered a lot before he complained. When the pain did intensify he had to be rushed to Portlaoise Hospital and from there to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. He lingered for a week but we felt the end was near. He had no illusions himself about impending death and endured his final sufferings with great Christian fortitude. He just asked us to keep praying for him, that all would come well in the end”.

Family members and Brothers came to visit him in hospital. The end came suddenly enough and Brother Fridolin died peacefully in Beaumont Hospital Dublin on 6th August, 1988. Brother Columba Gleeson delivered a touching homily at the Requiem Mass. Brother Fridolin was buried in the Brothers’ cemetery in Castletown in the presence of a large number of family friends and confreres, including many who had worked with him on the missions. 

To all who knew him he was a blessing, a gift from God. We can leave the last word to Brother Albert: “Brother Fridolin was a beautiful person. I felt he had a presence of some kind. When he left us so did the presence, and no one else can fill it”.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 24 (June 2010)

Brother Anthony was born in Toronto on the 28th October 1916, the youngest boy in a family of eight. He was called John at baptism. Both his father and mother were Catholics and were of German extraction.

While John was still very young tragedy struck the family with the death of his father. His mother worked heroically to bring up a young and large family. She never gave way to discouragement and managed to keep the family together through thick and thin. Her selfless devotion and strong faith were not lost on her children.

Young John received his Primary schooling at St Helen’s, Toronto, and it was here that he had his first contact with the De La Salle Brothers. He particularly admired a Brother Clement and they developed a lifelong friendship.

In 1931, at the age of fifteen, John asked to join the Brothers’ Juniorate and was accepted. Here he shone both at studies and sports. Ice hockey was his forte but he sustained a serious knee injury which often came back to haunt him in later life. His surplus energies now went into his studies and he became a star pupil.

In 1934, at the age of eighteen, he entered the Novitiate and on the 3rd of September received the Brothers’ robe and rabat and the new name of Stephen Anthony. In future he would generally be known as and called Brother Anthony. He adapted well to Novitiate life, to the periods of silence, prayer, reflection and manual labour.

After completing his Novitiate he made his first vows on the 4th September 1935 and moved to the Scholasticate for further formation and studies. Here he made remarkable progress and soon gained admission to the University of Toronto. He enrolled in the university in the fall of 1936 and soon began to make his mark.

Suddenly, a complete change of prospect came into play. In 1937 a higher superior made a strong appeal for volunteers for the missions in what was then called the Far East. Brothers Anthony and Lawrence Spitzig were among the volunteers and were selected. They were hurriedly put on a ship for Southampton. They survived a mighty Atlantic storm and after arriving in England were sent to the Brothers’ Scholasticate in Inglewood, Berkshire, to sit for the Oxford School Certificate. This they passed without difficulty and by August 1938 they were again packing their bags for the long voyage to the East.

They passed through France en route to Italy and on the 22nd September they boarded the Conte Biancamano at Naples. Twelve days later they steamed into Singapore and to their first taste of the Far East. Brother Anthony was posted to St Joseph’s Institution, a prestigious Lasallian school in the heart of urban Singapore. There was a Community of about 20 Brothers. Rising was at 4.30am and lights out at 9.15pm. The time between was filled with spiritual exercises, teaching and marking scripts, and games. Brother Anthony taught Standard 3, taught all subjects and had no free periods. His gentle and even disposition ensured that he got on well with the boys.

What unfolded on the morning of the 8th December 1941 would soon turn everything upside down. The Japanese bombing of Singapore had begun. On government instructions the Brothers and teachers tried to run the school along normal lines in the new year. It could not and did not last and school was formally closed at the end of January 1942.

The school was converted into a military hospital and the Brothers had to spend a lot of the time in the air raid shelter they had constructed on the ground floor. Gradually the Japanese bombardment intensified. The din was appalling, the buildings trembled, the air was stifling and the heat suffocating. Surrender by the British came on the 15th February.

Brother Anthony was one of the first of a group of “enemy aliens” marched off to the notorious Changi prison. The prison was built to accommodate 600 but during Brother Anthony’s stay the number rose to 4000. At first he performed a variety of tasks until he was asked to look after the old, sickly inmates. Some were bedridden or handicapped and many were emotionally traumatized. Brother Anthony fed them, washed their laundry, waged an ongoing battle against bugs and mediated in endless disputes. Food, or rather the lack of it, was a problem for all.

About mid 1944 the inmates at Changi were transferred to a more open-style camp in Sime Road which had been formerly used as an emergency RAF barracks. Brother Anthony immediately set up a ward for the old people in his care. He also found time for teaching the camp boys, for learning chess and for a little gardening.
The biggest problem continued to be the shortage of food and by now Brother Anthony was very emaciated. He took to eating frogs or toads but developed a painful body rash and lost his appetite. Malaria was to follow and he was reduced to a skeleton. Throughout his ordeal he somehow retained his calm and gentle ways as well as a sense of humour.

Liberation came in August 1945. Brother Anthony and Brother Lawrence Spitzig were among 500 civilians taken aboard a troop ship heading for the UK. From there they boarded the Queen Elizabeth 1 for the trip to Canada and to a rapturous homecoming. Brother Anthony, however, was still critically weak and needed a year’s convalescence before heading back to Singapore in late 1946.

At the relatively young age of thirty one, he was now catapulted into the hot seat as Principal of St Joseph’s Institution. He pushed ahead with improvements to the school, adding a new science laboratory and upgrading the school field and school library. In particular he had extensive renovation done to the school chapel. 

Brother Henry O’Brien was on the staff at the time and had this to say: “I cannot remember that he ever punished a boy; he had a winning way with students; they couldn’t but respect and like him.” 

Brother Anthony always had a tendency to overwork. He spent long hours in the school office, carefully checking the progress of each student. This strained his eyesight as well as his general health and after three years at the helm he returned to Canada for treatment and rest. There he decided to continue his studies and successfully completed his degree course at the University of Toronto. At the same time he underwent two separate operations for a cornea transplant neither of which was successful. Eye problems were to plague him to the end.

It was time to return East and in January 1953 he was appointed Principal of another prestigious Lasallian school, this time in Penang, Malaysia. As a result of the war bombing, St Xavier’s Institution had to function in attap sheds ringing the playing field. There was enormous pressure from stakeholders to rebuild the school. This required ongoing fundraising activities. Brother Anthony threw himself into the task in hand and by early 1954 occupation of the rebuilt school was possible. But the pressures of work and his frayed nerves yet again began to take their toll and he had to return to Canada in 1955 for further rest and treatment.

Then, in July 1956, after a year’s rest and recuperation, he was posted to La Salle College, Kowloon, Hong Kong, where he would spend the remaining 25 years of his life. Even at this late post war stage the College was “in exile” in Perth Street, courtesy of Her Majesty’s Government which requisitioned the grand old school building in 1949, using it as a military hospital. From 1949 to 1959 the school had to function in hastily constructed hutments.

Despite the less than comfortable conditions, Brother Anthony was happy to be back in the classroom. He preferred to teach the weaker pupils and lavished on them his time, energy and affection. He could be seen correcting their written work up till midnight and he became a role model for all. Many of his so called weaker pupils entered university and blossomed in life and never forgot their old mentor. He did not forget their spiritual development either, attended baptisms, recruited for the rosary crusade and was a devoted spiritual director for one of the junior praesidia of the Legion of Mary. 

One of his students at the time puts it like this: Brother Anthony always came into class well prepared and gave his lessons slowly and clearly. He was especially nice to the slower students. I remember one hasty homework I handed in and was afraid he would really get mad, but he looked at it, trying hard to find some merit, and…at last, said softly, ‘Not famous!’

Brother Anthony was a humble, gentle, spiritual person. He would lead us in morning prayer and then give a short chat on a Christian topic. I was baptized during that period, as were some of my other close friends.”

Another pupil at the time reminds us that Brother Anthony never raised his voice. He could often be seen in the classroom preparing his lessons. Perhaps because of an old wartime injury, he wrote slowly on the blackboard. To compensate for this and so as not to waste time, he would fill the blackboard in advance with notes. His pupil also reminds us that, besides teaching English, he also taught History. Strangely, he never spoke badly about the Japanese or about the way he was treated. In this way, his students, who knew something about what he had suffered, learned a great lesson in God’s love and the power of forgiveness and their hearts were touched.

Once, when in hospital, he was visited by a not too well off pupil who brought along three roses and a card. Brother Anthony was delighted and introduced the boy to the doctors and nurses saying:”This is my student” and at the same time requested a vase for the flowers. The pupil never forgot the incident. Indeed, Brother Anthony himself had a phenomenal memory for his pupils, past and present, and kept up a lively correspondence with them. He would never fail to reply to a letter.

Throughout these years his major hobby was taking long walks in the countryside. His invariable companion was Brother Paul Sun, Principal and Founder of St Joseph’s Anglo Chinese School. The two developed a deep friendship and for a few years Brother Anthony even went to work in St Joseph’s to help his old friend. He acted as Vice Principal for Brother Paul besides taking on a full teaching load of English and Religion. Brother Michael Curtin places their friendship in perspective:

“Brother Anthony and Brother Paul Sun are notorious in our Colony for their long, long walks. When I was young, at the end of the silent film, Charlie Chaplin appeared on the screen walking away from the audience down the road leading away to the horizon until he disappeared. I believe Brother Anthony’s idea of Paradise is walking down the corridors of eternity, arm in arm with Brother Paul Sun, having a glorious time.”

However, the long-term effects of the war years and incarceration in Changi prison began to surface again. Brother Anthony suffered dreadful hallucinations, persecution complex and horrid nightmares. This went on for some time before a suitable drug was prescribed. He never lost his addiction to smoking, however, which he saw as a way to soothe his nerves, frayed by his war experiences.

The Brothers knew that his eyesight was deteriorating, not helped by the long hours he spent correcting his students’ scripts. In 1977 it was therefore decided to take him off formal teaching and to put him in charge of the school library. There he was at home among his beloved staff and students. The books were treated tenderly, like old friends, and would be meticulously examined, repaired and returned to their original library slots.

It was at this time that La Salle College was on the move from its original grand old building to a gleaming new, fully endowed facility. Brother Anthony took complete charge of the library transfer, including determining the entire layout which has remained basically unchanged to this day. He personally trained all library staff and initiated a total overhaul of the books including cataloguing, accessing, recording and labeling. He insisted on exact measurements of labels, and this for over 15000 books. Scotch tape was never to be used on loose pages; white glue was the way to restore evenness of the spine. At times he looked like a surgeon, wielding a scalpel-like knife to cut and separate before the books were lovingly restored to health.

As he approached retirement and because of his personality traits, it is not surprising that he earned for himself the nickname “Grandpa”. Another image his pupils retained was of ‘the man in white’ since he wore the white robe or white suit frequently. Indeed, he was also wearing the white robe when he passed away.

The year 1981 was going well for him in many ways. The major move from the old school library to the new had been successfully completed. His sisters from Canada had paid him a welcome visit. He had at last fulfilled one of his passions in life, attendance at a concert in the City Hall.

Although he had felt faint once or twice, the end took everyone by surprise. He had been knocked down so often but had always bounced back. It was holiday time. He was up as usual to join the Community in morning prayer, placed his host on the communion plate before Mass, and, not feeling well, left the chapel for his room and did not return. At breakfast Brother Raphael, suspecting something might be wrong, asked Brother Thomas to check his room. Brother Thomas found him lying peacefully on his bed in his white robe, face calm and hands by his side. Even his shoes were placed neatly at the foot of the bed. It was the 28th of July 1981. The next day he would have completed 25 years in Hong Kong. The gentle, kind, soft-spoken Brother had slipped into eternity.
By coincidence the 28th was also the day for the distribution of the Hong Kong School Certificate results, results which would determine who could or could not proceed to Form 6. Brother Anthony in his time had prepared many a pupil for that important exam.

The funeral took place on the 30th July and attracted a large gathering of mourners, many of them weeping openly. Brother Raphael Egan delivered a moving tribute, saying in part:

“Successful and efficient men often seem hard to replace, yet the gaps they leave are surprisingly quickly and adequately filled. But lovable people are never replaced; they linger in our hearts, in our thoughts, in our prayers. Let us give thanks to God for the witness Brother Anthony bore to divine realities.” 

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 23 (May 2010)

In a break with tradition, we feature two Brothers in this issue. They have long gone to their reward. Yet it can be truly said that they were largely responsible for establishing the Lasallian presence in Hong Kong and setting it on a firm foundation. They were the first two Directors/Principals of St Joseph’s College.

The first Director, Brother Hidulphe, hailed from France. There were four French and two Irish among the first six Brothers to arrive in November 1875. The second Director, Brother Cyprian, was a Canadian. This international dimension among the Brothers holds good to this day.

Let us take a closer look at the life and times of these two pioneering Brothers Directors. 

Brother Hidulphe was the first Director/Principal of St. Joseph’s College, Hong Kong, from November 1875 to 1879. He had already experienced a taste of the East and had helped with organizing schools in Agra, India, and in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Born at Salers, about 15 miles from Aurillac, in the Auvergne, France, he received his primary education at the school run by the Brothers in his native town. At the age of eighteen he made his Novitiate at Clermont. His first years of teaching were in France but he had a deep desire to exercise his missionary zeal. When this was at last granted in 1859, he set out with joy for India.

He made a stay of two years at Calcutta and was then sent to Agra to teach the higher forms. This prepared him for the Directorship of Karikul and, later, Colombo. He continued to teach the highest forms. From Colombo he was recalled to France in 1867 and stationed at the large boarding school in Marseilles, perhaps the most renowned of Lasallian schools at the time. There was an international mix of pupils who were destined for careers in the commercial and industrial fields.

Brother Hidulphe taught English at the boarding school. He was a model of religious zeal, kindness and professional competence. He devoted all his time to prayer, study and professional duties. His experience in the East had shown him the crying need for more Brothers and so he did his best to attract vocations to the Brothers and his efforts were successful. He had been at this work for seven years when he was asked once more to leave his native land. He was appointed Director of the little band that was to open the first house of the Institute in Hong Kong.

His two nephews had also joined the Brothers and they were to be among the six pioneers who arrived on the 7th November 1875, after a voyage of 42 days, to take charge of St. Joseph’s College. These two nephews were twins.

When the Brothers arrived in 1875 the existing Catholic school for Portuguese/European boys, situated at the junction of Pottinger Street and Wellington Street, Central, was called St. Saviour’s College. Brother Hidulphe may have been somewhat disappointed at the cramped conditions of the school which had 4 classrooms and seventy five boys. The situation was exacerbated after a few weeks when enrollment had doubled.

Brother Hidulphe began by changing the name of the College. It was henceforth to be called St. Joseph’s College. He thus placed the school under the protection of St Joseph, the patron of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Bishop Raimondi may have felt a little sad at the change of name but accepted it graciously.

Before long, the Bishop got another shock for Brother Hidulphe told him that they could not take Chinese pupils unless more space was provided. Until then they would be taking pupils of mainly Portuguese descent.

But the Bishop and Brother Hidulphe were in full agreement about one very important policy, that the school would be open to rich and poor alike and that Chinese pupils could enroll once larger accommodation was secured. The Bishop took action and in January 1878 the Brothers and students moved to a somewhat more spacious Buxley Lodge at 9 Caine Road.
Enrollment continued to rise and by 1881 there were more than 300 boys on the rolls. 

Brother Hidulphe saw the need for English style education for Chinese boys, and the school at first concentrated on teaching them English conversation and writing.

In 1879 St. Joseph’s came under the Grant-in Aid Scheme whereby, subject to Government inspection, the school would receive an annual grant. It was the first Catholic school to receive Government aid. According to Bishop Raimondi, the College “under Government inspection, prospered even more that it did before”.

It was becoming ever clearer that a larger school premises would be required to cater to the ever increasing demand for places. Brother Hidulphe and Bishop Raimondi were in accord and the search was on. Brother Hidulphe praised a site on Robinson Road which had come on the market as being “most convenient for the Chinese boys as well as the Portuguese.”

Brother Hidulphe had set St. Joseph’s on a strong foundation. He himself, however, began to suffer from ill health. All the doctors he consulted returned the same diagnosis: intense anaemia, requiring a substantial diet and complete rest for many months. His health broke down completely in October 1879. The doctor ordered his immediate return to France.The departure date was fixed for All Saints Day, 1st November 1879, and it seemed like the whole Catholic population of Hong Kong accompanied him to the ship that was to take him away from the East forever. By means of his affable character and gentle disposition he had endeared himself to the Bishop, clergy, religious, parents and students alike.

The voyage from Hong Kong to Marseilles went well but France was in the grip of a very severe winter. On arrival, he was told to take a complete rest. But he could not remain completely inactive and took charge of an English class and helped to prepare pupils for first Holy Communion. One of his first actions was to write a letter to Bishop Raimondi, thanking him for all his support and praying that one day he might be able to return to Hong Kong. He was not to see Hong Kong again. His health began to deteriorate gradually and he began to waste away. Finally he was confined to his room, suffering much pain.

Brother Hidulphe was called to his reward on 11th May, 1886. 

The second Director/Principal, Brother Cyprian, was born on the 28th January 1845 in Saint Thomas de Montmagny, a small village opposite the well-known Shrine of St. Ann de Beaupré on the south side of the St. Lawrence River. He attended the Brothers' school in that town and, on indicating an interest in becoming a Brother, was sent to the novitiate in Montreal. In those days, this was regarded as saying goodbye to the world. He took the habit on September 1859 and was given the name Cyprian. At the end of his novitiate he was assigned to a brothers’ Community in New York where he taught for three years before being moved to schools in Montreal and Quebec. In September 1876, when he was 30 years old he was sent to St Joseph’s College, Clapham, London as teacher of the second class and Drawing Master.

Brother Cyprian was a lovable character with a happy disposition. He was friendly, obliging and extraordinarily patient. He was also a very faithful religious. In keeping with the times, which saw frequent movement of personnel, he was next sent to Colombo, Sri Lanka, to begin his life as a missionary Brother. He must have indicated his willingness and perhaps eagerness for this way of life. This was in 1879.

On the18th February 1880 he arrived in Hong Kong to replace Brother Hidulphe, Director of St. Joseph’s College, who had fallen sick and departed for France. Brother Cyprian was to be Director of St Joseph’s for four years. 

He was well equipped to lead St. Joseph’s to further success. He had a well-balanced nature, an equanimity of temper, which brought the best out of everybody. He also had a dynamic and outgoing personality. He had been a distinguished teacher and Principal in his native land. The four years he was in charge of St Joseph’s were among the most important in its history. It was through Brother Cyprian’s energy and drive that the school emerged as one of the leading institutions of the Colony.

In November 1880, Brother Cyprian, in the company of the Reformatory Director Brother Leo, went to view the proposed new site for the College on Robinson Road. Both were satisfied with it. In February 1881, Governor John Pope Hennessy presided over the Distribution of Prizes and congratulated the Brothers on their success.

The long-awaited move from Buxley Lodge to Robinson Road, Glenealy, in 1881 played a large part in putting the school firmly on the map. The new school building dominated the harbour. As a Brother’s report to the Motherhouse in Rome puts it: “The building is situated on a height which commands an extensive view of the city and the harbour of Victoria. It is surrounded with trees and patches of green which render it one of the most delightful spots of the Colony”. The foundation stone was laid by Governor Sir John Pope Hennessy on the 3rd November 1881 and the new building was ready for occupation the following September. The liturgical blessing took place in October 1882. 190 boys enrolled on the first day of school. The school soon became a landmark in Hong Kong and for the first time both the Portuguese classes and the Chinese classes were under the same roof.

Meanwhile, Brother Cyprian had established a periodical distribution of rewards for good conduct and application to work. He also introduced a detention class after school for those who failed to perform their duties properly. The students were also encouraged to produce a school newspaper. Standards rose and the government inspector professed himself well pleased. The Portuguese boys shone in English. On the question of language, it is astonishing to note that, besides English, Portuguese, French, Chinese and Latin were also taught. In a rousing speech at the Distribution of Prizes in 1884, Bishop Raimondi laid down the marker: ”My ambition, if you want to know it, is to provide my flock with a school in which not only the rules of our church could be complied with, but such a school which should be second to no other school in Hong Kong.”

St. Joseph’s College, Robinson Road 1881-1918

The Prize Distribution was the last public function held in the College during Brother Cyprian’s Directorship. He had asked on several occasions to be relieved of his charge and at last the superiors agreed. He was then sent to Rangoon on April 18th, 1884 but he frequently asked to be allowed to return to Hong Kong and in 1885 his request was granted and he returned to take charge of finances. This was an occupation congenial to him as he was an accomplished accountant and everybody expected he would be of great service to the College. Besides being the school bursar, he was to take charge of the boarders.

Up to this time, Brother Cyprian had enjoyed robust health but at the beginning of March 1887, he was suddenly attacked by dysentery. After medical treatment he was judged sufficiently improved to allow for a trip to Japan for a rest. There he would be able to relax among a number of his fellow French-Canadian Brothers. On May 2nd he left on the "Tanai" bound for Yokohama. The steamer arrived in Kobe on the evening of 7th of May. As Brother Cyprian felt too weak to go further, Father Chatron, MEP, went to see him on board and accompanied him to the local hospital for foreigners.

Father Chatron did all he could for the ailing Brother. He says that Brother Cyprian prayed and was perfectly resigned to the will of God, and that he remained alert and tranquil to the end. The end came on the 10th of May around 3 p.m.  Brother Cyprian was 42 years old.  

On 13th of May a funeral Mass was said and Brother Cyprian was buried in the cemetery reserved for foreigners. In those days it was near the harbour. Later it was moved to a location up the hill, near Futatabi Park 再度公园. The local Catholic religious, laypersons and schoolchildren accompanied the funeral procession. Father Chatron was convinced a Saint had been buried on Japanese soil.

In more recent years, the Brothers in Japan, led by Brother Marcel Petit, decided to erect a new tombstone for Brother Cyprian. On the 15th September, 1991, with the help of the Marist Brothers Community in Kobe, a new lettering was etched on Brother Cyprian’s tombstone and all through the years, Brother Ramon Bereicua, a Marist Brother, has faithfully looked after it. For this esteemed service, the De La Salle Brothers in Japan regard Brother Ramon as “a Marist Lasallian”.
 

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 21 (February 2010)

Brother Anthony is sometimes referred to as a Hong Kong product, not in the commercial sense but because he was born and bred there and all his life he was conscious of his roots.

His ancestral roots, however, was the village of Hing Ling in the northeastern part of the Kwangtung province of China. His Catholic grandfather sent Anthony’s father, Benedict, to study in Hong Kong at St Joseph’s College. Benedict later joined the staff of St Joseph’s, and married in Hong Kong. Cantonese became the spoken language of the family. Brother Anthony was born on the 10th May 1922, the first of a family of six: three boys and three girls.

Since the family lived in Holy Infant Lane in Wanchai, Anthony attended the local primary school of the same name which was run by the Canossian sisters. His father, a devout Catholic, had the habit of attending daily Mass and communion and from early years would wake Anthony at 5.30am to accompany him to church. It was a habit he was to keep for a lifetime.

At the age of eleven he transferred to St Joseph’s College where he was admitted to Class 8, Primary 5. After three months he was promoted to class 7, Primary 6, where he came under the tutelage of Mr Francis Boey Kah Sing who took no nonsense. Brother Cronan Curran was his teacher when he entered Form 1. The Director was Brother Matthias and at the end of Form 1 Anthony had made such progress that he was given a double promotion to Form 3 where he had Brother Brendan Dunne as form teacher.

Things were moving predictably until one day Brother Hubert Pilz went from class to class inviting those interested in the religious life to a meeting the following day. Anthony went home and talked it over with his father who gave him every encouragement. He turned up at the meeting with a number of other boys including Henry Pang. Henry and the Pang family were close friends. Anthony had in fact been thinking of becoming a Brother when he was in Form One.

At the end of the meeting Brother Hubert invited those interested to see him later. Anthony went home and discussed matters at length with his father. His father went to consult Henry Pang’s father and together they agreed to send their sons to the Brothers’ formation centre, called the Juniorate, that had recently been set up in La Salle College, Kowloon. So began their life-long faith and friendship journey as Lasallians in September 1935. 

Numbers rose and in August 1936 Anthony was ready for further training in the Juniorate in Penang, to be joined by Henry Pang in the following year. Anthony was fourteen when he arrived in Penang and joined a cosmopolitan group of aspirants. Besides preparing to become Brothers, they were being prepared for the matriculation examination. Anthony fitted in well from the start and profited from the facilities and opportunities available to him. For example he took up music, largely on his own, and spent spare time learning how to play the organ. Brother Michael Jacques remembers those times:

“I have known Brother Anthony since 1936 when first he arrived on our shores, fresh and enthusiastic and determined to embark on the first steps towards becoming a De La Salle Brother. From the start, little Anthony impressed me as a boy of exceptional talent”.

On the 1st July 1938 he received the habit of the Brothers and began his Novitiate, a year of spiritual formation.

The Sino-Japanese war had begun in 1937 and by late 1938 Guangzhou had fallen to the Japanese. Anthony’s family in Hong Kong was affected especially since links with their ancestral village were broken. The Novitiate year, however, went off smoothly for Anthony, followed by further studies in the scholasticate next door. He did well in his studies and had a taste of teaching in the nearby St Xavier’s Branch School. All seemed set fair for his vocation as a Brother and teacher.

The war clouds burst on the 8th December 1941 with the Japanese invasion. Brother Anthony himself writes: “We were celebrating the feast of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in the chapel when we were informed that war had started. After Mass we could see the Japanese planes flying overhead on their way to bomb the town. We camouflaged the wide drain running between our property and the seminary next door, and it was here we took refuge from the bombing and machine gunning, often remaining there for several hours. It was here in this drain that I got hooked on chess, playing game after game with another Brother.”

A limited amount of teaching was permitted, but in Japanese. Brother Anthony qualified. Otherwise, for the best part of four years, it was hand to mouth existence and virtual house arrest. The planting and harvesting of vegetable crops became a priority as well as fishing. Food was generally scarce and luxuries unknown until after the war. And that war lasted for the best part of four long years.

When peace finally came the Brothers reopened the schools with minimum delay and Brother Anthony was posted to St Xavier’s Institution, Penang. The school had been bombed by both the Japanese and the Americans so makeshift sheds had been constructed around the playing field. It was here that classes were conducted. It was in these less than comfortable circumstances that Brother Anthony honed his teaching skills and exercised his passion for music. He joined the school orchestra, playing in both the woodwind and strings sections. His ambition seemed to be to play all instruments! In his spare time he taught Catechism in the parish and saw to the material purchases for the Brothers.

In 1948 he received the sad news that his father, aged 63, had passed away in Hong Kong. In those days it was not customary for the Brothers to go home. He was allowed home the following year after making his final profession. He had left home at the age of fourteen and was now returning at the age of twenty five. After his home leave he returned to his teaching and other duties in St Xavier’s.

St George’s Institution in Taiping was the next school to benefit from Brother Anthony’s dynamic style. He was transferred in 1954 and was to spend six happy and eventful years there. Although the pace of life was not as hectic as in Penang, he found scope for his energies in school events like concerts, sports days and the annual funfair. Above all, he set his sights on forming a school orchestra, starting with a violin class. Before long he was conducting an orchestra composed of students, Brothers, teachers and old boys. He spent many hours coaching the orchestra, his pride and joy.

In 1954 he was appointed Sub-Director which added to his many responsibilities. Besides running the orchestra, he was in charge of the school bookshop, weekly cinema shows and duplicating material for class use. When people needed something Brother Anthony would be called upon and he was always obliging.

The happy years in Taiping came to an end in October 1960 when he was transferred to his ‘home city’, Hong Kong. Part of the reason was a plan to set up a Juniorate for boys who showed an interest in the Brother’s vocation. He was posted to La Salle College, Kowloon, under the directorship of Brother Felix Sheehan. His long-time friend, Brother Henry Pang, was Headmaster in the Primary School. Anthony was first assigned to teach in Form 1 and later in Form 3. He had developed the habit of telling jokes and performing magic tricks at the start of every class and if the class was especially attentive there might be bonus magic at the end as well.

In La Salle his days were as full as usual. He was given 30 teaching periods a week, was in charge of the bookshop. He also set about reorganizing the school orchestra, bought new instruments and coached the boys in both primary and secondary in the violin and other instruments. In addition he was asked to pay special attention to the children of the families of the school domestic staff. He would pray the rosary with them and then give a cinema show. During the long summer holidays he took these children for boating and swimming outings.

At weekends he would visit his mother, but in 1960 she fell critically ill. Evening after evening Anthony would leave the school at 4pm and take a bus and ferry to Hong Kong island, to St Paul’s Hospital to visit her. He would stay there for several hours, returning at 11pm. Then a short sleep to be up at 5 a.m. to join the community at morning prayer and Mass. Such a hectic pace could not last. He himself recalls:

“One morning I fell down in the bathroom. Luckily Brother Eugene was up early and found me on the floor. He picked me up and put me in bed. I felt very sick and had to be taken to the nearby hospital. It was there that they found I had an ulcer attack and I had lost a lot of blood.

It was during this time that my younger sister, Agnes Seck, came from Singapore to visit mother. She was in time to see mother before she died. The whole family came to see me after the burial. Brother Henry, who walked with my brother Dominic, was mistaken by many for me. He became our brother after that”.

That was in January 1961. His mother was sixty-six. Anthony made a good recovery and resumed his busy routine. Although he tried hard to interest young men in the religious life and had established a Juniorate programme, the results were meagre. Nevertheless his experience in this area was soon to be utilised in Malaysia.

He bade farewell to his beloved Hong Kong in October 1966 and was shortly appointed Director of the Juniorate in Ipoh which at the time had an enrolment of forty one. Every Saturday he would take them to follow the Novena prayers. Although not a sportsman, he would join them in games. To nobody’s surprise he managed to form a small band and orchestrated a few musical shows.

It was at this time, 1966, that he also took over as Editor of the very popular magazine called the “Crusader”, later called the “Young Lasallian”, which made its way into classrooms in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. The magazine was full of interesting stories, jokes, advice and useful hints, magic tricks, quizzes, cartoons, news from around the Lasallian schools and a pen pals corner. He featured many articles on astronomy, one of his passions. These magazines opened up a vast network of friends all over the world and his pen pals pages became popular with many a teenager. The last issue of the “Young Lasallian” was that of April 1988.

Meanwhile, Brother Anthony’s term as head of the Juniorate came to an end in 1971 when he was posted as Director to La Salle University Hall. Petaling Jaya where there were both Brothers and lay students in residence. He became the District recruiter, public relations officer, editor of the District Newsletter and later, in 1979, District Bursar. He took this variety of responsible positions in his stride, doing everything with speed and efficiency according to his catchword: ‘Fast or not?’  As always he became fully involved with the local church.

As he mellowed with age he looked forward more and more to his regular home visit to Hong Kong where he enjoyed the company of his family and of the Brothers, as well as to the Cantonese cuisine. He had been gradually slowing down, partly because of the onset of Parkinsons disease and partly because of a history of diabetes. He spent time playing mahjong and chess on the computer. In December 1998 he paid a final visit to Hong Kong. Since he could not move about freely, he stayed most of the time with the Brothers.

In April 1999 his foot developed a stubborn infection. The condition was exacerbated by his diabetic history and one of his small toes had to be amputated. Despite some pain, he remained a good patient, until the Lord called him on Tuesday 25th May 1999. The funeral Mass at St Francis Xavier’s Church was celebrated by the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur and there was a large attendance. In the eulogy, an old friend, Brother Michael Jacques had this to say:

“Dear Brother Anthony, we are gathered here to bid you a fond but temporary goodbye, till we shall meet again and be with the Lord. You have done us proud by making use of your God-given talents to the full in the service of the Lord in his Church and in our Order, to which you dedicated your whole life so generously. We can thank you best by trying to emulate your good example”.

Brother Anthony himself can have the last word:

“I enjoy being a De La Salle Brother during all these many years. I’m happy in my vocation and in my various assignments. My days are filled with meaningful and challenging activities and really I have not yet encountered a dull day. Someone once told me that if I were not a Brother, I might have become a good banker! But I do think I am that and more! I used to enjoy teaching Mathematics and Scripture in school, and teaching music and conducting orchestras outside school hours. Then I enjoyed my work in the training of future Brothers and now, for the last fourteen years, I think I am doing much good editing the magazine, the Crusader. Thanks be to God!”

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 18 (October 2009)

A film called The Quiet Man was produced in 1952, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne as the quiet man. The film has aged well. If there was ever a quiet man in real life, it was Brother Pius. He was rarely known to shout or even raise his voice. 

He was born on the 21st January 1911 in Crotta, County Kerry, Ireland, a lovely part of that lovely County. Large families were the norm at the time and Patrick, his baptismal name, was the seventh child of a family of six boys and four girls. He attended the local primary school and is remembered as a quiet, industrious boy. He came from a small hurling area in a predominantly football county. He loved the game and was skilled at it. This may have been a pointer to his future prowess at badminton. 

When he was fourteen years old, the school was visited by Brother Anselm, a recruiter for the De La Salle Brothers. In response to his appeal for volunteers, young Patrick offered himself and was accepted. So it was that, on the 25th August 1925, he set off for Castletown, County Laois, to begin his Lasallian formation journey. It was his first journey on a train and every time that the train swished under a bridge he would jump from his seat, to the great amusement of his companions.

His year of spiritual formation in the Novitiate began in the summer of 1927. He made the Novitiate seriously and fervently and it stood to him for the rest of his life. There followed two years of studies and then the decision to volunteer for the missions, to what was then called the Far East.

One of his companions relates: “Brother Pius and I started on our first missionary journey together in October 1930. We were accompanied by Brothers Mark O’Connor and Gilbert McKenna who were returning to the East after a short holiday in Ireland”. A trip through London and France brought them to Marseilles where they boarded a ship for Rangoon, Burma.

An unpleasant surprise awaited them on board when they were informed by the steward that they would not be able to use their cabin during the day because it was to be occupied by a hive of bees! These belonged to Brother Gilbert McKenna who was taking them to the Lasallian orphanage in Twante. It was dangerous to use the cabin during the day so they were obliged to spend all the time on deck. One of Brother Pius’ companions continues: “we could retire to our bunks after the bees had retired for the night but had to be out again by daybreak. We discovered that bees are early risers and a few stings can be more effective than any alarm clock!” Patience began to wear thin and there were veiled threats as to what might happen to the bees and their owner. Fortunately Rangoon was reached without mishap.

On arriving in Burma, Brother Pius was assigned to teach in the large and renowned St Paul’s Institution in Rangoon. He was given a class in the middle school. He mentioned later that he was very nervous when first introduced to his pupils. Most of them were Indian Sikhs, big burly fellows sporting turbans and even beards. Fortunately they were quite well behaved and before long he was completely at home with them.

One of the Brothers in the Community at the time was able to sum up Brother Pius rather well. “He was outstanding for his religious spirit, his cheerfulness, his fondness for the rosary and his devotedness to his class. He was rather shy and reticent”. A German Brother in the Community had this to say: “I remember how he helped me with my preparation for class, and how it was he who organized our games and our walks. During the summer vacation he never wasted a moment of time allotted for study. He was a most pleasant confrere at recreation”.

The pleasant and even tenor of Brother Pius’ life in Burma came to an end in 1937 when he was transferred to Malaya and assigned to the Community of St Xavier’s Institution, Penang. He had become very attached to Burma and regretted leaving it. One reason for the transfer was probably the threat of TB and when in Penang he was put on a stringent diet of raw eggs. Things were moving along nicely until the swift Japanese invasion and occupation of the country in December 1941. The school buildings were commandeered by the occupying power and the Brothers’ Community had to seek refuge in the Novitiate house, some miles away, in Pulau Tikus.

The Brothers could no longer teach school. Their time was occupied mainly trying to get enough to eat by cultivating every square yard of the property and by fishing in the nearby sea. It so happened that there was a sizable amount of black and white cloth meant for robes and shirts. As it was feared that the Japanese would seize on this supply it was decided to cut it all up. Brother Pius was nominated assistant tailor and he was kept busy sewing all the cut- up cloth. The health of all the Brothers deteriorated during the war years and, with a TB history, Brother Pius’ condition in particular was worrying. Nevertheless he was able to continue his teaching duties when school reopened after the war.

In 1948 he was appointed sub-director of the flourishing St Michael’s Institution, Ipoh. The school was bursting at the seams with 1144 pupils and a staff of 7 Brothers and 22 lay teachers. Those lay teachers remember Brother Pius as quiet, somewhat shy, very much liked by his pupils and fond of games. Under the direction of the Director, Brother Denis Hyland, the school was extended and numbered 1700 pupils by 1952.

Then, in 1955, Brother Pius was appointed Director of St Michael’s. The younger teachers in particular took to his style, sharing his interests and enthusiasms. These included games of all kinds, swimming, scouting, air cadets and St John’s Ambulance Brigade. The boys developed an astonishing enthusiasm for every kind of game and activity. Every student had to join a school-uniformed group and most were involved in some sport or other. Indeed Brother Pius’ name is linked with great successes in swimming and badminton right up to national levels. He himself was a keen swimmer and badminton player.

He was generous by nature and inclination and some took advantage of this to borrow money from him rather too freely. He often helped pupils in financial difficulties. His kindness also tempted some pupils to get up to pranks or to create disciplinary trouble. It was then that the “Pius System” was invoked. When he felt that a boy had overstepped the mark, the boy was called into the Principal’s Office. Brother Pius would switch on the public address system and give a few good whacks to the errant boy, the echoes of the whacks reverberating around the school. This somewhat innovative method of dealing with youthful offenders eventually got into the newspapers and was called the “Pius System”! In these circumstances the younger teachers would say something like “the whole town is talking about your new idea”, knowing that this would please him.

One of his students at the time recalls: “An exceptionally composed man of few words, Brother Pius is someone I fondly remember. Once a boy was reading a comic, placing it behind his textbook when the teacher was teaching. Brother Pius, during his rounds, saw this. He calmly walked towards the boy from behind and closed the boys’ eyes with both his hands. The boy, thinking the hands belonged to his friend, slapped them. He looked back…and never played that trick again”.

In those years most of the Brothers would make their annual Retreat in the country house on Penang Hill. On one famous occasion Brother Pius appeared clothed in a span-new white robe. One day a Brother was shaving upstairs. Task completed, he threw the basin of dirty water out the window. Brother Pius happened to be passing below and received a dousing, new robe and all. For years afterwards he could not be convinced that it was all an accident.

Towards the end of 1960, after having serving the normal two terms, Brother Pius was given a rousing send-off, complete with fife and drum. He had steered St Michael’s through hard and good times and could now take a deserved rest back in his home country.

After his holiday with his beloved family in Ireland he was asked to return to Burma, once again to St. Paul’s Rangoon. However, in 1963, he was asked to take charge of a new school in Taunggyi. He welcomed the appointment since he had been very fond of Burma and its people from his early years there. But just as things were taking shape a semi-communist group seized the reins of power in a 1963 coup. Brother Pius and six recently arrived Brothers were ordered to leave the country. On April 1st 1965, all mission schools were confiscated and nationalized. The Brothers were forbidden to teach and foreign Priests, Brothers and Sisters told to leave the country. It was a second and final sad farewell to Burma for Brother Pius.

Hong Kong provided the refuge and he arrived there on the 1st June 1964 and was assigned to teach Form 4 in La Salle College. It was the Community custom of the time to go for weekly launch picnics during the summer vacation. Brother Pius proved to be an excellent chef. Once he was approached by a party from another launch attracted by the aroma of sizzling steaks done in the open on the rocks! He was asked if he would be kind enough to let them have his recipe. 

Just at that time, a new Lasallian school situated close to the border with mainland China was being built and after one year in La Salle College Brother Pius was posted as one of the four pioneers of the new school and community. The other three Brothers were Felix Sheehan (Director), Hubert Pilz and Paul O’Connell. To this day the four ‘Houses’ of the school are called after them. Brother Pius was to remain at De La Salle Secondary School, New Territories, for the next fifteen years, entering fully into the life of the community and school.

The Brothers managed to create a warm family atmosphere in the school. Most of the students were farmers’ sons, many came to school on bicycles and for nearly all it was a first encounter with white-robed missionary teachers. Besides teaching English and Religion, Brother Pius as usual promoted games and sports, and was the advisor of the Red Cross Unit.

Signs of ill health began to appear in the 70’s. He had never been very robust and was diagnosed with diabetes in 1973. He rallied and tried to carry on as usual but it was a strain and his ills were compounded by a stroke which affected his speech. Nevertheless he felt strong enough to pay a last visit to St Michael’s, his old school in Ipoh, Malaysia, and spent three months there. There was a regular stream of visitors to see him. A Brother who was there at the time recalls that he “wept as I led him to the plane on his departure, realizing it would be his last sight of Ipoh where he had been so happy”.

In 1979, the Brothers in Hong Kong decided it would be best for Brother Pius to take home leave followed by retirement in Castletown. They knew of his deep affection for his family and he spent the best part of a year in his brother’s house which was the old family abode. While there, he celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his taking the religious habit and Mass was said in the house.

In 1980 he was transferred to Miguel House nursing home in Castletown where he received every attention. By this time he was largely confined to a wheelchair. He remained his usual quiet and cheerful self but spoke little because of the effects of the stroke. At the end of the year his condition deteriorated and he had to be hospitalized but soon returned to Miguel House where he died on January 16th 1981. He was sixty-nine years of age.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 19 (November 2009)

William Curran was born in Barretstown, near Fethard, in County Tipperary, Ireland, on the 20th January 1915. He received his early education at his local Primary school. A recruiter for the Brothers must have arrived because we next see young William joining the Juniorate in Castletown when he was about fourteen or fifteen. On the 7th September 1931 he entered the Novitiate and took the Habit on the 8th December of the same year. After the Novitiate he completed another year of study while remaining in Castletown.

In those years, young Brothers were asked to volunteer for the missions, especially to the Far East. In the spring of 1933 Brother Cronan, together with nine other volunteers, were assembled in Castletown for a send-off ceremony. They were escorted by a senior Brother to London and eventually to Marseilles where they boarded a large passenger boat bound for the East.

On arrival in Penang, Malaysia, Brother Cronan was posted to St George’s Taiping. He was 18 years old and was asked to teach in the higher classes. At the time it was customary for the Brother or teacher to teach all subjects in his class. For one so young and inexperienced this must have been a major challenge. Fortunately Brother Cronan was blessed with a happy disposition and he got on with the work. Just as he was growing to like Taiping and his students he was told he was needed in Hong Kong and arrived there in February 1934.

His new posting was to St Joseph’s College, already well established and respected after nearly sixty years existence. The contrast with peaceful Taiping was evident since his new community and school was situated cheek by jowl with the rapidly developing commercial centre of Hong Kong. All in all he was to serve three terms in Hong Kong and it was there he would end his days. This first stint was to last until 1937 and he was put teaching Class 6, the equivalent of Form 1. 

It so happened that St. Joseph’s was celebrating its Diamond Jubilee in 1935 so that Brother Cronan’s early interest in scouting and games was appreciated.

His next assignment was to St. Joseph’s Institution, Singapore, under the Director, Brother Stephen Buckley. The school had no less than 18 Brothers on the staff. Then in 1941, he was transferred to St Xavier’s Institution, Penang, which had been founded in 1852. For a while all went well following a well established pattern in both school and community. The events of the 8th December 1941 were to change all that, with the bombing of Penang and Singapore and other towns and cities. Japanese forces also made their first landings on the same day and by the 17th December Penang was invaded and occupied. After some time, schools were reopened but the medium of instruction switched from English to Japanese. Brother Cronan was transferred to St Patrick’s Community Singapore, to a house that was reputed to be haunted! During the day The Brothers were allowed to teach in a government school through the medium of Japanese. In the evenings they attended further classes to deepen their command of the language.

Then came the fateful decision by the Bishop, persuaded by the Japanese authorities, to leave with a sizable portion of the Catholic population for a camp in Malaysia, supposedly for better safety and security. Many Catholic religious and Catholic families were transferred hundreds of miles to a jungle clearing in Bahau, Negri Sembilan. The Japanese had painted a rosy picture of this camp. In reality the picture was bleak and living conditions barely good enough to survive.

Brother Cronan was one of those jungle inhabitants. He himself leaves us this none too happy description of life in the jungle in an article he wrote for his local newspaper back home in Ireland: “With axe and saw, pick and spade, we sweated and strove from dawn to dusk, felling the trees, rolling the giant trunks together and filling the place with bonfires and smoke. Day and night the fires raged until the dense jungle became a charred wilderness. Houses had to be erected, roads constructed, bridges built, water supply attended to and sanitary and hygienic conditions established and a ceaseless struggle waged against typhoid, dysentery and the deadly malaria. In spite of all efforts, malaria prevailed and wrought havoc among the settlers. Three hundred perished within a year.”

When it came to division of labour, he undertook to lead a team to deal with the problem of mosquitoes, the “Mosquito Brigade” as it were. Each morning they set out to spray all the stagnant water they could find. The area that had to be covered was extensive and since stagnant water could lie hidden in the undergrowth the task was well nigh impossible. Every day the war went on between man and nature. Clouds of hungry mosquitoes would descend on the living quarters at sunset, frustrating the team’s best efforts. Most of the inhabitants, including Brother Cronan, got malaria and two Brothers died of the virulent cerebral variety. That so many survived is somewhat of a mystery and perhaps the “Mosquito Brigade” could take some solace from that.

In later life Brother Cronan took on a somewhat plump appearance but when he emerged from the jungle in 1945 he was extremely thin and haggard looking. A year or so later he was allowed home for a long leave that was badly needed. On his return, at the age of thirty-three, he was posted back to St Joseph’s College, Hong Kong. He was to spend ten years there, in the prime of life. Among his students at the time would have been the recently awarded Nobel Laureate, Charles Kao. Apart from regular teaching duties, he became heavily involved in scouting and football. He not only helped the College’s 1st Hong Kong Troop but, in 1951, was appointed by the Governor as the first Scout Commissioner of Victoria, the official name of the city on Hong Kong Island.

In these same years he helped pioneer the setting up of the Hong Kong Sports Association which was to be the organizing and coordinating body for all Inter-School sports competitions. This Association has now grown into a massive body comprising 1,083 schools, catering to 126,812 students and coordinating 36 sports. Brother Cronan himself became the chairman of the Hong Kong Schools Sports Football Competitions, the most popular of all Inter-School sports. Such Inter-School games can be very competitive and rouse the passions at times. Brother Cronan, on more than one occasion, had to mediate in disputes but in the end calm was usually restored. Those ten years in St Joseph’s were perhaps the most exciting and fulfilling in his career.

By contrast his next appointment was back to the relative tranquility of St George’s Institution, Taiping. An interesting scouting event is recorded in one of the Brothers’ publications at the time. “One fine afternoon during Scout Week, Taiping awoke from siesta to see some 200 scouts on bicycles parading round the town. It was the brilliant idea of our new Scouter-in-charge, Brother Cronan, who wanted a show of strength of Scouting in St George’s.” He was determined to fly the scouting flag high.

Three years later, he was appointed headmaster of La Salle School in Petaling Jaya, a growing satellite town of Kuala Lumpur. At first he was in charge of the Primary school and then, in 1962, of the Secondary school as well. It was a challenging task because he had to commute from the city every day. The school was still in its infancy and there were few facilities and little or no money to hand. The school field was not properly turfed and former pupils recall spending PE lessons clearing the field of stones and weeds. Brother Cronan made good progress, wooing parents and well-wishers who would later became a potent force in helping La Salle Petaling Jaya become one of the best schools in the state.

In 1963, Brother Cronan set up a Scout Troop in the school with an enrollment of 80 cubs, 64 scouts, 22 senior scouts and he himself was GSM. After only one year the Troop received an award for collecting the highest amount for the Petaling Jaya Job Week. The Scout troop thrived and many more awards were to come. We know that acorns grow into mighty trees. It can be truly said that the scout acorn that Brother Cronan sowed in La Salle has spread its branches all over Petaling Jaya.

During these years many will remember him as the organizer in chief of interesting programmes for the Brothers who gathered on Penang Hill or the Cameron Highlands for their summer breaks. He seemed to have a natural aptitude for setting up games competitions and, on one memorable occasion, even managed to organize a fancy dress parade. In these ways he played his part in the bonding of the Brothers.

From 1965 to 1969 he was sent to help Brother Robert O’Sullivan in a Lasallian school in Muar, a pretty lonely outpost, far from the excitement and activity he was used to. He therefore much appreciated going to the Brothers’ Community in Malacca for the weekends.

Perhaps these were the most challenging three years of his career and he was therefore overjoyed when he received the news of his transfer back to Hong Kong, to the newly opened school and community of Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College, Kowloon. Much work had to be done to get the school ready for the first intake in September. When school did open Brother Cronan, in addition to his class-work, took charge of the school prefects. Under his direction they were of great assistance in maintaining good school discipline. Always ready to lend a helping hand, he next took charge of the school library as well as organizing the school Scout Troop and becoming the first scout leader of the 205th Kowloon Scout Group. In 1974, he was also presented with the Chief Scout’s Award by the District Commissioner.

The four pioneer Brothers in the Community were Herman Fenton, Eugene Sharkey, Paul Hackett and Cronan. Brother Herman was Director and he asked Brother Cronan to attend to all that was necessary for furnishing the Community quarters. He took this responsibility seriously and chose durable but elegant furniture. He took particular interest in the chapel and bought beautiful vestments. He always had a deep interest in everything connected with liturgy such as decoration of the altar and looking after the altar servers and this interest stayed with him to the end. In September 1970, Brother Eugene Sharkey was appointed Principal of the College. Brother Cronan was somewhat worried that Eugene took the post too seriously such that his health gave cause for concern. Fortunately things took a turn for the better and Eugene was able to leave hospital and take over the reins.

In 1974 Brother Cronan was transferred to St Joseph’s College where he had first started his teaching career and where he was destined to end his days. He continued to teach and to help out in both scouting and the library.  One student recalls: “Brother Cronan was the librarian and told me I could study and do my homework there after school. The library would not be closed until I had left for home in the evening. Brother Cronan was quite aware of my poor living conditions.” On reaching the age of sixty in 1975 he retired from full-time teaching but taught catechism in Forms 1 and 2 as well as in the parish.

Throughout life he had a warm regard for his pupils and related pleasantly with parents, two very Lasallian characteristics. He took his religious duties seriously and could be relied upon to be at prayer at prescribed times.  His piety was unostentatious and he seemed to be at home in the chapel. He has left a fine example of dedication to the training of youth and of devotion to duty.

Although he had had somewhat indifferent health for some time, his general condition did not raise undue alarm. He had been hospitalized a few times but never for long periods. The Brothers of St Joseph’s were therefore taken aback by the speed of the final days. This is how they were described by the Director, Brother Patrick Tierney:

“On the morning of the 3rd November he was up as usual for Morning Prayer and indeed we remarked afterwards that Brother Cronan seemed to be in stronger voice than usual. Mid morning, however, he was asking to see the doctor, who, when eventually contacted, advised that he be sent to St Paul’s Hospital by ambulance. The ambulance took him off before noon, accompanied by Brother Brendan Dunne. Brother Cronan had to be given oxygen in the ambulance and Brother Brendan said he was failing fast en route. He lapsed into a sort of coma on arrival, was pumped and injected into the heart and placed in the ICU where he lingered for a few hours until about 3.00pm. He did not recognize anybody during that period. The doctor and the Sisters said he could not have suffered much pain.” He had succumbed to a heart attack and died peacefully, fortified with the rites of the Church.

The burial took place on the 5th November in the Catholic cemetery in Happy Valley with many Brothers and friends attending. One Brother noticed that there was a group of students from St Joseph’s College each holding a small bunch of white flowers. They stood for a moment by the grave and then dropped the flowers on the coffin and went away. It was their small but eloquent tribute to a person who had spent his life with such dedication for the benefit of others.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 18 (October 2009)

Roland Perrier was born on the 8th November 1916 and baptized the day after. His place of birth was Moose Creek, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His parents were good practicing Catholics of French-Canadian stock and he was very attached to them. Later in life, he never failed to visit his family when the occasion arose.

After normal primary and secondary schooling, he went to work, mainly in clerical posts. Up to then he had never come in contact with the De La Salle Brothers but when he did he had what he described as a “conversion”. “God called me and I answered”, he said simply. This virtue of straightforwardness would remain with him all his life.

He made his Novitiate at Montreal in 1937. He would have been older and more mature than most of his fellow novices but that did not deter him. There followed the studies in the Scholasticate in 1938. One of his mentors at the time said of him: “He was always serious in purpose; it was one of his characteristics”. From 1939 to 1947 he was sent to teach in primary schools in Ottawa. When asked what subjects he taught at that time he replied, “I taught nearly everything”. One subject, however, gave him a distinct advantage. He was accomplished in instrumental music and was able to teach and lead school choirs.

Little did he realize that he was been ‘targeted’ by the superiors for a much wider mission, far from home. In 1947 he was asked to become part of a new Lasallian opening in China, this time in Beijing. In his customary straightforward fashion Brother Gilbert said yes. And so it was that on the 16th November 1947, together with three other Brothers, he arrived in Beijing. The Brothers had bought a house of studies there, called Benildus House. The new residents had a twofold aim: to study the Chinese language and to prepare for a Lasallian school mission in Beijing. Brother Gilbert was diligent in the study of the Chinese language.

All went smoothly at first and one photo shows the Brothers playing in the snow. One of Brother Gilbert’s companions at the time remarked that he “was very diligent in the study of Chinese language”. The honeymoon did not last long as China began to slide rapidly into chaos and social unrest. The communists were soon sweeping all before them and it was clear that they had set their sights on capturing Beijing. All missionaries were in danger and advised to leave and many who were able to move out did so. The Brothers were caught up in the general political and social unrest and reluctantly made preparations to flee. Six of them and one postulant made it to Hong Kong arriving on the 27th December 1948. 

A statement signed by the six Brothers soon after arriving in Hong Kong shows how reluctantly they made this enforced move and their fond hope of returning. The statement reads as follows:

“Providence has actually brought us to a place where we can perfect our knowledge of English, as well as Chinese, as we still hope to return to China one day as the Lord may determine in his hidden designs. Even as we rejoice in our security in Hong Kong, we do not forget China where the Church is undergoing a terrible trial”.

Brother Gilbert, now at the age of thirty-two, was assigned to St Joseph’s College and there he was to remain until his untimely death in 1977, almost 30 years of service. Over twenty of these years were spent teaching English, Religion, Music and French in the College before he was appointed Headmaster of St Joseph’s Primary School in 1971.

At first glance he seemed to be very serious and, in the good sense of the word, he was. His students, however, quickly broke through to the real man, kindly and caring. After class he would often be seen festooned by boys, laughing and joking. These were students he was preparing for public examinations. He managed to create a relaxed but productive atmosphere in class and there were no complaints. He took a deep interest in his pupils and in their studies and had a great influence over them. Later, many of them mentioned his evenness of temper and kindly disposition, an ideal temperament for teaching.

He possessed an extraordinary capacity for work. Besides full time teaching and extra mural lessons in Chinese at the University of Hong Kong, he directed the choir, played the organ, ran the Music Centre, took Catechism class to prepare boys for baptism, was spiritual director of the Legion of Mary and coordinated preparations for liturgical functions. There was more.

Music was a passion. At the time, it was not a strong element in school life and soon Brother Gilbert became the face of music in the school. He trained choirs and entered them in competitions. Every Christmas Eve he would gather a group of boys to sing Christmas Carols in various hospitals. He even brought them into a high security mental hospital where they received a wonderful ovation.

The Hong Kong Schools Music and Speech Association plays a prominent role in the cultural life of the territory. In 1949, soon after his arrival in Hong Kong, Brother Gilbert was appointed its Vice-President and Honorary Treasurer, positions he held to his death. The Association had been founded pre war and one of the founders was Brother Cassian. Since then it has expanded tremendously and schools of any standing in the territory participate in either the speech or music events or in both. This entails catering to thousands of entries for varied competitions in instrumental music, bands, choirs, prose and poetry readings, choral speaking and so on, truly a Herculean task. The following, in part, appeared in the South China Morning Post newspaper on the eve of Brother Gilbert’s funeral:
“Brother Gilbert was well known to generations of students and music-lovers in Hong Kong and was associated with the Festivals and the Association from very early days. His contribution to the work of the Association was beyond measure, and he will be missed by all who knew and worked with him”.

As if all this activity was not enough, he became involved with Church matters as an active participant in the Diocesan Convention of 1969-71. He was also a member of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission, the Diocesan Ecumenical Commission and the Diocesan Pastoral Council. He believed in keeping up to date with Church developments and was an avid reader of spiritual books. All this active involvement in school and church affairs involved attending numerous meetings. He never complained about this.

In his community of Brothers, he was not much of a man for small talk or gossip. He would, however, come to life if you brought up some of his favourite topics such as classical music, prayer or liturgy and on these he could discourse forever. He would also take great delight in telling an anecdote. The Brothers appreciated his solid presence, patience and faithful performance of his spiritual and educational duties. With Brother Gilbert, what you saw was what you got. One Brother had these memories:

“I first came to know Brother Gilbert almost seven years ago and during that time I cannot recall sharp words being exchanged between us, even once.
For four years I slept in the room next to him and I never needed an alarm clock as I could always be sure of hearing him at his ‘ablutions’ at 5.30a.m.
He was a man of solid piety, but there was nothing showy or sentimental in the way he led us in the religious exercises”.

St Joseph’s Primary School had existed from the early days but only at Primary 5 and 6 levels. A fully-fledged feeder Primary was established in 1968 consisting of 8 streams per level in two sessions, a large school indeed by any standards. In 1971 the Headmaster, Brother Lawrence Kelly, was reaching retirement. Brother Gilbert was selected for the task and it became his labour of love until his death. No doubt it brought him back in memory to his youthful teaching days in Ottawa.

The school could not have asked for a better Headmaster. Brother Gilbert set to with a will and the school became one of the leading and most sought after in the territory. His enlightened and sensible leadership and avuncular style appealed to staff, students and parents. His encouragement of all round development was particularly welcomed and the school turned out many who were to become notable personages. The Headmaster of the afternoon school and successor to Brother Gilbert, Mr. Y.C.Yung, had this to say:
“I was deeply impressed by his genuine love for children, his constant striving for improvement, his wisdom, his kindness and his humility. What else could we expect from an educationalist?” He introduced one little custom much appreciated by the staff. He would never forget their birthdays, offering them a birthday card and a little gift on the day. He could see things from macro and micro perspectives.

Prayer was the mainstay of his life. Daily meditation, recitation of the divine office, Mass and the rosary were prayed with attention and devotion. He served the Community by making and printing little prayer leaflets containing the references to the prayer of each day. He knew that vocations to the Institute were built on prayer. In a word, prayer was a serious matter, to be taken seriously.

Another subject he took seriously was music. If you stopped by his room for a chat he would, as often as not, be listening to music—classical music. He could sit and listen for hours. The great composers were his diet and he had a soft spot for Bach. The Thanksgiving Mass in the Cathedral in 1975, to mark the centenary of the arrival of the Brothers in Hong Kong, gave scope for some of Brother Gilberts’ liturgical and musical talents. He was in charge of the liturgical and musical proceedings and even of the reception after the Mass. The Choir of St Joseph’s Primary School sang the Mass of St Francis beautifully and Brother Gilbert sang the solo parts.

Brother Gilbert had suffered from a heart condition for some time. He had regular check-ups, however, and his general health gave no cause for alarm. On the 29th August 1977 he arrived back from home leave and complained of pain in the shoulders. The following morning he went back to work in the Primary school but saw his doctor that afternoon and got medication. The pains did not go away and he was persuaded to see the doctor again on Friday 2nd September and again got the all clear. That evening he did not seem unduly perturbed and retired to bed at his usual time.

The following day, Saturday 3rd, he had scheduled a staff meeting in the Primary school, located about two miles from the College. When he did not show up on time the College and Brothers were contacted. Fearing the worst, Brothers Patrick Tierney and Thomas Favier, accompanied by the school clerk John Chan, opened Brother Gilbert’s room door. They discovered him dead in bed. He had died during the night or morning of a massive stroke. His sudden passing came as a great shock to all.

Besides the Brothers, the first visitors to arrive were staff from St Joseph’s Primary School. Funeral arrangements were set in motion. The funeral Mass was celebrated in St Joseph’s Church on the 6th September followed by burial at St Michael’s Cemetery, Happy Valley.

The last word can go to Brother Gilbert himself. When asked in an interview if he had found fulfillment in his life as a Brother, he replied: “I have what I need. I have joy, the consolation that things have turned out well. I have the consolation that I have done the best I can, and the boys have done as well as they can”. Brother Gilbert certainly always gave of his best and he wanted his students to do the same.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 17 (September 2009)

A fine teacher, a bewitching storyteller, an intrepid hiker and collector of plants and flowers, a skilled sportsman, a gardener, a musician, singer, poet, and artist. And all of these skills pretty well self-taught.. Such was Brother Patricius.

He was born on the 1st November 1911 and the place of his birth may hold the key to some traits of his character. Young Patrick hailed from the Glen of Aherlow, one of Ireland’s most scenic, with fertile land and stunning views of not so distant mountains. Such a pleasant prospect was enough to stir the young artistic spirit.

His mother seems to have had a profound influence on him. Years later he wrote a poem entitled “Mum’s Rosary” which helps to capture some of the life and spirituality of family and home. Two of the verses go as follows:

‘She handed down our rosaries
And waved us to our knees,
And Heaven itself drew closer still
Above the wind-stirred trees.

Great was her faith in things divine,
Hell’s fires she did not fear;
For with her hand she touched God’s sky,
He was, she said, so near’.

No doubt his mother was instrumental in his decision to join the Brothers. But so too was his primary school teacher who knew the La Salle Brothers well and recommended Patrick to them. He left home in 1926, first for the Juniorate, then the Novitiate in 1928, followed by the Scholasticate, all located in Castletown, Co Laois, Ireland. The somewhat strict formation process was tempered with picnics, games, swims and farm-work. Patrick’s interest in poetry began in the Juniorate while ‘fooling in the back row composing funny rimes’ about his companions. He found this most entertaining. Later, he would receive a more formal training with the help of fellow poet, Brother Hugh Bates.

The call to the missions came early and in 1931, at the age of twenty, he was on his way in a group of four young Brothers, accompanied by Brother John Lynam. One of the young Brothers was called Hubert O’Leary and he and Patricius were posted to Hong Kong, the former to La Salle College and the latter to St Joseph’s College. Patricius became a good friend of Hubert, not least because ‘he had a lovely voice, and when he sang solo during midnight mass at Christmas, people kept looking back to see who was singing’.

At that time Brothers were frequently moved from one school to another and in 1933 Patricius was transferred to St Xavier’s Institution In Penang. Right from the start in Hong Kong he had displayed fine teaching qualities, including artistic blackboard work. In Penang he also loved to head for the hills and hike and swim. Penang hill in particular attracted him and he reveled in the jungle walks.

In 1937 he was transferred to Singapore, to the newly opened St Patrick’s School in Katong by the sea. He continued to enjoy his teaching as well as swims in the sea before another transfer across the city to the famed St Joseph’s Institution. Since the school was in the heart of the city, there was no shortage of heat, dust and noise. Rumours of a possible Japanese invasion were in full circulation and tension was rising. People wanted to believe that the British Empire could withstand all attacks and that “Fortress Singapore” was impregnable.

Brother Patricius kept a careful diary of events from 1940 to the end of the war. He describes in some detail the military preparations of the British, the daily propaganda through newspapers and radio, the surprise first air attack on Singapore which made short work of British delusions, the Japanese occupation, the decision of the Brothers to follow the Catholic bishop and community to the jungles of Malaya and what transpired there. These diaries were first written up using the title: “Under the Hinomaru” and more recently published in book form with the title: “Jungles are Never Neutral”.  Although in many ways a harrowing tale, Brother Patricius was somehow able to temper danger and death with light and laughter.

During the Japanese occupation of Singapore the work of the Brothers was badly disrupted. Those who were British citizens were interned in Changi Prison for the duration of the war. The others were asked to reopen St Joseph’s but to teach through Japanese which necessitated attending lessons in the afternoons. However, there was little stress on academic education and instead drills, singing Japanese songs and gardening were the order of the day. Then came the Japanese authorities’ persuasion to move the Catholic population to a jungle clearing called Bahau in Malaya and the Bishop’s and Brothers’ decision to go there. 

The jungle settlement had been painted in idyllic terms. A desolate wilderness of uprooted trees, surrounded by jungle, infested by mosquitoes and other pests, was the reality. Nevertheless, the Bishop and Brothers put heart into the weary settlers and they set to with a will, clearing the jungle bit by bit and planting vegetables. Brother Patricius of course put it all into verse. Here is a sample of what was endured:

With axe and parang, midst flame and smoke,
With muscle and brawn and blade,
Thro’ jungle and wood we hacked and hewed,
But the price supreme we paid.
All battered and bent, all tattered and rent,
All grimy and grim yet gay,
We sweated and slogged, we sweltered and sogged,
In the jungles of far Malaya.

The price paid was to their health. Malnutrition brought on dysentery, diarrhoea, beri-beri, tuberculosis etc…and the coffin makers and cemetery workers were kept busy. Two Brothers died of cerebral malaria while the rest emerged from the jungle looking like skeletons. Home leave and a good rest should have been the priority. Instead they focused on the school and the children and did Trojan work to get everything shipshape again. Fortunately, in 1947, the superiors insisted that home leave must be taken and Brother Patricius was at last able to renew acquaintance with his family and with the beautiful glen of Aherlow after an absence of sixteen years. He treasured that visit in his heart.

On his return later in 1947 he was posted to St Francis’ Institution, Malacca, where he served for some seven years. It was love at first sight. One of his students at the time gives us a good picture of the man and his times:
“He taught Scripture, English and Literature in the upper forms and adopted several ingenious methods of teaching never taught at teacher training colleges. His daily Literature lessons were unique, almost like getting a real stage performance, and he was able to rattle off by heart the lines of any of the characters. Brother Patricius was meticulous to the point of utter perfection as far as English Grammar was concerned.

He was a brilliant basketball player and coach and, in spite of his generous proportions, he was ‘Mr Twinkletoes’ on the court. He was also versatile enough to be able to strum a mandolin and on many an occasion he entertained the boarders to a tune or two in his own individual style”.

Brother Patricius’ next assignment was to St John’s Institution, Kuala Lumpur where he taught from 1955 to 1959 before been posted to Kota Kinabalu as headmaster of Sacred Heart Primary School. Never before had he been in charge of a school - and he made sure it never happened again! School administration and especially the bureaucracy entailed drove him up the wall. His heart was in the classroom and he had little patience with “filling forms”. 

He was the first De La Salle Brother to climb to the top of Mount Kinabalu which stands at 13,455 feet. Brother Frederick Lynch and himself made this four to five days trek and climb, staying in rock caves overnight in the freezing cold and in the company of rats that nibbled their ears. Safely back home, Brother Patricius wrote a play for his Primary school boys entitled, “Kinacu, the King of Kinabalu.” It won first prize at the inter –school Drama Festival.

How happy he was early in 1965 to be able to shake off the shackles of administration and return to the classroom, this time in St Joseph’s College, Hong Kong. And it was in Hong Kong that he would see out the rest of his years, thirty-seven in all. Apart from a few years in Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College Community, he would be attached to St Joseph’s College in the heart of Hong Kong Island.

His final ten years of teaching in St Joseph’s were full of interest and colour. As Brother Patrick Tierney recalls: “He taught English, Religious Studies and PE. His PE lessons were conducted from a chair in the yard! He used to bring his English compositions up to the roof garden in St Joseph’s. He would write STOP after the first paragraph either because the boy had made the wrong kind of mistakes or because he was itching to get at the flowers and plants. He did not have green fingers but the roof garden was his pride and joy. It was somewhat untamed and wild, a reflection perhaps of his personality. He was normally jolly and good-humoured, but if he thought a person or situation had gone too far, he could make his feelings known in no uncertain terms. Fortunately this happened rarely!”

Weekends and long holidays saw Patricius and his old companion of Bahau days, Brother Meldan, heading for the outdoors and tramping the hills and valleys of Hong Kong, on the lookout for unusual flora and fauna. On one walk they came across a dead man hanging from a tree. And of course they had numerous encounters with snakes. 

Patricius was now in the twilight of his teaching career and official retirement came in 1975 when he was sixty-four. He was to have a long retirement of twenty-seven years but had no problem putting his time to good use. Outdoors it would be either hiking or gardening; indoors it would be either artwork or composing poems. He had a passion for Celtic art and design and completed hundreds of sheets of illuminated manuscript of religious texts. The Brothers quietly lamented that such beautiful work was being done on less than quality paper. His magnum opus is entitled ‘Laudate Dominum’- Praise the Lord, a massive, illustrated tome containing the Mass Liturgy, Psalms and Canticles and other religious prayers. At times the hand is shaky but overall it’s a lovely piece of work by a man in his eighties.

He also wrote hundreds of poems at this time of his life, many deeply spiritual, many in praise of nature and several recalling old times. In a nice touch, students from all Lasallian schools in Hong Kong illustrated selected poems as a tribute to the poet and an inspiration to readers. Brother Patricius himself once wrote to a fellow poet: ‘Strange! Strange! How a poem can show a different face when read at different times.’ Poetry lovers will know how to relate to this thought.

As a member of St Joseph’s Community, Patricius was the unofficial guest-master. He was very welcoming and entertaining. As his Director, Brother Alphonsus Breen, recalls: “He had a fund of stories and a great memory for songs and recitations of bygone days and he could render these in fine style to the admiration and appreciation of his audience.”

The Brothers hardly noticed that age was creeping up on him. Apart from some trouble with one leg, he had always enjoyed robust health and loved mountain climbing. It came as somewhat of a shock, therefore, when he suffered two strokes in the year 2000. He soon lost the ability to walk or talk and became bedridden. The old leg complaint came against him and amputation followed. It was sad to see him so helpless, he who always had been so lively. Most of the last two years of his life was spent in the St Joseph’s Home for the Aged, run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, in Kowloon. Here he was treated like one of the family.

Brother Patricius died peacefully on the morning of the 8th September and the funeral Mass was held on the 11th. The Mass was celebrated by Fr Patrick Sun, an old boy of St Joseph’s, together with Bishop Joseph Zen and Fr Garaventa, PIME. Students from St Joseph’s College took care of the choir and serving. Brother Thomas Favier welcomed the congregation and Brother Patrick Tierney gave the homily. Brother Patricius was laid to rest in St Michael’s Cemetery, Happy Valley, where a large number of students and friends paid their respects.

We can leave the final words to Brother Thomas Favier who had lived in community with Pat since his arrival in 1985:
‘Brother Pat’s life was long, blessed and fruitful. Those privileged to know him will appreciate his many natural talents, his devotion to God and to Mary, his love of nature, his single-minded dedication to his work and interests, his love of life and his cheerful smiling welcome. Above all we appreciate his ever-present optimism and the respect that was part of his nature. We pray in the language that he loved ‘Go ndeana Dia trocaire ar a anam’.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 16 (August 2009)

Ireland is divided into four provinces namely, Munster, Leinster, Connaught and Ulster. The province of Ulster, in the north, is special in the sense that six of its nine counties are under British jurisdiction. Brother Meldan was born in County Monaghan, one of the three counties in the Republic of Ireland. He remained a staunch Ulster man and Monaghan man all his life.

He was born on the 5th January 1915 in the well-kept, picturesque village of Emyvale, the sixth in a family of seven, six boys and one girl. He was called James Myles at baptism. His mother died when he was three and his father when he was eleven, leaving the eldest brother, Johnny, then twenty-six, to look after the family.

The young James did well at school and he had high regard for his teachers. Nationalist feelings ran high at the time and James was happy to join a local band which played Irish traditional music. He played the flute and it became a constant companion throughout his life.

One day his school had a visit from the McKenna brothers, three of whom were De La Salle Brothers. They opened up the prospect of a career as a teaching Brother. James felt inspired to volunteer and he left home in August 1930 to join the Brothers’ formation school in Castletown, County Laois. He had little interest in games preferring instead to delve into history, politics and mathematics as well as playing the flute at concerts.

On the 13th June 1931, he entered the Novitiate for a year’s training in the spiritual way of life at the end of which he took his first vows, received the religious name of Meldan and then left for Kilmacow for further studies with a view to admission to Teacher Training College.

Suddenly the even tenor of life was broken with the visit of Brother Marcian Cullen who made an urgent appeal for volunteers for the missions. Brother Meldan was one of those who volunteered and was accepted. At the age of eighteen he, together with other missionary volunteers, was on his way to Paris and then Marseilles. He wrote to his family back home: “We had a lovely time in France and were treated very kindly by the Brothers everywhere we went”. He was not to see his family again for another thirteen years. The group boarded a ship on the 24th May 1933. After a long, hot, steamy passage the ship eventually docked at Penang on the 26th June. A few days later Brother Meldan was assigned to Burma and arrived in Rangoon on the 11th July.

In Burma he was first assigned to St Patrick’s High School, Moulmein and he was to do two terms there. Like all young Brothers, Meldan from the first moment was in love with Burma and its people, the land of pagodas and saffron-robed monks. At first all went well but shortly the dreaded TB virus struck and, after medical checks, he was sent to St Peter’s High School, Mandalay. Here the climate was much more conducive, and together with the help of a dozen raw eggs daily, prescribed by the doctor, he gradually shook off the virus. He himself was convinced that it was playing the flute that cured him, as this entailed a lot of deep breathing. He loved the city of Mandalay, with its rich history, and was happy with his teaching duties. The brush with TB, however, made him very conscious of his health and the threat of TB would always be with him.

In 1937 Japan invaded China and in moving westwards Burma felt threatened. Brother Visitor felt that the young Brothers in Burma were at risk. In 1940 Meldan was transferred to Malaysia. He did not like leaving Burma and was not long teaching in his new environment in St Xavier’s Penang when he was found to be suffering again from TB. He had to leave class and was confined to a secluded room for six months.

The Japanese invasion of Malaysia began on the 8th December 1941 and in late November 1942 Meldan moved to St Paul’s Seremban. The school had reopened as a Japanese technical school and Meldan joined the other Brothers in learning Japanese. A competence in the language meant an increase in salary beyond the pitiful living allowance of $80.00 a month. In January 1944 a Japanese headmaster took over and non-Asians were removed from the staff. Five Brothers, including Meldan, had little choice but to join the Singapore Brothers in the jungle settlement at Bahau, some thirty miles away. This would be Meldan’s “home” for the next 20 months.

And what a home it proved to be. Life was tough and food scarce and residents were cut off from news of the outside world. Brother Meldan joined the workforce, growing tobacco, peanuts and pumpkins as well as doing some cooking. But the soil was giving out and there was a poor return for their labour.  Worst of all, a virulent strain of the dreaded malaria struck. 

Brother Philip O’Callaghan wrote: “Every single Brother was laid low with malaria except Meldan. In spite of the tropical heat and hard work he always wore football socks into which he tucked his trousers. Similarly his arms were wrapped in old stockings and he wore a baraclava type covering on his head. Mosquitoes could never penetrate such defences”. As an added precaution he smoked whatever was available, from cigarettes to Indian cheroots. Two Brothers, however, close friends of Brother Meldan, succumbed to the disease and died. They had contracted cerebral malaria. Their deaths greatly upset all the Brothers and Brother Meldan would often recall those tragic events.

When the war ended he was recalled to his Community in Seremban where normal schooling was resumed as quickly as possible. He was allowed a much-appreciated home visit in 1947, his first since 1933, and then he proceeded to University College Dublin where he took an Honours BA in History and Political Theory, his favourite subjects. Following a holiday home he was happy to be on his way once again to Singapore, arriving there in December 1950.

He was given a Pre-University class at the well-known St Joseph’s Institution and was assigned to teach Economics, General Paper and Geography. He taught his charges thoroughly and well. He helped order a whole new arts library, one of the best in Singapore. He was also asked and agreed to teach English in the Teachers’ Training College and did so with much success.

After two years in Singapore Brother Meldan was transferred to St Michael’s Institution, Ipoh. The school was about to open a new sixth form and Brother Meldan was the man for the job. Here he laid the foundations for an excellent tradition. In Ipoh he also found time to indulge one of his favourite hobbies, walking, especially along the banks of the Kinta river which flowed by the school.

Meldan’s call to St Joseph’s College, Hong Kong, took place in 1956 and, apart from a brief interlude in Sabah, he was to stay there for almost thirty years. Again he set about organizing the Form 6 Arts Stream, which was then only in its infancy. This involved a lot of hard work and he was teaching subjects like Economics, Geography, History and Literature practically on his own, an almost impossible workload. After two or three years he opted to teach in the lower forms and made Form 3 in particular his stamping ground.

Meldan was terrific in school. Every lesson was prepared assiduously. Everything was thoroughly researched and written up before entering any class. He insisted on full attention and the students took their cue. Indeed, on his way to class, he could be heard intoning ”In the name of the Father…” before he even reached the door. This was probably to ensure quiet before his actual arrival. He detested bullies. Once he told us how he picked out one such, ‘the biggest fellow sitting at the back of the class,’ and had him on his knees crying for mercy! While the students had a healthy respect for his insistence on discipline, they thrived in the learning atmosphere he created and, not infrequently, succeeded in bringing out his human and humorous side.

For recreation he indulged in his great hobby, walking and collecting orchids along the streams of the Hong Kong and Kowloon hills. He knew the correct botanical name for each one. On occasions he would take a camera to photograph an exotic find. His faithful companion on these hikes was Brother Patricius O’Donovan who had also borne the burden of the heat and the day in the jungle at Bahau.

Throughout much of his life Brother Meldan was plagued with sickness of one kind or another. He would often refer to himself as “a sick man”. He had more or less weathered the TB storm and malaria. But now two new monsters raised their ugly heads in the forms of pernicious anaemia, an enervating ailment, and insomnia, which, he admitted, almost drove him mad. In 1967, a short stint in hot and humid Sabah did not help matters. He returned to Hong Kong in November of the same year, looking as white as a sheet. This was followed by hospitalization, the opening of a hole in his throat, medication and injections for nerves and anaemia.

Sometimes his sickness complaints had a humorous side. There was the occasion of a visit by a priest. When the priest shook his hand and remarked: “Hello Meldan, your hands are lovely and warm”! Back came the response: “They’re warm on the outside but cold inside”!

In retirement he was not at all idle. He kept himself busy checking District records and updating information on the lives of deceased Brothers associated with the District of Penang. He read a lot and gathered a goodly collection of books and Lasallian heritage materials in his room. The Brothers regarded him as their Hong Kong Lasallian archivist.

Although he visited Ireland and home a few times, it was not until June 1985 that he eventually decided to settle into the Holy Family Community in Castletown. Here he improved a lot and enjoyed many years of reasonably good health. One of his Directors at the time, Brother Albert Tierney, had this to say: “Meldan was a great conversationalist, great raconteur. He had an encyclopedic memory for Northern Ireland. Truly he loved his native land”. He was able to visit his family about once a year. He would also recall stories of his youthful days in Burma, the place where he made his final profession in 1938. 

Although keeping reasonably well health-wise, a serious attack of shingles at Easter 1993 greatly weakened him and he admitted it shook him to his foundations. He began to decline after that and by 1995 was confined to a wheelchair and paralysed from the waist down. Brother Patrick Tierney writes: “I visited him twice just before his death. The first visit, about a week before the end, was sad because he was in and out of awareness. But at least he recognized me and spoke a little about Hong Kong. At the second visit a few days before the end, he was unaware of his surroundings.”

He passed away on the 16th August 1995 at Miguel House, Castletown. Brother James Dooley gave the homily and spoke of “a man who deeply loved his family and friends and country, a man of great loyalty to his Institute, and with a deep love of God and his Blessed Mother”. The funeral was large, attended by the Brothers, relatives and a huge contingent of neighbours.

Brother Philip O’Callaghan, an old friend of Meldan, paid tribute to him in a poem entitled ‘Remembering Meldan’:

Death did smile - an incongruous thing!
Yet death did smile!
For here was a soul crossing the Styx
With wealth aplenty and more the while
Leaving behind a legacy - a matrix
Of memories in kindly words, concerns, fidelities – a profile
Insuring death hath lost its sting –
E’en more – more to pay the crossing toll
And jump the queue at heaven’s gate.
For he hath brought through earthly fires – gold
Purified by suffering kindled – prayer intense;
Myrrhed humility – an approaching state
To Godhead, imaged in human experience.

Others had this to say:

“In his best teaching days few equalled him for excellence and perfection in detail; everything was thoroughly researched and written up before entering any class. He always insisted on full attention from the students and in the interests of their survival they soon learned to co-operate”.

“He was very close to nature and adored flowers. His life was a continuous celebration of God’s gifts and he asked during his final illness that there be no crying or mourning at his death, rather merriment and celebration.”
 

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 15 (June 2009)

When we look at a photograph of a youthful Brother Felix, we may note how tall he is, as well as his shock of beautiful, curly hair. In some photos we may also detect a twinkle in his eye, and that would be telling.

He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and given the baptismal name Denis. During his childhood the family moved to Bruff, County Limerick, and it was here he went to school and grew up. The school was run by the De La Salle Brothers. He was the only boy in a family of six and he remained very attached to his family. From an early age he displayed that lovely mix of good humour and seriousness that stayed with him all his life. Oh yes, he could be serious, but he never took himself too seriously. And that trait carried him far.

The Brothers who taught him at school had a great influence on him and he preferred their way of life to that of the priesthood. Shortly after Christmas 1930 he decided to head for the Brothers’ Novitiate in Castletown. The Novitiate at the time was a year of tough spiritual formation. He “survived”, took the Brothers’ Habit on the 1st February 1931, and received the name Brother Felix Lawrence.

A sense of youthful adventure must have been in his bones because soon after the Novitiate, at the age of twenty, he volunteered for the missions in the Far East. His first teaching missionary experience was in Malaysia, first in Taiping and then in Penang, from 1932 to 1936. Teaching all day in the tropical heat was no joke but Felix made the best of it. During school holidays the Brothers would assemble on Penang Hill and Brother Felix was in his element. For recreation he introduced sing-song sessions. He had a good singing voice and a wide repertoire of attractive Irish songs.

Just as he was acclimatizing to the Malaysian setting he was transferred to Hong Kong which was to be the scene of most of his labours for the rest of his life. He arrived at St Joseph’s College on the 8th December 1936 and taught at Matriculation level until war broke out. One of the students at the time was Henry Pang who later became a Brother. He recalls:
“Young Brothers were in the majority and there was enough of them to make two noisy football or basketball teams.” He remembered “their hearty laughter and cheerful way of life” and says this is what first attracted him to the Brothers. Although Brother Felix was not regarded as a sporty type, he was in fact teacher in charge of the College football team at the time, and a good team it was too.

But happy days were soon to end as the dark clouds of war were gathering. The bombs rained down on the 8th December 1941 and by Christmas the Japanese military was in control. They commandeered many schools, including St Joseph’s and La Salle. St Joseph’s, among other things, was used as a military store. Brother Felix and some other Brothers were kindly given refuge for a time by the Jesuit Fathers in Robinson Road.

The Brothers came to the decision that while a few would remain in Hong Kong, the remainder would move to neutral territory where they might also be able to exercise their teaching skills. One migrating group was led by Brother Aimar while Brother Felix and Brother Michael Curtin went together. In January 1942 they decided to head for China via Macau and set sail for Kwong Chao Wan on an extremely crowded ship. Kwong Chao Wan (a French colony from 1898-1943) was often used as a stopover on an escape route for civilians fleeing Hong Kong and trying to make their way to Free China. There the Brothers soon ran out of money and gladly accepted the offer by a friendly Norwegian ship’s captain of free passage to Haiphong, a port on the Gulf of Tonkin in North Vietnam, where they were warmly received by the Vietnamese and French Brothers.

We think Brother Felix might not have been too homesick in Vietnam because he soon met some of his old Hong Kong confreres such as Brothers Honorius, Basilian and Wilfrid. They were working in the large Lasallian school in Taberd, Saigon. Without delay Felix got down to the study of French and reached the enviable standard of being allowed to read the Lives of the Saints in the dining room. But the main work assigned to Felix and his English-speaking companions was to teach the English language to the young Vietnamese Brothers and to the students. There was one potentially dark spot on the horizon for Brother Felix. He was admitted to Saigon hospital for a stomach operation and his stomach never forgot it. It was later discovered that he already had an operation for appendix in the 30’s in Penang. 

The end of war in 1945 brought blessings to many. Brother Felix had not been home to see his family for fourteen years. In 1946 he managed to get on a ship for England and thence to Ireland. He was malaria-ridden, undernourished and pestered with that niggling stomach ailment. His superiors allowed him a good rest at home followed by a degree course at University College Dublin, where he graduated majoring with a B.A. in History.

1949 saw him returning East, doing a short stint in Kuching, East Malaysia, before returning to Hong Kong where he felt most at home. He taught first in St Joseph’s College from 1950 to 1955. One of the students at the time remembers how he always whistled when he walked and had a spring in his step. He brooked no nonsense in class, however. After his term in St Joseph’s he was asked to go to Rome for the second Novitiate. This does not mean that there was a problem with his making of the “first” Novitiate! Rather, it was a sign that the Superiors were preparing him for greater responsibility. Sure enough, soon after his return in 1956, he was assigned as Director of La Salle College, Kowloon, in succession to Brother Patrick Toner.

As the new Director, Brother Felix moved fast. The school at this time was “in exile” in “temporary” wooden huts erected by the British Army. Brother Felix did not let this deter him. He was an energetic headmaster and kept teachers and students on their toes with frequent class visits and checking of exercise books. He introduced a number of changes during his tenure including the wearing of a mandatory student uniform, the establishment of a new prefect system and student council and the giving of spiritual talks during assemblies. Nevertheless, it was his battle with the British Army to secure the release of the original La Salle College building that marked him out. It took years of negotiations, delicate and not so delicate at times, with the matter being brought up regularly in the House of Commons, before Brother Felix could at last take possession of the old school. For this achievement, some people salute the courage, stamina and fighting spirit of the Irishman in him. When he got the bit between his teeth he would not let go too easily.

On the 1st August 1959, the Army finally derequisitioned the building after a ten-year occupation. The official handover took place on the 21st August. What a sight met the eyes of the Brothers! After ten years of military occupation the grand buildings and grounds were in a shambles. Undeterred, Brother Felix set about the rehabilitation work. For a whole year a firm called Hsin Hang did some restoration and a great deal of patchwork. It was all they could do. It was somewhat akin to cosmetic surgery and the building never fully recaptured its pristine beauty and grandeur. The school playfield gave the most trouble. Solidly built concrete Nissen huts had to be pulled down and cement foundations removed. But school morale was high under Brother Felix and spiritual, academic, sporting, musical and scouting activities kept ticking over nicely. Staff and students were simply glad to be “home”.

Brother Felix himself had an interesting “take” on the growth of extra-curricular activities, especially since some thought they hindered academic progress. In his Speech Day address of 1963 he had this to say:
“No wonder a despairing teacher intent on getting his class through the syllabus of studies, opined that the device on our school crest, ‘Fides et Opera’, should be translated ‘fiddles and operas’. Yet all this hubbub not only prevents Jack from becoming a dull boy but gives scope to that initiative, sociability and qualities of leadership that distinguish the La Salle boy”.

Mention of Speech Day calls to mind an interesting episode. Students have an uncanny knack of being able to “read” their headmasters and teachers. It was the custom on Speech Days for the Head Boy or Prefect to request the Guest of Honour for a school holiday. The Guest would invariably look to the Principal for a nod of approval. On one memorable occasion, the Head Boy had the extraordinarily creative idea of asking for two holidays! The Guest looked at Brother Felix who, though flabbergasted, had the graciousness to consent. That Head Boy had certainly “read” his headmaster.

One outstanding trait of Brother Felix was his sympathy for the poor, the needy, the handicapped and all those in straitened circumstances. And so it was that he granted no-cost school quarters to the janitors and no-interest loans to needy teachers. Brother Paul Sun, Superior General of the Disciples of the Sacred Heart, also benefited from Felix’s determination to encourage others. He helped and supported Brother Sun in the setting up of St Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese Primary School in 1958 and later, in 1968, of the St Joseph’s Secondary School. Brother Felix sent Brother Anthony Knoll there to teach and to act as adviser and supervisor for three years until the school was on a firm footing.

Another big venture of Brother Felix in his efforts to help the disadvantaged was the successful opening of a new school in the New Territories, close to the China border. This was De La Salle Secondary School, Fanling, which opened its doors in 1965 for boys who would otherwise have little chance of receiving a quality education. The pioneer Community consisted of Brothers Felix, Paul O’Connell, Hubert Pilz and Pius Kelly. Now Brother Felix was by no means a linguist. However, he was determined to learn Chinese or at least enough to give a speech at the opening of the new school. Brother Henry Pang coached him to perfection. The great day came. Brother Felix started the speech all right, and then, amidst rising expectations, stalled. There was a long silence. Felix then had the presence of mind to bow graciously and sit down to loud applause. When asked later what had happened, he said he had had a total black out! 

Brother Felix ran a good, happy school in Fanling. One old boy often recalls how Brother Felix “saved” him as he had been quite naughty. One day Felix had approached him and told him in no uncertain terms how he would end up if he did not mend his ways. That was the turning point for the boy. After completing two terms as Director of De La Salle Secondary, Felix returned to La Salle College and humbly taught as directed until his retirement in 1981. But he was not yet content to hang up his boots and, at the request of an old boy, offered his services at the Hang Seng College of Commerce. He enjoyed teaching there and helping out with the Debating Society until December 1984.

During all this time and despite indifferent health, Brother Felix never lost that twinkle in his eye or the joy of playing a good practical joke. Brother Patrick Tierney recalls visiting La Salle from St Joseph’s College. Suddenly he heard someone singing a beautiful Irish song. On turning, there was Brother Felix approaching, apparently in good voice, a bit too good he felt. Sure enough, Brother Felix was found to be carrying a small cassette player behind his back!

The old stomach complaint was surfacing more and more. However, Brother Felix was not finished yet. In December 1984 he volunteered to go to help the Vietnamese refugees at the Brothers’ Centre in Oxford. He was surely remembering the war years when he too was a refugee and had been welcomed and given shelter and work in Vietnam. But his health now deteriorated rapidly. Early in the Summer of 1985 he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He received the news with resignation. The Brothers in England gave him unstinted care until he decided to return to the Brothers’ nursing home in Ireland, called Miguel House. This was in December 1986.

For the last six months of his life he suffered much pain. Pain-killers brought temporary relief. His morale was boosted by the number of visitors, letters, cards, telegrams and flowers he received from all over the world, but especially from Hong Kong. Two of his sisters kept vigil at his bedside. One of them, Sister Joseph Marie, writes: 
“I will never forget the care and kindness shown to Felix in Castletown. The constant attention of the nursing sisters to his every need and the devoted care of Brother Pius McCarthy is something we will never forget.
As we said the Rosary, we could see Felix saying the Hail Mary’s with us. He looked around at everyone, as if to thank us, then quietly went to God”.

Brother Henry Pang writes a lovely epitaph for Brother Felix. He recalled the words of Father James Lea, one time Chaplain of La Salle College, who used to occupy a room at the main entrance of the old College. Father Lea said that “very often, people looking for Brother Felix would come up to knock and when he came to the door they would ask him if he were Brother Felix. He would answer simply, ‘I am not. I live down here. But Brother Felix is upstairs’. Brother Henry Pang adds: “If I had to write the epitaph of Brother Felix today, I would simply say, ‘BRO FELIX IS NOT HERE. HE IS UPSTAIRS’.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 14 (May 2009)

For a man so small in stature, Brother Henry packed a big punch. We are fortunate that he left us many first hand accounts of his life and times which makes any attempt at a life sketch that much easier. Here goes.
Brother Henry Pang was born on the 14th April 1920 into a long-established Hakka family in the city of Haifeng, China, where his father was mayor. His father was a man of great compassion and understanding and, though not yet a Catholic, worked closely with the parish priest, Fr Henry Valtorta. 

Brother Henry highlights two aspects of his childhood:
“We were fortunate to inherit a tremendous respect and love for learning. Even more, we valued respect for the individual. I remember my mother repeatedly reminding me that I ought to say thank you for every little favour and service rendered.”

The 1920’s was a time of turmoil in China. In 1929, Brother Henry’s uncle, Peng Pai (彭湃), who had led a peasant movement against the warlords, was executed by the forces of Chiang Kai Shek. His father was also targeted but he managed to make it to Hong Kong with his family. They discovered that Fr Valtorta was now Bishop of Hong Kong. Here is Brother Henry’s account of the family baptism:

“I was baptized by Bishop Valtorta himself, on Christmas Day 1931, in the Hong Kong Cathedral. On that day my father, my elder brother and myself - all three of us - received the name Henry. We were named after the Bishop, who gave us no choice. My mother was named Elizabeth after the Bishop’s mother”! Brother Henry was then eleven years old.

The Brother Director of St Joseph’s College at the time was Matthias Linehan and, on the recommendation of the Bishop, he employed Brother Henry’s father as a teacher of Chinese. 

Both Brothers Henry Pang and Anthony Cheung first attended St. Joseph’s College, which became the seed ground of their vocation.

Brother Henry singles out one teacher in particular as being the main influence in his decision to join the Brothers:
“His son, Anthony Cheung, was going to the Brother’s Novitiate in Penang and he said to me, “How about it. Will you go together with Anthony”? This good man, Benedict Cheung, also helped me secure my father’s permission to leave home. In April 1937 I left for Penang. Since that time I have always been considered as a member of the Cheung family”.

While still in the Juniorate Henry wrote a personal letter to the Bishop of Hong Kong and had this to say: “I am still a junior novice. I am as happy as ever in God’s service and I will try my best to become a good Brother of the Christian Schools so that I may procure God’s glory and the salvation of souls.” Brother Henry joined the Novitiate in September 1939, just as the world was going to war. He spent some five years as a student Brother, prolonged because of the Japanese occupation. He had also to spend quite some time in hospital because of tuberculosis. Together with other Brothers he studied Japanese and for over a year had to teach through this medium. Henry was a good student and later took Japanese as part of his degree. In order to survive the war years he had to do some farming and fishing, tapioca and maize supplementing the meagre ration of rice.

The Japanese surrender in 1945 brought a huge sigh of relief and the Brothers were immediately sent to reopen various schools. Brother Henry was sent to St George’s School, Taiping, Malaysia. He recalls: “ I spent nine very happy years of my life in St George’s School, and even now any news, article or photo of the school awakens happy memories of those activity-filled days of 1945-54”. It was in Taiping that he learned good schoolmanship from three excellent headmasters, Brothers Denis Hyland, Casimir L’Angelier and Alban Rozario.

Those were hectic days. Each teacher had 42 periods a week. There were no free periods. Brother Henry proved to be a conscientious and capable teacher. In addition to the regular subjects, he taught Latin and Mandarin. In his limited free time he started to study Mandarin seriously, fitting in an hour’s tuition every afternoon. In general he promoted Chinese culture in the school, preparing items for the annual concerts. He also promoted scouting and this was to be a lifelong interest.

His busy and fulfilling life in Taiping came to an end in 1954 when he was recalled to Hong Kong in view of starting La Salle Primary School in Kowloon. He proved to be the right choice. After detailed preparations, La Salle Primary opened its doors on the 2nd September 1957, with 425 students in 10 classes. Brother Henry was to be the school’s guiding light until his retirement in 1984 when there were 36 classes in two sessions. Even before the opening of the school he had equipped himself with a degree from London University, taking Mandarin and Classical Japanese.

He worked hard for excellence, supervising school extensions and conversions. The library was a little beauty and fully utilized while the carpeted room called “Storyland” was his pride and joy. A football field, swimming pool and hall were also built and well used. The school orchestra and cub scouts were always supported. He shaped his teachers into responsible and conscientious educators. As to academics, here is a sharing from an old boy:
“In 1960, La Salle Primary secured 2 Grantham scholarships and 25 Government scholarships out of 150, a sixth of the total. That made Brother Henry the envy of all school headmasters and parents alike, so much so that it was jokingly remarked that he had a hand in setting the questions and marking the papers. The record was never broken”.

Of all the outstanding alumni of La Salle Primary School, perhaps the towering figure of Bruce Lee stands out. The 11 year old was a dynamo from the start. “He was quite a bundle,” said Brother Henry. “To get him to learn it was necessary to totally work off his energy. So as soon as he walked into the classroom I would have him cleaning the blackboard, opening the windows, fetching the registers and running messages. He was quite a boy. He left a deep impression on me.”

Brother Henry had a good understanding of children and he knew that they loved animals, fish and birds. So he built an Indoor Aquarium, an Open Air Aviary and a miniature Zoo in the school. These and many other innovative projects made the children feel their school was their second home. Perhaps that is why Brother Henry did not see himself as a disciplinarian. “I would rather have children learn through love and respect than the rod and fear. Students should be encouraged and allowed to excel. It is important that they are not made to feel inferior in any way. In the long run in life it is confidence that matters, not how much you know. The only complaint from parents, teachers and janitors was that I never punished anybody and allowed the children too much freedom and liberty – I was spoiling them.”

The 1960’s, however, were by no means a bed of roses for Brother Henry. In June 1966 there was a fierce downpour and the school’s granite retaining wall collapsed. Six people were killed and sixteen were injured. An inquest into the incident returned a verdict of accidental death. The verdict may have been a relief for Brother Henry but there is little doubt that the incident affected him deeply. Around the same time, six of his relatives in China fell victim to the atrocities of the cultural revolution. It was not a time for feet of clay.

By the 1970’s Brother Henry was something of a respected public figure with a growing number of professional commitments. He was involved in the organizing of several seminars to help teachers become more socially aware, to relate the classroom to life. He himself was invited as guest speaker at many educational functions. Meanwhile, in La Salle Primary itself, the annual Christmas concerts ran for 3 nights to packed houses. In these ways the profile of the school was further raised. It was not surprising that Brother Henry himself had become an institution.

Recognition from abroad was not lacking. The Board of Trustees of De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines, awarded him the “Signum Fidei” Medal at the Commencement Exercise on 17th June 1979. This award is conferred by the University on individuals who have accomplished outstanding work in their respective fields of endeavour. The citation, etched on a bronze plaque, was read at the Conferment Ceremony and called Brother Henry Pang a Beloved Headmaster, Educational Innovator, Dedicated Religious Teacher.

Brother Henry was a firm believer in school foreign exchange programmes. One such was to Japan, to “the Beavers of Ichikawa”, a football team of young boys. The underlining motive was to promote mutual understanding and work towards world peace. Here is an excerpt from Brother Henry’s account of one trip to Ichakawa which took place in April 1981, composed of 37 boys and 14 adults: “The three and a half hour journey to Tokyo was peaceful and uneventful except that, at the request of an American tour leader, we went to one section of the jumbo and sang to a group of about 100 travel-weary and homesick American tourists heading home to Texas. We started off with several folk songs like ‘The cuckoo and Cockles and Mussels’, but when we suddenly switched to a number of Japanese songs like ‘Haru-ga-kita, Fujisan and Sakura’, all the Japanese passengers suddenly woke up and began to clap. Some got so enthusiastic that they joined in vociferously. This impromptu concert on the plane will always be remembered by these little fellows as a great and unique experience.” Unique indeed. It is almost unimaginable for something like this to happen today!

When it came to his own recollections in the tranquility of retirement, Brother Henry had this to say: “In all my 50 years I have yet to come across a bad boy. I have had students ranging from slow or average to bright and brilliant and lots of geniuses. For all of them, I believe in laying as deep and broad a foundation as possible, not looking at the boy today but the man tomorrow.”

Early on the morning of 6th September 1982 he received a phone call from his native city of Haifeng telling him that his mother, now ninety-one, was very ill. Taking the Blessed Sacrament with him, he caught the first flight to Guangzhou and after a six hours dash by car was at her bedside. She could not talk but showed her delight especially when told about the Blessed Sacrament. She lived for another 3 days. Brother Henry often spoke movingly of this trip to see his dying mother.

Retirement from formal school responsibility arrived in 1984. Streams of visitors came to visit him and he joked, told stories and enjoyed conversation. He also remained faithful to his duties as spiritual director of the Mother of our Redeemer Praesidium. He always possessed a deep devotion to the Mother of God.

He now found time to indulge in a life-long aspiration, water-colours and calligraphy. He tells us:
“Ever since I began to scrawl as a child, I have always wanted to write, and at some stage to take up Calligraphy as a form of Art.
I thank God that after retirement I still find myself usefully and enjoyably self-employed with calligraphy and water-colour painting. I have now reached the stage when my work has become financially worthwhile. I am happy so far as I have been able to do something to help relieve the poor and needy and support worthy causes.
My calligraphy always carries some inspiring message. So despite my dwindling strength I can still wield this gentle instrument in the cause of justice, peace and love”.

The “worthy causes’ mentioned above covered the globe. Lasallian projects for the poor and needy in India, the Philippines, Vietnam and Africa were special beneficiaries. 

Signs that all was not well health-wise, however, had been evident for some time. Already he was suffering from ankylosing-spondylitis and his stoop had become quite pronounced. He walked with a cane in the manner of an ancient Chinese philosopher. He was soon affectionately dubbed Commissioner Pang! Apart from spondylitis, he was now afflicted by diabetes and psoriasis and a weakening of the heart. Hospitalisations increased in frequency and seriousness and when discharged he was in a wheelchair most of the time. In his 1992 Christmas message he writes: ‘The end of 1991 and early 1992 nearly saw the end of me. I received the Last Sacrament twice and survived two heart attacks’. Members of his Legion of Mary group visited him in hospital.
‘He could hardly recognize us and his voice was feeble. His words were: ”Study hard and be a good student”. These last words really touched us’.

On the 1st May 1993 he underwent high-risk heart surgery. Although he came through the ordeal, there were complications and he remained critically ill. A second heart attack as well as renal failure on the 22nd brought about the end and he passed away in St Teresa’s Hospital. The funeral Mass was held in St Teresa’s Church on the 27th and the church was packed to capacity. He was laid to rest in the Brothers burial plot in Happy Valley.

Thousands of boys passed through Brother Henry’s hands, some of whom, like the kung- fu star Bruce Lee, became famous. Yet he somehow could remember the names and faces and even special traits of almost every one of his students - an astounding feat of memory.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 13 (April 2009)

Brother John, also known as Celba John, was born on March 3rd 1886 in Ballick, Moyler, Co Laois, Ireland. Two of his relatives also joined the Order. They were called Brothers Finian and Alban Lynam. 

Brother John joined the Brothers at Castletown on the 17th March 1902 as a junior novice and received the holy habit on 29th July 1902. After the spiritual formation of the novitiate he began his further studies.

However, in 1904, at the age of 18, he was asked to leave his native shores and was sent to New York. For the next 7 years he tested his teaching skills in New York, in particular in St Brigid’s School. Then, in 1911, he was asked to move again, this time to Manila in the Philippines. He was to be one of the pioneer group to open the first Lasallian school there, called De La Salle College which, in time, became De La Salle University.

Brother John was only 25 years old when he landed in the Philippines. Apart from a short interlude in Malaysia, he was to spend the next 24 years teaching and helping Filipino youth in various roles.

He adopted a relatively relaxed atmosphere in class in order to bring out the best in his pupils. A puckish sense of humour was a great asset. With a straight face he would crack jokes and have the whole class in stitches. As is often the case with a born storyteller, his listeners often wondered if he was joking or telling the truth. On the one hand he explained trigonometry, solid geometry and advanced algebra admirably well while on the other hand he brought Literature to life. 

Soon after the establishment of De La Salle College, and in keeping with his abiding interest in sports, he started the first basketball team. To this day the College basketball team is one of the best in the country. In 1924 he was a founding member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines. Later he organized the Philippine Amateur Athletic Association and was Chairman of the Football Committee.

In 1927 he became the Director of the College and worked wonders for the morale of the staff and students. Perhaps his most memorable achievement was the ability to place his Commerce graduates in various business and commercial firms. He worked tirelessly and successfully to place his charges in good professional positions. When asked how he did it he would quietly wave off any personal credit but did admit he had many friends.
He also helped in the organization of the College Alumni Association, something the members never forgot. They were to welcome him back with open arms for the golden jubilee of the College.

In 1931 Brother John was asked to be Director of St Paul’s Institution, Seremban, Malaysia. He began the process of shaping the school quadrangle into a fine set of modern buildings. But the call of the Philippines was still strong and he was allowed to return in 1933.
In 1936 the Brothers’ superiors however, in their wisdom, saw fit to move Brother John again. This time he was to take over first as Sub-Director and teacher of Class 1 and then, in 1937, as Director of St Joseph’s College, Hong Kong. It was to be an eventful move as he would remain as Director throughout the war years.

For the first few years all went well, Brother John possessing a steady mind and hand. His correspondence with the Bishop for September 1941 contains this interesting piece: “We shall be glad to make St Joseph’s College available as a distributing centre for the American Red Cross in its efforts to assist the poor of the Colony with uncooked wheat and rice.” Shortly, however, the territory would be thrown into chaos with the advent of war.

The war years were a difficult time for the Brothers. Since both St Joseph’s and La Salle Colleges were taken over by the Japanese no teaching could take place. In addition, one of the Brothers who volunteered his services to the Red Cross was killed when the ambulance he was driving was hit by an exploding shell. It was decided that all the Brothers, except for three, would transfer to Lasallian schools in Vietnam. They were lucky to be able to find transport. The three who remained in Hong Kong were Brothers John, Paul O’Connell and Martin Kelleher and their role was to maintain a claim on their two schools. These three Brothers, being Irish nationals, would not be interned.

Brother John had a collection of stamps and it so happened that the Japanese officer in charge of the area had a similar interest. Brother John presented him with his collection of stamps. Because of this kind gesture the Brothers were spared harsh treatment. Moreover, across the road from St Joseph’s was Clementi School which had been transformed into a Japanese school. The Japanese headmaster and Brother John became friends. By all accounts Brother John’s personality effected a calming influence, something much appreciated especially in wartime. It was remarked, however, that he lost a good deal of weight during the occupation.

After the war ended in 1945, Brother John and his two companions set about restoring the school buildings to something approaching normal from a hospital and Japanese administrative offices. Much of the furniture and equipment had either been looted or destroyed. The Government could not offer much help. Many schools could not even get enough paper to print their exams. It was Brother John’s task also to find the former teachers who were still alive and living in Hong Kong and to recruit new teachers. Large numbers of pupils were applying to enter school, most of whom had lost out on their schooling during the war. Added to this was the influx of families from mainland China fleeing the Communist advance. Despite the difficulties, Brother John’s response was: “Even though we have to start from scratch, we are starting right in, with vim.”

Brother John also called on the services of a young Portuguese old boy, Enrico Rosario. Mr. Rosario was able to use his business contacts to supply the College with materials for teaching. He spent the rest of his working life as a much appreciated school secretary. He retired at the age of 70.

Brother John was happy to hand over the responsibilities of Director and Principal to Brother Raphael Egan in 1949, but for the next eleven years he continued to take an active role in teaching. He was particularly active in teaching religion and English dictation in the lower forms. He would correct all these dictation scripts conscientiously before distribution. The value of Dictation has its critics but Brother John’s students certainly developed an excellent listening ear.

The alumni of Manila had not forgotten and Brother John was able to visit in 1949 and again in 1961. In his 1949 visit the De La Salle Alumni Association President presented him with a pocket watch which he kept faithfully until his death. In the 1961 visit for the golden jubilee of the College his sprightly step had slowed and his eyes had dimmed but, as one spectator put it, “his sunny charm was still potent”. He was allowed to remain in Manila in retirement, in the city and among the students he loved so well.

In his later years Brother John suffered from a heart condition. He never slept in a bed but in an easy-chair. Unfortunately he had a fall from which he never really recovered. To heal a broken femur he underwent traction for three months at San Juan de Dios Hospital. Complications set in and grew more acute with the weeks. He faded away slowly and died on the 16th April 1964. In later years his remains were laid to rest in the grounds of what is now the Brothers Novitiate in Lipa, the Philippines.

Brother John had slipped quietly from this world but his passing did not go unnoticed, especially by his beloved old boys. The following appeared, in part, in the Manila Chronicle and Philippines Herald soon after the news of his death:

“Although he specialized in Mathematics, Brother John belonged to that breed of pedagogical titans who taught every subject well. He commanded the respect and affection of his students. We all felt close enough to him to disclose youthful intimacies, but nobody dared take liberties with him. Brother John was never known to have raised either his voice or his hand to deter or punish mischief. On one occasion he noticed a student copying from his neighbor on the left. He approached the student and softly whispered in his ear: ’If you must copy for survival, I suggest you copy from the other side because the fellow you’re copying from is as way off the mark as you are!’

A commanding personality in the classroom, he would nevertheless flush a healthy pink at the mere sight of his name in the papers.”

A friend who was with him when he died was particularly impressed by Brother John’s “resignation to the will of God”.

And so passed a man of pleasant temperament, refined, gentle and dignified in manner, as well as a natural storyteller.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 12 (March 2009)

Brother Paul was born into a well off family in the province of Jehol, (熱河), (in modern day Inner Mongolia). He was strongly influenced from early childhood by the piety of his father and grandfather. As a young man he studied in a seminary. Later, having graduated from Fu Jen University (輔仁大學), he decided to devote his life to education.

Brother Paul was not a De La Salle Brother. Yet, to the Brothers, he was a true Lasallian in all but name. It came as no surprise that he was made an affiliated member of their Institute.

A man of unusual charm, culture and spirituality, he had been closely associated with the Brothers in Hong Kong since his first arrival there from China in 1949. Eight years previously he had been appointed Superior-General of a diocesan Society of Brothers which operated schools in northern China. They were called the Society of the Disciples of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

This Society had been founded by Bishop Janssens in 1911 in the province of Jehol in the north-east which at that time was situated in inner Manchuria.   The Bishop had chosen St John Baptist de La Salle as the principal Patron of the Society. After each religious exercise the invocation “St John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us”, was said. The Brothers ran a number of primary and secondary schools but one by one they had to close as the Communist net tightened. In 1947, the Brothers were compelled to leave their diocese for Beijing where they opened a primary school but that too was taken over by the Communists in 1953.

Meanwhile, in 1949, Brother Paul and some of the Brothers managed to get to Hong Kong. Some of them, including Brother Paul, were given accommodation by the De La Salle Brothers in Kowloon, while others went to Indonesia and opened a Chinese middle school there. Brother Paul thought it best to merge his Society with that of the De La Salle Brothers and he himself spent 2 years at the Brothers’ Novitiate in England. The church authorities in Rome, however, decided that Brother Paul should retain his post of Superior General as well as the separate identity of his society while at the same time working closely with the De La Salle Brothers in Hong Kong. 

In 1956, while planning to open a school in Hong Kong, Brother Paul began to teach Religion and Mandarin in La Salle Primary School, Kowloon. Here are the recollections of one of his students: “More popularly known as Brother Sun, he never failed to strike us as a very kind and patient teacher. He had a strong physique, quite typical of Northern Chinese. Though strong and tall, he exuded passion and love for teaching, and was approachable at all times”.

With the encouragement, help and support of the De La Salle Brothers, as well as through his own personal charm, hard work and doggedness, Brother Paul succeeded in establishing St Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese School, first the Primary section in 1958, and later, in 1968, the Secondary section. The De La Salle Brothers have St Joseph as Patron of their Institute. Brother Paul and his Society also had a very special devotion to St Joseph and so the school was named after him. There were 300 pupils on opening day, but, with the building of the secondary school, numbers shot up to 3,000 pupils. Brother Paul personally managed both schools.

The De La Salle Brothers not only gave Brother Paul moral support, but allowed some of their own Brothers to teach and help in the administration of St Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese School. Chief among these was Brother Anthony Knoll who helped the English department in particular. It was normal to see Brother Anthony marking pupils’ scripts day after day. He and Brother Paul became soul-mates and, together with some teachers, they would hike the hills of Kowloon at every opportunity. Brother Henry Pang was also a valiant supporter and, in the earlier years, would help with the registration of new pupils.

The St Joseph Anglo-Chinese Schools flourished. Brother Paul never advertised his schools. His own magnanimous and dynamic personality was advertisement enough. He worked quietly and tirelessly to make the schools earn a good name. He also gathered together a band of loyal, hardworking teachers and, together, they set the schools on a prosperous course.

There was accommodation in the school for Brother Paul and he resided there until his death. He was a familiar sight to the staff and students as he greeted them each morning near the school entrance. He became a fatherly figure, reassuring and benign and in many ways taught them more by example than by word.

Brother Paul was unceasing in his expressions of gratitude for the help he had received from the De La Salle Brothers. Even after his schools were up and running, he would unfailingly visit La Salle College or St Joseph’s College every weekend, invariably bearing gifts. For nearly all practical purposes he was one with them in devotion to St La Salle and he joined in their prayers, retreats and major functions.

His wonderful attachment and good example was recognized when, to his great delight, he was affiliated to the Institute by the then Superior General, Brother Charles Henry. Brother Charles was making a visit to Hong Kong as part of his programme of visitations to the Brothers in Asia and could therefore perform the ceremony in person. The ceremony took place on the 5th March, 1972.

As the years began to take their toll, the effects of spondylitis and arthritis began to show. Brother Paul had to use a neck brace. There was severe curvature of the spine and of the fingers. Still he soldiered on, fulfilling his educational mission, never giving way to or looking for pity.

Eventually ill health compelled him to take to his bed. He was cared for by friends and by Father Philip Chao. He would receive visitors graciously and enquire after Brothers, staff and students.

Brother Paul’s death at the age of 78, while not unexpected, was greeted with a genuine outpouring of grief. Many who had been close to him felt they had been in the presence of a saint.

It came as no surprise that his funeral was a big one. At a packed requiem Mass in St Teresa’s Church, presided over by Bishop John Baptist Wu, Brother Henry Pang had this to say in the homily: “With his passing, we have lost an exemplary religious, an outstanding educator and, dare I say, a saint. He was one of nature’s gentlemen. He was a man of God, with a vision and a mission. Today his mission is accomplished. May you, Brother Paul, realize your vision also, as our Lord opens his arms to receive and welcome you”.

Brother Paul was laid to rest in Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Cemetery, Kowloon.

He was not a De La Salle Brother but he was a true Lasallian, a model of the spirit of faith, of zeal, of community union, faithful to the Lasallian ideal of the Christian education of youth. To this he had devoted his whole life, all that he had and all that he was.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 10 (January 2009)

There are many “bits of heaven” dotting the land and seascapes of County Donegal, Ireland. Among them is an area called the Rosses. It was here, in the townland of Mullaghderg, that James Patrick Sharkey was born on the 25th February 1926. He was the eldest in a family of eleven, six brothers and five sisters.

One reason for the natural beauty of the Rosses is its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. James was often happily out in the boats with the fisherfolk. He was to retain a lasting love of the sea and it is little wonder one of his favourite songs was “Shoals of Herring.”

If the call of the sea was strong, so too was the call to serve God. At the age of fourteen, James answered that call and headed for De La Salle Monastery, Castletown, County Laois, far from home and from the sea. There he spent two years in study and in preparation for a life of educational service with the De La Salle Brothers. He then entered the Novitiate and, as a sign of serious intent, took the habit on the 7th September 1942. He was also given his new religious name, Brother Eugene.
 
The Novitiate was a year for spiritual formation but before its completion there was yet another call, this time for volunteers for the missions. Brother Eugene volunteered and was sent first to a house of studies in Mallow, County Cork, where he successfully completed the school certificate examination in 1947. This was also the year that his mother died, rather suddenly, at the age of forty. It was a bad blow for her large family but they retained her strong faith and determination to face and cope with adversity.

The next phase of life was to attend a Teachers’ Training College in Strawberry Hill, London. But prior to that, Brother Eugene was sent for exposure and experience to schools for young delinquents which the Brothers ran in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Eugene was posted to Scotland in the summer of 1945. There he had to balance freedom with responsibility, something he had already learned from his upbringing.

In September 1947 he headed south for St Mary’s Training College,Strawberry Hill, London, to begin the two-year teachers’ training course. Many of his classmates were already army veterans of the Second World War. The excellent staff, the diverse mix of students and the balanced curriculum helped to produce teachers of exceptional maturity and competence. Brother Eugene completed the course in the summer of 1947, was allowed home for a holiday with his family, and by September was ready to leave by boat for Singapore. Brothers Edmund Matthews, Alban Lynam, Theodore Quigley and Macartan Flanagan were in the same group, while Brother Herman Fenton was the elder statesman.

The troopship “Dilwarra” left from Southhampton and reached Singapore on the 9th October 1947. While awaiting his assignment, Brother Eugene taught for a few months in St Anthony’s Primary school and was then, in January 1948, posted to St Michael’s Institution, Ipoh, Malaysia.

All through his four years in Ipoh he taught three secondary 3 classes, three classes of English and religion in his own class of 3A. It soon became apparent that he taught thoroughly and systematically. He worked hard and expected his students to do likewise. They did.

However, it was probably on the sports field that Eugene left the greatest impression. Evening after evening he was on the field in shirt and shorts while his athletes warmed up. They then ran around the field with Eugene at their heels. There was no place for laggards. The school team won all before them for a few years. Brother Eugene never bragged about this and if the topic were raised he would just state the facts. He himself was not a great gamesman, apart from playing the occasional games of football or badminton. He did, however, play a tough game of tennis, with commendable power-passing shots.

After having completed four years in Ipoh, Brother Eugene was transferred to La Salle College, Kowloon, Hong Kong, arriving there on the 27th July 1953.  He was to spend the rest of his life in Hong Kong. In 1949, La Salle College had been requisitioned by the British army for use as a military hospital. The College was “in exile” in Perth Street, in somewhat makeshift circumstances, and would not be de-requisitioned until 1959. The Director at the time was Brother Patrick Toner, followed by Brother Felix Sheehan.

Eugene was asked to take English and Religion in the public exam classes of Form 5 and for the next sixteen years made Form 5A his own. His teaching method for English Composition was perhaps unique. This is how one of his students puts it: “We were each allowed to make a mistake once and then 5 or 10 marks, depending on the seriousness of the error, would be knocked off from our total. However, if the same or even a similar mistake should recur, irrespective of its position in the essay, Brother Eugene would stop there and then and accord zero marks for that piece of work. After tasting the bitterness of getting what Brother called ‘Nought’, we would exchange our essays among ourselves to weed out mistakes before handing them in”. Brother Eugene’s tactics paid off in the long run, as his former pupils will testify to this day.

He could appear somewhat stern and spoke only when necessary. His classroom was always the most silent. Pupils tended to keep a respectful distance. Yet, here is a nice piece from one of his students at the time:

“I came to know Brother Eugene in my final year at La Salle. He was my form master. For years, of course, he was ‘Gum Sing’, or Man from Venus, on account of his stern appearance and quiet manner. No one dared mess with him, in or out of class. To our surprise, however, he turned out to be quite amiable, with a nice sense of humour. 
That year we had excellent public exam results.”                                   

Outside the classroom Brother Eugene helped coach the athletes after school hours and he also assisted with the boarders. But perhaps he is chiefly remembered for setting up a boxing club and coaching, most successfully, boys who had never been in the ring before. There was a family tradition for boxing and Eugene’s brothers did well at amateur level. 

One of his brothers, Pa, went on to compete in the 1956 Olympics and came away with a bronze medal.

It must have been this association with boxing that led to all kinds of rumours that swirled among the boys, by far the most dramatic being that Eugene, as a youth, had killed a lad when boxing and that that was the reason for his joining the Brothers! 

The year 1969 brought a big change to Eugene’s life. He was transferred, as Vice Principal, to a newly opened Lasallian school called Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College and in September of the same year became its Principal, succeeding Brother Herman Fenton. Brother Eugene was to be Principal for the next 21 years.

He proved to be a fine Principal, with clear objectives and targets. He treated his teachers and office staff as responsible adults but always kept the welfare of the pupils as his primary focus. His inherent sense of fair play, his firmness when required, and his insistence on good order and discipline, inspired confidence and co-operation. He saw no reason why the school should not excel and excel it did. 

In Chan Sui Ki the boys line up in the playground every day before going to class. Brother Eugene had only to appear on the staircase for complete silence to descend. As one Brother in the community put it, “he had the imperative fluid in the eye.” The students readily accepted his approach to school life and thrived under it.

A short message for the 1976 issue of the school magazine nicely illustrates the mindset of Brother Eugene at this time:
‘Let us climb ever upwards and reach out beyond the narrow confines of our own self-centredness to find our happiness and our true selves in service to all, thereby fulfilling our destiny as men made in the image and likeness of God.” Such was his vision for the boys of Chan Sui Ki.

When Brother Eugene reached retiring age in 1991 he could look back with no small pride on forty-four years of unbroken service, the final twenty-one of which were as Principal of Chan Sui Ki. He had kept his hand to the plough, working steadfastly and assiduously in the Lord’s vineyard. Never one to parade his virtues, it was clear that the Lasallian spirit of Faith and Zeal was his guiding light. In community among his Brothers, this spirit was evident as much in what he did not say as in what he did. To them he was a faithful companion on life’s journey, a fine community man and a man of wise counsel. He was never known to lift his voice in anger. 

One Brother recalls how in company, ever the strong silent man, he would signal disagreement with the flow of argument by a smile or rub the side of his nose with his index finger, no word spoken. However, in one to one situations he could be uncharacteristically voluble.

Although Brother Eugene appeared to be a strong silent man, he had his share of health problems. Sinus was a constant irritation and required nose surgery and he had a minor heart attack in 1971. But it took another 20 years for the real villain to emerge, in the form of throat cancer. Eugene had been a pretty heavy smoker, which may have contributed to the condition. In 1992 he was put on radiation treatment followed by “heroic” surgery which involved grafting in an 8 hour long operation. There was a slow recovery but he was in pain for many months and then the cancer caught up again. He was back in hospital a couple of times before the final haul, looking for cooling drinks for his throat. When the doctor broke the news of the end to him, he bore it with much peace and equanimity.

A great personal consolation was the visit of his brother Fred, to whom he was much attached, together with his wife Eileen, from Australia. They stayed a couple of weeks, visiting him every day. In many ways it was a sad encounter but their presence and encouragement was much appreciated by Eugene.

The end came suddenly on the morning of the 16th of March 1994. The parish church was crowded at the funeral Mass which was celebrated by an old friend, Fr. Patrick O Regan, S.V.D. In his homily, Brother Francis O’Rourke spoke of Eugene as “a deeply spiritual man whose strong faith was nurtured in the Christian atmosphere of his home in Donegal. His piety was not so much something he taught but something one caught from his gentleness, his silence, his very bearing. He never complained. He saw in all things the will of God and accepted it as such.” These traits were very close to that of the Founder, St La Salle.

One Brother, who knew Eugene well, wrote:
“I remember a Brother who was loyal and dependable, tolerant and uncritical of others. 
As teacher and headmaster, he was consistent and confident in his approach and had the esteem and respect of all. He took his final illness calmly and died with a dignity befitting his lifestyle.”

After his funeral one of his 1961 past students said: ‘I remember Brother Eugene as a man of justice.’  

What more can be said!

By Br. Dennis Magbanua FSC

The Hong Kong Lasallian Family is thrilled to announce the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Lasallian Mission in Hong Kong, taking place from January 2025 to December 2025. This event aims to bridge the past with the present under the theme "150 Years of Touching Hearts, Teaching Minds, and Transforming Lives." This milestone serves as a reminder of the rich heritage and enduring impact of the Lasallian mission, urging the Lasallian community to honor a legacy dedicated to educating young people, especially those who are poor and disadvantaged.
In 1875, six French and Irish Brothers arrived in Hong Kong to establish St. Joseph's College as their first school. The commitment to continue this mission by providing quality education within the Catholic and Lasallian tradition remains strong across all Lasallian schools and outreach projects.

The goal of the 150th anniversary is to inspire all Lasallians to deepen their faith, embrace a spirit of service, and foster a sense of community among students, staff, alumni, and parents. It encourages the Lasallian family to extend their mission beyond the classroom and to reach out to those on the margins of society. Guided by the Biblical question, "Where is your brother/sister?", this celebration invites reflection on the needs of people living in the peripheries of our communities.
In commemorating this rich history, the Lasallian family will express its creativity through various projects and activities that highlight stories, achievements, and the enduring values of Faith, Service, and Community.

The first event of this year-long celebration was the Joint School Mass and Kickoff Ceremony, held on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at the School Hall of La Salle Primary School in Kowloon. Cardinal Stephen Chow SJ was the principal celebrant, with several priests concelebrating. Many De La Salle Brothers attended the Mass, including members of the Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD) leadership team and those who have previously served in Hong Kong.
All eight Lasallian schools—Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College, Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) Primary School, Chong Gene Hang College, De La Salle Secondary School NT, La Salle Primary School, St. Joseph's Primary School, and St. Joseph's College—were represented by their supervisors, principals, students, alumni, and parents. Former school administrators also joined the celebration.

The Mass began with a procession of relics from St. John Baptist de La Salle and other Lasallian saints, followed by the eight school flags carried by the school principals. In his homily, the Cardinal reminded everyone of their role in teaching students to love others.

Following the Mass, a Kickoff Ceremony took place. Brother Dennis Magbanua, head of the Hong Kong Lasallian Family, thanked the organizers and expressed his immense privilege in serving alongside the Brothers and Lasallian partners in Hong Kong. He felt deeply humbled by the unwavering commitment of each family member to the shared mission—to educate minds, touch hearts, and transform the lives of students through their daily actions.

Brother Jose Mari Jimenez, the Brother Visitor of LEAD, read a congratulatory message from the Superior General of the Christian Brothers in Rome. After the countdown to officially launch the 150th-anniversary celebration, students from De La Salle Secondary School performed a Lion Dance, followed by an award- winning Chinese Drum presentation by La Salle Primary School students.

Students from five Lasallian secondary schools recently participated in "Brew with Bro," an event designed to foster meaningful dialogue between students and De La Salle Brothers. The event, held on Friday, 24 January 2025, from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM in the La Salle College GP Room, was a collaborative effort of the Hong Kong Lasallian Family's Youth and Vocations units and the Student Formation Team of La Salle College.

Students from Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College, Chong Gene Hang College, De La Salle Secondary School New Territories, La Salle College, and St. Joseph's College attended the event which was a platform for them to engage in informal conversations with the Brothers serving in the Sector of Hong Kong and in the Lasallian East Asia Distirct (LEAD)

Also in attendance were Mr. Paul Tam AFSC, the members of the LEAD Leadership Team – Br. Jose Mari Jimenez FSC, Br. Inigo Riola FSC, Br. Jeano Endaya FSC, and Mr. Jose Boncodin FSC, along with Brother guests from other Sectors of LEAD, Br. Mikey Cua FSC and Br. Irwin Climaco FSC.

A total of 13 Brothers, 9 Partners and 42 students were present. 

La Salle College Principal Steve Leung and Ms. Ronnie Tam were also significant collaborators which was essential to the success of the gathering.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 6 (September 2008)

“A soldier held a revolver to my head, all the time repeating the same word which I did not understand until the translator came up. The word was, ‘Ingrisu-ka’!
 ‘Are you English’? ‘No’.
 ‘Are you a soldier’? ‘No’.
When the soldier grabbed me, he had caught my profession crucifix which was entangled in my pyjamas top. He examined it closely, let it drop gently and said, ’Kasorikku-ka?’ which I took to mean, ‘Are you a Catholic’? ‘Yes,’ I replied. He pushed me away but kept me covered with his gun.”

So Brother James wrote about the experience that was to leave an indelible mark on him for the rest of his life, namely, his arrest and imprisonment by the Japanese occupying forces in Malaysia. After this first encounter Brother James determined to learn Japanese!  Indeed he would later learn many other languages associated with his life and work. The passage also reveals his gift for the dramatic, a gift that never left him.

Brother James was born in County Laois, Ireland, on the 30th August 1915 and received the name Michael in baptism. Fifteen years later he became an aspirant to the De La Salle Brothers, began his Novitiate in September 1931 and took his first vows a year later. When he received the habit of the Brothers, and in keeping with the times, he was given a new religious name, Brother James. He was fortunate to have an inspiring English language and literature teacher when pursuing his studies. Brother James retained an enthusiasm for language and literature for the rest of his life.  After these initial studies and formation he volunteered for the missions.

In the summer of 1934, at the age of nineteen, he set out for the missions in the Far East. It would be 12 years before he saw home again. His first posting was to St Joseph’s, Singapore, for his first teaching assignment. Those were the days of wearing heavy black robes in sapping heat and with no air-conditioning.  Three years later he was transferred to St John’s Kuala Lumpur and then on the 10th January 1939, to St George’s Taiping in Malaysia. He was already displaying fine teaching qualities, including his gift for holding the attention of the students. He also began learning the Malay language.

In the Chinese language Taiping connotes “peace”. Little did the Brothers and the town inhabitants realise how soon their peace would be shattered. As was the custom, the Brothers went to a bungalow in the Taiping hills for their Christmas break. On New Year’s Eve, Japanese soldiers arrived on the hills and came banging at the door of the Brother’s bungalow. Brother James opened the door to the revolver-wielding soldier described above. The Brothers were all arrested as spies and “escorted” downhill, hands tied behind their backs, during the night. They were taken to a school playing field not far from their own school and tied to the rugby goalposts. 

The cross questioning began. A Japanese officer approached the Brothers, bowed three times most respectfully and said something in Japanese. Later they learned he had said “You will be shot to death as spies tomorrow morning”. They could well believe it since executions had already begun.

Fortunately another officer approached and, thinking that the Brothers were priests, ordered them to be cut free and jailed instead. It was a close shave. For the next few years the Brothers endured a not so merry-go-round of imprisonment and house arrest before liberation at the end of the war.  Brother James, however, was at pains to point out that they came across a number of Japanese officers and soldiers who did their best to make life more tolerable for the prisoners.

He was sent on home leave in 1946 and we can only guess at the joy all round. Then it was off to Rome to follow a course aimed at strengthening his spiritual and Lasallian formation. The Brothers called this course a Second Novitiate. Here, as might be expected, he brushed up on his French and Italian. On his return to the East in 1948 he was appointed Director of aspirants to the De La Salle Brothers. The location was Penang, Malaysia, and he was to serve there for the next fourteen years. He left a deep impression on his young charges who remember him, not only for his spiritual qualities but also for his sense of humour and more especially for his story-telling flair. He could keep them spellbound with first-hand war stories. Another feature of his time there was the presence of dogs. They accompanied the Brothers everywhere, even to prayer! Obviously James appreciated the therapeutic value of animals to institutional life long before it became recognized.

 It was at this time that Brother James’ writing abilities came into focus. He loved to write and kept up a large correspondence. His typewriter was seldom silent. He was now asked to produce and become the first editor of a quarterly magazine called “The Crusader” which contained short stories, general knowledge, a pen-pal section and information about our Lasallian world. The magazine proved very popular with teachers and students in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. Brother James was editor from 1949 to 1955 and again from 1957 to 1961 and copies reached 8,000 readers. The name of the magazine was later changed to “The Young Lasallian”.

In 1962 Brother James was sent to De La Salle University, Manila and took out a Masters degree in Journalism. Upon completion he was posted as Director and Principal of St Joseph’s College, Hong Kong, arriving on the 17th January 1964. He was then 49 years old, at his peak as it were. He was succeeding Brother Brendan Dunne who had been associated with the school since 1932. Brother Brendan‘s avuncular style was not an easy act to follow but if Brother James was considered a lightweight in comparison he soon set about dispelling the myth. He prodded and cajoled the staff and students until they came around and the school went from strength to strength. He encouraged a wide range of extra curricular activities. He kept the school community regularly informed by circular and produced what may be considered the school’s first Student Handbook, laying a strong emphasis on discipline and politeness. 

One aspect of discipline that Brother James focused on was the lining up of students before going to class. He insisted that form teachers lead the students back to their classrooms in an orderly manner. This was considered quite an ‘innovation’ at the time and it took time to implement but eventually caught on.

During his term as Principal the Communist inspired riots of 1967 broke out. It was a tense time for all. Mao Tse Tung’s little red book had become the left-wing bible. Crowds of slogan chanting rioters marched daily to Government house, quite close to the College. Schools in Hong Kong were also targeted and students were encouraged to start their own ‘Cultural Revolution’ in and outside the schools. Brother James and his staff managed to keep the College going without undue disturbance. A couple of articles attacking the school and its policies were published in one of the communist daily papers and a few small bombs, some fake, were planted near the school. Nothing came of it.

At that time in St Joseph’s, the house was full of Brothers, about 14 in all. Whenever there was a social, the Brothers would try to get Brother James to sing. He had quite a sweet voice. One of his favourite party pieces was ‘Abdul the Bulbul Ameer ‘which he rendered in suitably dramatic fashion. Another of his favourites was the ‘Scottish Soldier’.

The 1960s and 70s witnessed a big growth in the Hong Kong Lasallian mission. There were sufficient Brothers to lead the way. Plans for new schools began to take shape with Brother James much in support. He saw the need for a feeder Primary and so was born St Joseph’s Primary School which opened its doors in 1968, much to the delight of parents. St Joseph’s Primary was soon to become one of the most popular Primary schools in Hong Kong.

Brother James was also actively involved in the negotiations with the Chan family in preparation for a new Lasallian secondary school in Kowloon. Negotiations were successfully concluded and Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College opened its doors in 1969. He also accepted an offer to sponsor a new College in Chaiwan, in the east of Hong Kong island, to cater mainly for children of a working class area. Despite challenges and the pains of fund-raising, he persevered. The school opened in 1971 and was called Chong Gene Hang College in memory of its chief benefactor. Brother James was always on the go.

Having completed the canonical six years as Director and Principal, he was transferred to La Salle College in Kowloon in January 1970, returning to the ranks as a regular teacher. Despite the lapse of many years he had not lost his touch and his English lessons to the senior classes were so interesting his students would not miss them for anything. He always tried to follow the Lasallian motto of being firm but kind in class. He also found time to become the Spiritual Director of one of the Legion of Mary praesidium in the school, Our Lady of Fatima. To add to his portfolio, he grasped every opportunity to study Chinese (Cantonese) and could make himself quite well understood in this difficult language.

In 1977, while still happily teaching in La Salle College, he was invited to Rome by the Superior General to take charge of SECOLI for the next six years. SECOLI was the fund raising and dispensing arm of the Institute, channeling funds to deserving Lasallian third world projects, especially to Asia and Africa. For Brother James this required a vast correspondence, much travel and cool judgement. In Rome he also took the opportunity to hone his Italian and French language skills.

His term of six years with SECOLI ended in 1983 and he decided to return to Ireland with a special portfolio to promote the missions. He was based in the Provincialate community in Dublin. Over the next nine years he did regular rounds of the schools giving inspirational talks and slide shows on the missions. His first hand experiences coupled with his gift for story telling made for compelling presentations and the students responded most generously with their contributions.

At the age of seventy-seven he took official retirement, first in Kildare and then in Downpatrick for his remaining years. He was still interested in news of the schools East and West, still kept up a big correspondence and enjoyed welcoming friends and visitors to the house. Anyone from Hong Kong would be greeted with a few sentences in Cantonese. He had strong family ties and really looked forward to his annual home leave. Although his health was gradually deteriorating he was reluctant to part from his beloved community in Downpatrick. Eventually the Brothers and his family helped him reach the decision to retire to the Brother’s nursing home in Castletown. It was a matter of weeks before the end.

Brother James passed away at Castletown on the 29th July 2001, just a few weeks short of his 86th birthday. Since it was holiday time, quite a number of Brothers were on home leave from the East and they all attended the funeral. Brother Patrick Collier delivered a fine eulogy. After Communion, a nephew of brother James, John Sheeran, sang “The End of a Perfect Day”. Brother James was then laid to rest to the strains of the traditional “Salve Regina”, a fitting finale for one who loved the Mother of God.
 

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 5 (August 2008)

Brother Casimir holds the distinction of having been the longest serving Brother in La Salle College. He spent his entire teaching career there. He must also hold the distinction for the number and variety of posts he occupied, a somewhat breathtaking list as follows: teacher, prefect of boarders, sports-master, violinist in school orchestra, harmonica player, spiritual director of Mother of our Redeemer praesidium, editor of the school magazine, designer of school magazine covers, honorary president of the old boys’ association, oral examiner for French in the Hong Kong General Certificate of Education examination, deputy principal, Director and Principal of the school.

He was born in a troublesome year, 1914, which saw the outbreak of World War I, and in a troubled spot, Czechoslovakia. The exact place of birth was Svolenska-Slatina. In later years he would be unable to visit his family and place of birth because of political developments and would have to resort to long and taxing negotiations in order to obtain temporary or emergency travel documents.  At one stage, even the Vatican tried to help by issuing brother Casimir with an emergency travel document. 

We do not know the initial influences, but, at the age of 14 we find him heading for Lembecq, Belgium, to begin his training to become a De La Salle Brother. He proved to be a bright boy, a leader in his class. He also had a good singing voice and was often asked to sing solo at the chapel services. From Belgium he was transferred to Dover, England, to continue his studies. He had a gift for languages, becoming particularly fluent in English and French. Later in life he would take out a degree in French from the University of London. It amused him to be sometimes mistaken for a Frenchman!

Brother Casimir arrived in La Salle College, Hong Kong, on a crisp December day 1933, the 18th to be exact. Brother Michael Curtin met him when the boat arrived “and surely never alighted on these shores a more delightful vision.” Brother Michael was struck by his youthful appearance and vigour. The school had just emerged from her cocoon of bamboo scaffolding and Brother Casimir immediately fell in love with the “majestic dome.”

At first sight Brother Casimir appeared pretty stern. Yet his smile could light up a room. He was strict in class without being rigid and expected his students to perform to the best of their abilities. The lines of Oliver Goldsmith come to mind:
“Yet he was kind, and if severe in aught,
The love he bore to learning was at fault.”
He was a born teacher, giving a clear exposition whatever the topic. He taught Religion and French and English at all levels but perhaps he is best remembered for his teaching of Geography. He wrote and had published “A First Geography” textbook intended to stimulate young pupils in Hong Kong. His masterpiece was a map of Hong Kong made from Ordnance Survey maps with all the exact contours cut out in fretwork. It graced a wall of the school library for years.

The pleasant routine of life was rudely shaken at 8.00am on the 8th December 1941 when Japanese planes bombed the nearby airport. When it was realized that this was not an air-raid practice but the real thing, the Brothers gathered the pupils together, told them that the scheduled examinations were postponed indefinitely and to go home. Kowloon was overrun within a matter of days. The Japanese put up their national flag and the red-cross flag on the Dome and La Salle College became a Japanese military hospital for the duration of the War.

The Brothers sought refuge in Vietnam and on the 1st March 1942, Brother Aimar led a group of eight there, Brother Casimir among them. The Brothers in Vietnam graciously welcomed and took care of this band of ‘exiles’. Brother Casimir himself was able to teach French to the young Brothers both in Nhathrang and Dalat. At the same time he followed events closely in Hong Kong. On the 1st May 1946 he managed to get a place on a Dakota and returned to Hong Kong. Together with Brother Cassian, they spared no efforts to get La Salle College up and running again. He also took charge of the Boarding Department until the end of 1947 when he requested leave for University studies and a visit to his family whom he had not seen for 15 years. The visit was disagreeably eventful because, while there, a communist uprising took place and Brother Casimir had to escape with the help of a friend.

Ireland gave him refuge while he studied for and took out an honours degree in French at London University (1948-1951) He then returned to La Salle to exercise his talent for teaching, for conducting extra-curricular activities and for school administration until his untimely death in 1977. He never missed or wanted to miss a lesson. He marked the students’ exercise books and gave all the basic drills in English and French with meticulous care. Most of his energy was spent in building up a solid Form 6. He taught French at different levels and specialized in Advanced Geography. The students treasured his notes and would refer to them even at University level. 

There were other arrows to his bow. Although no great sportsman himself, he did a stint as an enthusiastic Sports-master, and the sports results did not suffer. A more amenable post, perhaps, was that of Editor of the College Magazine, ‘The Lasallite’. He remained Editor of the magazine for nine years. Since he had artistic tastes, the beautiful covers of ‘The Lasallite’ were designed by him. He played the violin for relaxation and also in the school orchestra and was instrumental in the formation of the first Harmonica Band in the school. On Christmas Eve, and being good at harmonics, he would accompany the young carol-singers on their visit to the hospitals. In keeping with his personality, all these activities were performed without fanfare.

In 1965 he was appointed Director and Principal of La Salle College and steered the ship capably and wisely. He was straightforward in his dealings with staff and students and had a good listening ear, listening attentively and understandingly to all. Nothing was too small to merit his attention. He was on good terms with government officers of the Education Department, with the Catholic Church authorities and with parents and old boys. Nothing of earthshaking consequence took place in the College during his reign and this must have pleased him for he was not much for fanfare.

This is what his Head Prefect at the time had to say:
“While he was feared by the boys, he was actually very tolerant of a student’s omissions unless he went over the top. Then no amount of pleading from teachers and parents would save the boy from Brother Casimir’s wrath! I learned in my senior years to find Brother Casimir a very warm and caring headmaster.”

Another of his students recalls:
“The stern voice, the rolling R’s in French class, the smile, the twinkle in the eye and much, much, more made him the   wonderful teacher he was to me. Brother Casimir in my heart forever.”

One special interest was the La Salle College Old Boys’ Association which he helped to revive after the War. He encouraged the old boys to join the Association and to take an active part in helping the school. He was aided in this by possessing a marvelous memory for faces and facts. Another special interest was the Scouts and he would attend their functions if at all possible.

In his final Message as Principal to the editors of the school magazine, ‘The Lasallite’ ,1970-1971, he reflected a little on his life as follows:
“I feel my heart filled with gratitude and praise to God whose loving providence has gently led me to these shores where I seem to have struck deep roots. In perspective, I can truthfully say that the thirty eight years of my association with La Salle have been the best and happiest years of my life.”

When he was about to step down as Principal, he was entertained to dinner by the staff. Brother Michael Curtin, a senior member of staff, spoke on their behalf, and told a witty story.
“Recently a young student returned home with a very bad Report; all the teachers blamed him for laziness. The father wanted to impress this fact on the boy’s mind so he said ‘Who is the laziest person in your school?’ The boy said he didn’t know. So the father went on ‘While all the others are working at their tasks, who is it who remains idly seated at his desk?’ The boy scratched his head for some time, then answered ‘The Headmaster’. Now, perhaps there are Headmasters like that, but the Headmaster of La Salle is something more.”

He stayed in office for six years and then, in typical modest and humble fashion, continued in the rank of teacher. He never sought any privileges because he was the former Director. His words at the 1969 Speech Day reveal his vision of a proper Lasallian education, an education “in which the head and the heart, knowledge and wisdom, culture and character walk side by side in perfect harmony, not omitting manners and morals.” These words may be read as a good summary of the man himself.

On his retirement as Principal, the school scout troop presented him with an embroidered silk painting, famous in Chinese art, called ‘The Hundred Birds’. The birds represent the numerous students who passed through Brother Casimir’s hands. The painting still holds a place of honour in the Brothers’ dining room. 

As the Director of the Brothers’ Community he was kind, humble and cheerful. Basically he was a simple man without a trace of vanity. Although he shouldered a very heavy load at all times, he seemed to find time to listen to all who approached him with their problems. He was well liked by his Brothers for he was courteous and friendly and fulfilled Cardinal Newman’s ideal of a gentleman as “one who never inflicts pain.” He was evidently convinced that one cannot love God without loving others.

To all who knew him, it was clear that his virtues came from a deep, personal faith in God and devotion to Our Lady. Even at the busiest time of his life, he never wanted to miss a religious exercise in the Church or Chapel where he would be deeply absorbed. His love for Our Lady was shown by the many years he served as Spiritual Director of “Mother of Our Redeemer” Praesidium. 

Generally speaking, Brother Casimir was a serious minded-man and yet there were times when he would ‘unwind’ as it were. Occasionally, when there was a social evening, he would be happy and enjoy a glass of wine. At that time, in the old school, there was a fine billiards table in the Brothers’ residence and he would look forward to playing against other Brothers, and often enough beat them too. On these social occasions he would be a genial host and everybody would be at ease.

Came Whitsun 1977, he was looking forward to the end of the school year and busy making arrangements for his home leave. Forms 5 and 6 had already been dismissed for public exams and the rest of the school would be having exams in a few weeks. On Whit Monday, 9th May, he went to conduct the Oral Examination in French for the Hong Kong G.C.E.

Brother Casimir had never paid too much attention to his health or diet. He tended to neglect his blood pressure and yet he seemed to be in reasonably good shape. But all was not as it seemed. The end was to come quickly. On the evening of the 9th May he went to bed early, telling a Brother that he had an upset stomach. Next morning he was in the Chapel for the morning prayers and served the Community Mass. He taught class all day.

His Director at the time, Brother Raphael Egan, describes what unfolded:
“I met Brother Casimir in the corridor on his way to the bathroom about 2.30pm and made the routine greeting “How are you?” He said, “not well,” and when I looked at him he was ashen and perspiring. Realising he was unwell, I accompanied him back to his room. I phoned the doctor and he arrived about 3.10pm. Brother Casimir was chatting away with the doctor and nurse when he got another massive attack. He was dead within minutes.”

Many old boy priests concelebrated the funeral Mass in St Teresa’s Church, which was filled to capacity with staff, students, parents, old boys and friends. Brother Casimir got a big “send off.” He had gone to the master he always served. The words of the school song he loved to sing comes to mind:
“She would have us ever minding
That above is our true home.”

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 4 (June 2008)

A Born Leader

Brother Raphael Egan was a big man, a larger than life figure. He was born on 3rd December 1918 in County Laois, Ireland, and was baptized Patrick Joseph. He came from a devoted Catholic family of nine children, five girls and four boys. All his five sisters became nuns, while two of the boys joined the La Salle Brothers. Two of his uncles and two of his cousins were also La Salle Brothers. This must be something of a record, even for the Ireland of his day, with its large families and strong practice of the Catholic faith.

Brother Raphael left for the Brothers’ Juniorate in Castletown, County Laois, on 17th August 1932. Here he showed early signs of practical piety and spiritual good sense. Following his Novitiate, he went directly to Faithlegg, County Waterford, for two years of Scholasticate. In 1939, he did his teacher training course in De La Salle College, Waterford. Two years later, he was assigned to teach in a Lasallian school in Ardee, County Louth. After teaching there for four years, he was sent to Dublin to study for a university degree while still attached to Ardee during holiday periods. 

His superiors must have observed a missionary streak in Brother Raphael or else he himself must have received the call because in October 1947 we find him arriving at La Salle College, Hong Kong. His arrival was a godsend. At the time Hong Kong was trying to recover from the war years. Though conditions were far from satisfactory, Brother Raphael taught the matriculation class, worked hard, put new spirit into his students, and achieved unprecedented success in public examinations.

In the words of Brother Raphael himself: “ It was tough going but the pupils who were all about 20 years old, studied like fury realizing how much they missed during the war years. I thought at the time that my standard of teaching was good but after only two years I was appointed Principal of St. Joseph’s College. This sudden promotion made me have second thoughts as it has been said that if one can’t teach well, it’s better promote him to Principalship.”
And so it came to pass that, at the relatively tender age of 31, Brother Raphael became a very youthful Director and Principal of St. Joseph’s College and soon began to make his mark. With Brother Brendan Dunne as his right-hand man, he put St. Joseph’s back on an even keel after the ravages of the war years. He set about refurnishing and reorganizing, recruiting better teachers and encouraging the students to make up for the four years of education they had missed during the war. The staff and students considered him a born headmaster and a great educator. 
As with many teachers and Headmasters, he had a nickname, “Red-faced Kwan Kung.” Kwan Kung was one of the three blood brothers in the Chinese epic ‘The Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ and was always depicted with a very red complexion. As it turned out, the nickname was not bad for Kwan Kung was reputed to be full of courage and righteousness, not at all a bad fellow.
Moreover, at this time he extended care and hospitality to the missionary Brothers and priests who had been expelled from Mainland China. He provided shelter and support for these servants of God. Indeed, throughout his life he continued to give generously to those in need.

After nine years of dedicated service at the helm of St Joseph’s, Brother Raphael was entrusted with a new challenge. He left behind a school with an enviable reputation as one of the best in Hong Kong. The new challenge was to pioneer the Brothers’ first venture in Sabah, Malaysia. He was to spend the next thirteen years building up the Lasallian schools in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. Many of the students at the time he took over were not up to standard and the schools somewhat rundown. Through hard work and determination Raphael changed things round and these schools became leading institutions in the State. 

As a Brother there at the time recalls: “He was a big strong man and I was later to realize he was big and strong also in mind, in heart, in vision. He was the boss, made the decisions, results were achieved and nobody was unduly worried how they were achieved. He was generous and people found it easy to relate with him.” He saw the need for boarding facilities and put up a boarding department to accommodate 60 boys. He would often join them at manual labour and always lead them in night prayers. He did Trojan work in these schools and is still gratefully remembered by staff and students. 
Hong Kong came calling again in 1971. After being absent from La Salle College for 14 years, Brother Raphael returned in 1971. He was to be Principal for the following 12 years. As he took over the reins, we read the following in the school magazine: ”Students of Biblical Knowledge will recall Christ asking his disciples on their return from John the Baptist ‘What went ye out to see? A reed shaken by the wind?’ Our new Headmaster, as you gaze on his 6 foot massive frame, certainly does not look like a broken reed.” In the event he was to need all the strength of mind and body he could muster. 

During his tenure, he made lots of innovations. In 1975, he turned the old Prefect’s Board, which helped the administration to oversee student affairs, into the Student Association, which represented student welfare. He established the Guidance Centre and the Religious Centre and introduced Computer Studies into the curriculum. He also allowed the old boys to use the schools’ sports facilities on Sundays. 

He himself took charge of two praesidia of the Legion of Mary and rarely missed the weekly meetings. Before the Legion meetings he would go to a flower stall to buy flowers for Our Lady’s altar. The stall owner’s curiosity eventually got the better of her and she said to Brother Raphael that he must love his wife very much and that she must be a beautiful woman. Brother Raphael said she was the most beautiful in the world!

In the midst of all his responsibilities, one more was added in 1979 when he was appointed Auxiliary Visitor to oversee the Lasallian mission in Hong Kong. He held this post until 1988. Brother Raphael’s style was to trust the Supervisors and Principals to do their work without undue interference. The Brothers joked that he would give you enough rope to hang yourself!
In fact he had a distinctive sense of humour. Sometimes his quips and jokes would be left hanging in the air and the penny would only drop later. One Brother recalls how he was invited by Brother Raphael to be Guest of Honour at a school Swimming Gala. Before he realized what was happening, Brother Raphael had introduced him to the spectators as a champion swimmer, almost able to swim across the Atlantic Ocean. The Brother concerned could hardly swim a stroke! Perhaps this is poetic (or Principals’) license!

Brother Raphael’s most memorable and daring undertaking was his proposal to demolish the original La Salle College building and build a new one. He had come to the conclusion that the old school, despite its majestic dome, was functionally inadequate. He put forward his proposal and left it to the Brothers to decide. In discussing the question, the Brothers were acutely aware that the old school held fond memories for the old boys. After much debate on the pros and cons the decision to go ahead was made. 

From there on, Brother Raphael oversaw the project with determination and clarity of vision while leaving the day to day detail to the architect and to Brothers Alphonsus Chee and Thomas Lavin who saw to everything splendidly. Work began in 1977 with over 50 lorries carting away the earth and a multitude of workers on site. On Friday, 8th June 1979, the Brothers took possession of the new La Salle College. The whole building is centrally air-conditioned, a much appreciated facility not only because of the summer heat but because, at the time, the airport was just down the road and the noise could be horrendous.  Sports facilities include a 50 metre swimming pool, a 6-lane 400 metre track, an indoor gymnasium and a full-size astro-turf soccer pitch. “In building this school we had in mind not 1979, but the year 2000” said Brother Raphael.

Bishop (later Cardinal) John Baptist Wu performed the official blessing on 6th January 1982. Then on the 19th February, the Governor, Sir Murray Mac Lehose, officially opened the new College.

In 1984, Brother Raphael reached mandatory retirement age and duly passed the baton to Brother Alphonsus Chee. However he remained the Director of the Brothers, the Supervisor of the College and took on the added responsibility of Supervisorship of La Salle Primary School. During these years he helped an untold number of people in need and his hospitality was legendary. He kept up a very large correspondence with personal friends as well as with old boys. The President of the Old Boys’ Chapter of Toronto, Peter Leung, recalls Brother Raphael’s final message:  “He told us not to look back over our shoulders but to look forward, be prepared for the future, integrate into the local society. Seeds from a tree are not created to grow back into its root, but to disperse, to adapt and to multiply.”

  All augured well until cancer raised its ugly head. At the end of September 1988, he underwent a major operation lasting over 7 hours. This marked his two-year personal battle with pain and suffering. He lost his physical strength and appetite. His spirit, however, was strong. Brother Henry Pang said, "He is very cheerful and bears his sufferings very bravely, trying his best not to show it and sometimes even venturing into my art room in order to crack a joke. He is full of faith and very prayerful, making regular trips to the chapel when he can walk."

Brother Raphael, accompanied by his cousin and confidante Mary Egan, returned to Ireland in 1990. He visited many of his relatives, in between repeated bouts of fever and hospitalization. Although he was thousands of miles away, his heart was with Hong Kong. He told his family, "If I feel alright, I want to return next month to Hong Kong which has 85% of me, of my heart and soul."

It was not to be. On 23rd July 1990, he was again hospitalized. On 24th July 1990, at 04:20, the great man left for heaven. The funeral Mass was held on the 26th July with Brother Patrick Tierney delivering the homily and in the presence of many friends and relations. Burial took place immediately afterwards in the Brothers’ graveyard in Castletown.
 
A student of Brother Raphael paid this personal tribute: “I miss Brother Raphael as a good friend, a great mentor and a most competent administrator. I can still feel Brother Raphael supervising us up there and, using his invisible hands to guide us along.”

At a commemorative Mass held in St Teresa’s Church, Kowloon, Brother Michael Jacques in his homily gave an overview: “He lies buried thousands of miles from his beloved Hong Kong but his spirit and example must remain to animate and to inspire us all. May his memory ever remain fresh and vivid, stimulating all of us to ever greater things, always to do ‘something more’ for the Lord in the service of our fellow-men.”

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 3 (May 2008)

Among all our dedicated and distinguished Brothers there is one whose outstanding vision and determination helped to set a solid foundation for the future development of the Hong Kong Lasallian family. To him, difficulty was a source of inspiration. 

The Brother Assistant Superior General, Michael Jacques, in his speech at the Hong Kong Centenary Celebration Dinner, told the guests:

“ I am sure you would like to join me in expressing our very deep debt of gratitude to all those Brothers who down the years and up to the present time have toiled here in Hong Kong…Each of you will retain individual memories of your beloved tutors, some of whom have made such a tremendous impact. I would like to mention one name, that of the late Brother Aimar, whose contribution to St. Joseph’s and the creation of La Salle College, Kowloon, have been such significant landmarks in the history of the past century. He is representative of a tribe of completely dedicated men to whom we are so indebted and whose spirit should fire us all to emulate their noble example.” 

Born in 1873 of the sturdy stock of the Cevennes folk, France, Brother Aimar received his professional training at the Brothers' Central Normal College of Paris. At one time he held a record of 52 years as a Missionary Teacher in the Far East. 

His first Eastern assignment was to St. Joseph's Institution in Singapore, in 1892. His teaching skills and versatility were soon recognized so that, early in 1901, a Commercial Class was opened and confided to Brother Aimar. He worked so hard that in less than a year his pupils attained such proficiency in Book-keeping, Shorthand and Typewriting as to merit the highest praise from the inspectors. Un¬der his guidance the boys won many highly prized contests, in particular that of the Queen’s Scholarship. Such high profile awards helped make St. Joseph's Institution one of the foremost educational establishments in Singapore.

 On July 5th 1909, however, he was transferred as Acting Director of St. Xavier's Institution in Penang. In 1910, he was instrumental in acquiring a large piece of land across the road from the school which was developed into a beautiful sports-field. As he was to repeat later, he did this despite the fact that funds were very tight, obviously realizing the value of space for a school. In any case he contributed greatly to the general redevelopment of the school.
After a term in Moulmein, Burma, he was sent to Hong Kong and it was in Hong Kong that Brother Aimar’s many talents were unleashed. 

In 1914, he was made Director of St Joseph’s College after the sudden death of Brother Peter Close, who survived his appointment as Director only one month and who died on the 30th April. Brother Aimar arrived in Hong Kong on the 21st May and assumed management of the College, then at Robinson Road. The location held a commanding view of the famous Hong Kong harbour. Under his leadership the College grew in size and fame. Eight new airy and bright classrooms were soon added and a new building was later put up. A student at the time, who later became a prominent benefactor of the school, remembered Brother Aimar as “a bearded, amiable and efficient headmaster.” The Brother Visitor at the time, Brother James Byrne, in a letter to the Bishop in 1916, shows his confidence in Brother Aimar’s abilities: “I desire to give your Lordship my best assurances that Brother Aimar will continue to guide the destinies of the College with untiring zeal, prudence and devotedness and that he will work in perfect harmony with the Mission.”

By 1917 he had built twelve additional classrooms, secured from the Government for the College the use of a playground at Happy Valley, purchased a country house for the Brothers and acquired a large building on Chatham Road for a branch Junior School. Brother Aimar worked quietly but efficiently.

Disaster struck in 1918 when the tremors from an earthquake whose epicenter was in Shantou, China, damaged the College building. After a government inspection, some of the school structures were declared unsafe. It was also considered unsafe to remain in occupation of the building. This was quite a big blow to the Brothers since the school building on Robinson Road was a good one and indeed a landmark in the territory. But disaster for Brother Aimar seemed always to be a source of inspiration. He began to search for pastures new. It seems he saw opportunity in the crisis. He was well aware of the pressure of the ever-increasing demand for admission and the necessity of returning the Robinson Road campus to the Catholic Mission, and therefore set about finding a new building, which could meet all up-to-date requirements, though his financial resources were very limited.

Thanks to the help he obtained from Father L. Robert, Procurator of the Paris Foreign Mission as well as to his own unflinching courage and determination in the face of all financial difficulties, the acquisition of Club Germania on Kennedy Road was made possible in 1918. At the time, the Club was mortgaged to the Hong Kong Shanghai Bank. Most of the day and the boarding students as well as the Brothers moved there quickly. 

Brother Aimar knew that the German Club would not in itself provide sufficient accommodation for a school of 600 pupils and he immediately set himself the task of expansion. There was little or no money but he asserted that the money could and must be found and found it was. With the help of the Lasallian schools in Singapore and Penang and a Government building grant, the North Block (1921) and the West Block (1925) were erected. If the North Block was intended for classrooms, the West Block was for facilities. The first floor of the West Block took up the school hall, the second floor housed the physics and chemistry laboratories and the top floor was reserved for the school chapel capable of accommodating all the Catholic students. These two blocks still exist and, in the year 2000, were declared historical monuments.

At the official opening of the West Block on 23rd October 1925 by the Governor, Sir R.E.Stubbs, Brother Aimar gave a speech which was recorded by the daily South China Mail newspaper. The speech gives an interesting insight, not only into how money was raised for the construction but also into Brother Aimar’s frame of mind at the time. Here is an excerpt:
“Rightly conceived, education is a means of brightening life, of making the world a better place to live in. To accomplish this task, the body and mind of the child must be trained. We all know that it is an admirable thing to have a sound body; it is an even better thing to have a sound mind; but infinitely better than either is to have character. Character is the decisive factor in the life of individuals.” Governor Stubbs also noted that the formation of character was a feature of the administration of Brother Aimar and his staff.

The year 1925 is also remembered as the year of the general strike and the colony faced a very severe economic crisis. Gradually, all schools, apart from St Joseph’s, closed. At the end of June Brother Aimar received an urgent appeal from the Government for student volunteers to keep the postal service running. Brother Aimar asked Brother Cassian to take charge and the boys did trojan work until the strike was over.

Besides overseeing the physical developments of the College, Brother Aimar found time to actively support student activities such as the building up of the scout troop formed in 1913, the formation of a St John Ambulance Brigade in 1927 and supporting the various sports teams. 

Brother Aimar must have been a very busy man around this time because besides dealing with St Joseph’s he was also engaged in the search for a junior branch school in Kowloon. The immediate intention was to spare the younger boys the trouble of crossing the harbour daily. Eventually, he was able to purchase a building on Chatham Road and opened the branch school there on 5th September 1917. This step was received with great favour, especially by those of Portuguese descent who had moved to Kowloon.

After securing a solid foundation for St. Joseph’s College, Brother Aimar now turned his attention to a much more daring project, his “opus magnum.”

As early as 1924, and anticipating the growth of Kowloon, he began to look for a suitable site for a new secondary school there. From the experience of struggling to find enough space and classrooms to accommodate students at St. Joseph’s College, he was determined to acquire a larger piece of land for the new school. He was also aware that the Chatham Road school building was not suitable for extended development. And so, as early as April 1924, we find him writing to Governor Sir Cecil Clementi: “The removal of the school in Chatham Road to new quarters should be expedited for the sake of both boys and staff. The premises are not suitable and the playground accommodation is not good”.

He roamed the hills of Kowloon in search of a suitable site and negotiated with the Government officials for years. He put his eye on a hilly site north of Boundary Street, in leased- land- from- China territory, and in 1926 even got the Governor to accompany him to have a look at his proposed 10 acre school site. If the Governor thought that Brother Aimar was asking for too much, he kept his counsel. There were some who considered the choice of location ill advised, even foolish, but Brother Aimar would have none of it. On the 23rd April 1928, he finally obtained 10 acres of land at public auction for HK$120,000 (about 28 cents per square foot) and began designing and building a new school which he named after St John Baptist de La Salle. He also managed to purchase 3 more acres of land nearby which would in time house La Salle Primary School.

Brother Aimar did not waste time. Contracts were drawn up, the contract awarded and the architects appointed. Site formation began and the foundation stone was laid on 5th November 1930. Brother Cassian Brigant witnessed all these developments and notes: “Work went forward without pause for more than a year under the constant supervision of Brother Director, Brother Aimar. Whenever he had a moment free, he was there to inspect the work, and in this way prevented several mistakes.” Brother Aimar thought big and big is what he got. The dogged and intrepid Frenchman had persevered to the end and produced a veritable monument. He was the first Principal of La Salle College when it opened its doors in December 1931, though the official opening was not until1932. At the opening ceremony he had praise for the students:
“Nothing has been spared to make their school life as pleasant as possible. The boys appreciate what has been done for them and give us entire satisfaction.”

 Brother Aimar remained Principal until the Japanese soldiers forced the Brothers to leave the College in 1942.To this day many old boys swap fond memories of their days under the “Dome”, the crowning glory of Brother Aimar’s school.
 
It is not too surprising that, after all this hectic work over a number of years, Brother Aimar began to show signs of ill health and for that reason was told by his superiors to take a rest in his home country. And so he set sail for France in April1933 and returned in December, relaxed and refreshed. He did not return alone. He brought with him a special gift, a new recruit in the person of Brother Casimir Husarik who was to remain attached to the College for the rest of his life. 

Brother Aimar was now able to enjoy some of the fruits of his labour as he guided the new College through some of its bumper years both academically and in sports. At the 1938 Prize-Giving Day one of the prize recipients recalls: “Our Grand Old Man (Brother Aimar), receiving the guests, gave a dignified touch to everything”. Indeed, although he was quick of mind and in initiating action, he himself never seemed to be in a rush and approached everything with dignified calm.

He was soon to need all the calm he could muster because news of the outbreak of war in Europe had an immediate impact. The British authorities had been eyeing La Salle College for some time as a possible resource building. On the 3rd January 1939 the army encircled it with barbed wire, observation posts, barriers and grills and four watchtowers and it became an internment camp, initially for German nationals, termed “enemy aliens”. This development was a bitter pill for Brother Aimar to swallow, a cruel and unexpected blow. It looked like the beginning of the end but he decided to make maximum use of the adjacent plot of land and house he had purchased in 1928 and set up temporary classrooms. There, school resumed in a bi-sessional format. By 1940 the College was back in the possession of the Brothers and normal school operations commenced in September. It was to be the last ‘normal’ school year before Japanese occupation.

The Japanese attacked on the 8th December 1941 and Brother Aimar announced to the whole school already assembled for the Christmas examinations that these would be postponed indefinitely and that the boys were to return home immediately. Who would have thought that this would be Brother Aimar’s last school announcement! By the 13th December the Japanese had overrun practically the whole of Kowloon. For a while the College catered to both British and Japanese wounded but gradually the Japanese noose tightened and they took complete control of the College. On January 17th the Brothers were told they would have to leave and they sought and found refuge in an apartment through the good offices of the parish priest. 

They left practically everything behind. The Japanese had promised Brother Aimar to seal off the chapel, the sacristy and the main office. However, there was little doubt in the minds of the Brothers that all the registers and files would be destroyed. Brother Aimar, whose face was by now lined with sadness and worry, realized there was little the Brothers could do in the circumstances and decided to head for Indo-China (Vietnam). On the 1st March 1942 he led a group of 10 Brothers and set out for Haiphong. For some it would be a journey of no return. It would be an understatement to say that Brother Aimar left Hong Kong with a heavy heart.

He spent his last days in Vietnam. The Brothers there treated him lovingly and, according to Brothers Michael Curtin and Felix Sheehan, “went out of their way to make his last days happy. He had every medical attention and medical care”. Exactly 15 years after the laying of the Foundation Stone of La Salle College, on 5th November 1945, he passed away at Nhatrang, Vietnam, at the age of 72. He was buried in the small cemetery on the site of the Brothers' Formation House at Nhatrang. 

Back in Hong Kong a solemn service was held at St Teresa’s Church on the 5th November 1946 with a sung Mass celebrated by an old friend, Fr Spada.

La Salle College celebrated its silver jubilee in 1957 and did not forget its founder. The Silver Jubilee commemorative publication pays this tribute: “Out of the welter of words and rejoicings in this Jubilee Year, the figure of Brother Aimar is an abiding memory. Only those whose good fortune was to serve under him in the early days of the College can understand the magnitude of the pioneer work he achieved. Prayer, energetic labour and boundless patience were his armoury.”

The Brothers and old boys of La Salle wanted to mark Bro Aimar’s immense contribution to the school with a substantial sculpture. On the 13th June 1962 they took the opportunity of the visit of the Superior General, Brother Nicet Joseph, who unveiled a bronze bust of Brother Aimar placed in one of the courtyards of the school. This bust was paid for and presented to the school by the La Salle Old Boys’ Association. 

The story was not complete. There seemed to be a general wish to have Brother Aimar’s remains brought back to Hong Kong. The services of Brother Michael Jacques, Assistant Superior General, were enlisted. The Brothers of Vietnam and their old boys did all in their power to break through official red tape. In December 1966, Brother Aimar’s remains were exhumed and personally carried to Hong Kong by Brother Michael. After Mass and funeral rites, the remains were placed in a silver casket and inserted in a granite niche under the bust. The inscription read: Si Monumentum Requiris Circumspice! If you seek his monument, look around you.

At the Re-internment of the mortal remains of Brother Aimar, Brother Michael said in part: “Today, Brother Aimar comes home to us, to this creation of his dreams, to this fine monument to the memory of a truly great man. If a man’s achievements are the measure of his soul, then St Joseph’s on the island and, above all, La Salle here in Kowloon, must mark him out not only as a great servant of God but an outstanding educator as well and one of the great citizens of his time.
What distinguished him in a special way was the extraordinary affection and loyalty he was able to generate among his pupils and among all who came to know him.”

But there was a final twist to the tale. In 1978, with the demolition of the old school building, Brother Aimar’s remains were moved to the Brothers’ vault in St Michael’s Catholic Cemetery, Happy Valley. And there they rest to this day. 
Brother Aimar, as founder, had given gave to La Salle a tone and a tradition. His role in the Lasallian Mission in Hong Kong was summarized by Mr. J.P. Braga, a prominent old boy of St. Joseph’s College, as follows:

‘Retiring and unassuming, Brother Aimar never impresses one with the outward appearance of a financial genius. Nevertheless, he may be likened, metaphorically, to a unit of “silent service”.’

Brother Patrick Tierney composed the following poem in memory of Brother Aimar: 

A Man of Vision

Not for him the shining brilliance
of stoked fire spewing out
red -hot sparks of burning ash.

Not for him the garish show
of vulgar ostentation flaunting
its loud strutting display.

Not for him the cut or dash
the dazzle and razzmatazz
of glamour showbiz.

I contemplate his portrait;
the enigmatic, still aura
of dignified love,

the eyes calmly inviting,
kindling the flame of learning,
lighting up the soul.

Here was a man
who saw the divine
in the heart of a child.

Originally published on The Gateway Issue No. 2 (April 2008)

Daniel O’Connell is a towering figure in Irish history. In our Lasallian world, we have our own Daniel O’Connell, more familiarly known as Brother Paul, and who, at least in some respects, was also a towering figure. 

Brother Paul was born in 1889 in Vicarstown, County Laois, Ireland. He took the Brother’s Habit in 1905 and was sent on the missions to Hong Kong in 1907. He was assigned to teach in St. Joseph’s College, then at Robinson Road, Glenealy, at the tender age of 18. Apart from a short interlude between 1921-1922, when he was transferred to Singapore and Malaysia, he was to spend all of his extraordinarily long missionary life in Hong Kong. He professed his final vows there in 1918.

When Brother Paul arrived in 1907, Hong Kong was a comparatively small city. The Chinese Kingdom was still under the control of the Empress Dowager, Cixi. Four years later Brother Paul witnessed the birth of the Chinese Republic. He was to live under 12 colonial governors of Hong Kong (from Lugard to MacLehose), 7 Catholic Bishops (Pozzoni, Raimondi, Valtorta, Bianchi, Hsu, Lei, Wu): 9 Popes (Leo, Pius X, Benedict, Pius XI, Pius XIII, John, Paul, John Paul I, John Paul II) and 6 monarchs of the British Empire (Victoria, Ed¬ward XII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Elizabeth).

From 1907 to 1921, Brother Paul taught at St. Joseph’s College. Among his many other duties he was the Sports-master, with particular responsibility for coaching the footballers. In 1918 an earthquake damaged a large part of the school campus and the Brothers were forced to move out. The Brothers were fortunately able to purchase Club Germania at Kennedy Road and they planned to move the school there. Before the new school premises was ready to accommodate all classes, Brother Paul was assigned to take care of the remaining classes at the Robinson Road campus, in somewhat trying conditions.

Even at this early stage, Brother Paul had become an intrepid hiker. He knew Hong Kong so well that he could take you from one point to another by the shortest route, regardless of valley and hill, stream or jungle. He could walk for hours on end through the forestry paths as well as on the mountains.

Another area of expertise was the auditing of accounts. He would present the audit accounts meticulously correct and handsomely set out in a judicious usage of black and red ruling.

Between 1921 and 1923 Brother Paul was assigned to Singapore and Malaysia but somehow he always hankered after Hong Kong and his superiors decided to accede to his wish. In 1923, when he returned from Malaysia, he was given a new assignment. He became the Headmaster of St. Joseph’s College Branch School at Chatham Road, Kowloon. For years afterwards he maintained he had no idea why the Superiors decided that he was the man for the job. But decide they did. The Branch School had been opened on 5th September 1917 to cater to the boys, many of Portuguese descent, who were now living in Kowloon. It was also meant to relieve the junior boys having to commute across the harbour every day. It was the reverse for Brother Paul of course and we presume he traveled by ferry or “wala-wala”, a small motor boat which made a sound similar to its local nickname.

The students of the branch school were, in time, to form the nucleus for La Salle College which opened its doors in 1932. Most of the students were transferred to La Salle and Brother Paul followed them.

Among his many responsibilities, and at various times, Brother Paul took on the role of Prefect of Boarders. The boarders came from such places as Indochina (Vietnam), Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Burma, Indonesia and some of them from as far as Mexico. Their parents wanted them to get a good grounding in English, a ‘must’ for would-be traders in the Far East. It was Brother Paul’s task to mould these heterogeneous elements into something like a miniature United Nations. Brother Michael Curtin mentions that, as boarding prefect, “Brother Paul was very understanding but very firm on discipline.” Since the number of boarders rose to as high as 250 he probably needed to take a firm stand. At 6 foot 3 and ramrod straight he was not to be trifled with.

He was reassigned to St. Joseph’s College from 1935 to 1945. During the war, only three Brothers remained in Hong Kong, namely Brothers John Lynam, Martin Kelleher and Paul. They managed to survive and quickly resumed their work when the war was over. The old boys of the College moved quickly also and held a reunion in 1946 at which Brother Paul was present. He received a great welcome and after the singing of “He’s a jolly good fellow” he was forced to say a few words. It was obvious that he was deeply moved, for about 80% of those present had been his pupils. With some humour, Brother Paul remarked that while he was privileged to have had many of those present under him in class, he hoped he would be able to make a better job of the younger generation than he did with the old! The old boys responded by singing some Irish songs for him.

Brother Paul continued to serve St. Joseph’s and La Salle College until his retirement in 1965. He was usually followed by his faithful shepherd dog, even into the classroom. The dog was big but very tame and friendly. During this period of his life, he tramped the hills and valleys of Hong Kong, taking a keen interest in its flora and fauna and taking copious notes. He was usually accompanied by other Brothers but if none was available he would set out himself.

One Brother recalls a first meeting in the early 60’s. “Brother Paul was an imposing figure, even to a ‘know all’ youth of twenty four. He carried his knowledge and wisdom lightly, however, and I was happy in his company, especially when he was in the mood for a song. I remember wondering and admiring how he could continue to teach catechism even into old age. I also liked to see him with the pipe, and, like many pipe smokers, the pipe seemed to be more for company than for smoking.”

Many tales are told of Brother Paul as a teacher. One of his old boys of the class of 1935, now living in London, says that ‘he was a very, very, strict teacher’. He was also a strict disciplinarian. The old boy recalls how he told a Mexican boy several time to have his hair cut. For whatever reason, the boy did not do so. One morning after morning prayers, Brother Paul called this boy out, took a pair of scissors and cut the boy’s hair himself! One wonders what would happen if a teacher did this today!

After retirement he spent his remaining years residing in the country bungalow of the Brothers adjacent to De La Salle Secondary School, Fanling which is close to the mainland China border. The countryside environment suited him to the ground. He taught religion in some classes and occupied himself in the garden and in the study of the flora of Hong Kong which was his hobby. He started with cataloguing the blooms that graced the extensive garden surrounding the Brothers’ bungalow. In fact he had plans for publishing a book on the Trees, Shrubs and Flowers of Hong Kong and was in contact with a local publisher. As a lover of nature, he also loved animals, dogs in particular, and he had a dog in tow even from the early days. He christened one of his dogs “wu lei”, or ‘fox’ in Chinese. The Brothers took much delight listening to Paul ‘talking’ to the dog which showed every sign of understanding.

He never lost his love for his native land and every St Patrick’s Day he would hoist the flag of the Irish Republic in the garden. Local British officials seemed mildly amused and turned a blind eye to this expression of patriotic fervour. On celebratory occasions, Paul’s favourite patriotic song was ‘God Save Ireland’ complete with rousing chorus.

He usually enjoyed excellent health. However, in the late 70’s he had to endure a severe operation. On recovery he continued to live on happily in Fanling amidst the flowers and the trees he loved so well. Things seemed to be moving nicely and in 1979 the editors of La Salle College Magazine were happy to congratulate him on completing 90 years and wished him “Cheung Meng Pak Sui”, life to a hundred years. Despite his advanced age, he went on home leave in the summer of 1979 and returned in mid October, apparently in good health and spirits. He fell ill, however, and had to be hospitalized and, despite hopes for his recovery, passed away peacefully on 6th November 1979 at St. Teresa’s Hospital, Kowloon.   

Human dignity was less talked about in the 1910s than it is now. Yet those who had the privilege of knowing Brother Paul could see in him an expression of respect for personal human dignity such as is seldom met with in our more prosperous but more feverish age. In his youth in Ireland and in early manhood in Hong Kong, he learnt a grave courtesy that never seemed affected and never inhibited his sense of humour. With the passing years the world has largely lost this gracious gift; but Brother Paul, a man of strong character, refused to jettison what was good from the past.

The memory of Brother Paul is enshrined in the hearts of his old pupils of St. Joseph's, La Salle College and De La Salle Secondary School who will not forget his untiring efforts. His genial personality will ever be remembered by those he taught and colleagues who worked with him. His insistence on order, hard work and vigorous exercise inspired generations of students. One of his favourite axioms was ‘esto vir’ (be a man)) and he himself gave a fine example of manly virtues to his students. This ‘grand old man’ leaves behind the kindest of memories of courtesy and devotion to duty.

Here is a poem written in his honour by Brother Patricius O’Donovan who knew him well.

Requiescat In Pace
The Lord had willed the hour of parting!
From our midst Paul’s soul had gone,
Bearing myriad years of merit,
Mead of duties nobly done;
He had gone with prayers and blessings,
At his loving Master’s call,
To his heavenly home – goal of his longings,
Where pure joys can never pall.

The Orient sun had just arisen,
And our cities hummed again,                     
Lion Rock looked clear and crimsoned,               
And all its multi-mountained chain;             
Well known haunts he’d loved and cherished,
Oft traversed with practised art,
Seeking Nature’s hidden treasures,
With roving eye and throbbing heart.

Over seventy years of labour,
Always faithful – ever true,
An achievement unsurpassed, 
Only meted out to few;
For God’s honour, for his neighbour,
Always zealous for God’s claim,
Never fearing in the struggle,                  
Never faltering in the strain.

Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 1 (March 2008)

Joseph Dunne was born in Camp, County Kerry, Ireland on 2nd July 1914, right at the start of World War 1. The little town is located beside a bay which opens out to the vast Atlantic ocean. The hinterland is dotted with lovely hills and valleys. Joseph was the fifth in a family of eight boys and one girl. The family grew up on a farm.

He attended the local primary school at a turbulent time in Irish history. He retained vivid memories of the reign of the Black and Tans and later the Civil War when violence and terror stalked the land. When a recruiter for the De La Salle Brothers visited the school, Joseph volunteered and the rest, as they say, is history.

In 1928, he joined the De La Salle Brothers and took the Habit in September 1930 followed by the Novitiate year. The following year he was sent to England to further his studies and it was there that he volunteered for the missions. In 1932 a group of six young Brothers and three mission returnees set out for the East from Marseilles. Among them were Brother Cassian Brigant and Brother Felix Sheehan, with both of whom he would later share community in Hong Kong.

On arrival in Penang, Brendan was first posted to St Xavier’s Institution but within months was heading for St Joseph’s College, Hong Kong. He was 19 years old. His first teaching term in Hong Kong was from 1933 to 1936 and Brother Matthias Linehan was the Director, a man for whom he had a high regard. It was a heady time, for the College was celebrating its Diamond Jubilee. Already, two prominent aspects of Brother Brendan’s lifestyle were emerging: a determination to make his lessons in class both interesting and understandable, and a love of hiking.

From 1936 to 1941, Brother Brendan was back in Malaysia and taught in St. John’s Institution, Kuala Lumpur and in St. Xavier’s Institution, Penang. One Brother summed him up as a teacher at this time:
“His students revered him. He put such sparkle into his lessons. He had that twinkle, that almost mischievous smile that put the pupils in a mood to respond. And when he got the right answer he expressed his delight with an expression in Chinese, English or French. He was almost continental in his gestures and facial expressions and could add mimicry that would do justice to Marcel Marceau”.

Brendan was still in Penang when the Japanese invasion took place 8th December 1941. As with many Brothers, he was now not allowed to teach which he found frustrating. He along with a number of other Brothers decided to try their luck living in a jungle camp at Bahau, known as the ‘Fuji Go’. He was a tower of strength in the camp. With his pipe, his black hat, his tall muscular body, his repertoire of stories, his mimicry and unfailing good humour, his company was a tonic in the depressing circumstances. Living and suffering, surviving and dying were commonplace for the next two years. Like most of the others, Brendan succumbed to malaria attacks but bounced back each time, perhaps because he was now thirty and in his prime.

After surviving the War, a holiday home was the order of the day and much appreciated by his family. He had not been home for thirteen years. By October 1947 he was back East, this time as a member of the teaching staff at St. Joseph’s College, Hong Kong. In 1949 he was appointed Vice Principal with Brother Raphael Egan as Principal. They formed a wonderful partnership and worked very well together to put St. Joseph’s back on a firm post-war footing. The Communist take-over in China had resulted in a flood of refugees whose offspring swelled the school population. Many of these students were living from hand to mouth and it was on these that Brother Brendan lavished his care and compassion.

He taught a full day despite his administrative commitments. He was thorough, dedicated and demanding but also considerate, kind and understanding. Many of his old pupils remember how he used to stress the importance of writing a correct sentence and paragraph. If you could write a correct sentence you could write a correct paragraph and thence a correct composition. He would spend a whole lesson teaching just a few sentences. He seemed to know all the common mistakes in English made by Chinese boys. He hammered home the grammar basics. No wonder it was difficult not to get credits or distinctions in his class.

One of his pupils, who would later become a teacher in the College, stresses brother Brendan’s unlimited patience. He would talk with you about your mistakes for hours on end. He would make you write one fine copy after another until the piece was perfect. It was difficult to win against him in regard to patience, argument or anything else, so that in the end you simply had to submit! 

He was also spiritual director of the Star of the Sea Legion of Mary Praesidium, never missing the weekly meeting. In addition he would instruct boys who wished to become Catholics.

One of his pupils at the time, Charles Kao, was to become the Nobel Laureate for Physics, often regarded as ‘the father of fibre optics’. On a recent visit to his alma mater, Charles recalled how Brother Brendan had a formula whenever he wanted to motivate his students to study hard. He would ‘request’ them to have certain answers ready for him the following day. And “if you fail to answer my question correctly, I shall send you to Queen Mary with my left fist!” Now, Queen Mary is a government hospital! He always followed this threat with a mischievous smile while he shadow-boxed with left and right jabs. Needless to say, nobody was ever sent to Queen Mary in such circumstances.

When Brother Raphael was transferred to Sabah in 1957 Brother Brendan succeeded him as Principal. Excellent academic standards were maintained and the spiritual life of the school was not overlooked. Brother Peter Phelan was with him at the time and says: “During my ten years in community with him I never knew him to use corporal punishment of any kind. He was well liked by the teachers, and even more by the non-academic staff.” Indeed, he had a prodigious memory for the names of his past pupils and former teachers and had a fund of anecdotes connected with them.

If he had any weakness it was erring on the side of kindness. Teachers would sometimes complain that he treated the naughty boys too leniently. When they were sent to see him in his office, he would sit them down, smoke his pipe, have a chat and give them sweets. No wonder they returned to class, all smiles! Perhaps this was Brendan’s way of letting teachers know that they should find a better way of dealing with naughty students than sending them to see the Headmaster.

As Principal of a leading school in the territory, he embarked on an ambitious project of redevelopment and upgrading. In 1961 the original school building (called the Club Germania) facing Kennedy Road was demolished and a splendid new wing erected within 2 years. In addition a new school hall was erected on the east wing. At the time St Joseph’s was the envy of many schools because it could boast of two school halls. Governor Sir Robert Black and Superior General Brother Nicet Joseph officiated at the opening of the new school building and Bishop Bianchi performed the blessing. Brother Nicet paid a special tribute to two stalwarts in the history of St Joseph’s, Bishop Raimondi and Brother Aimar. The new wing remains a monument to Brother Brendan’s careful planning and supervision. The top floor became the residence for the Brothers.

Brother Alphonsus Breen, who joined the St Joseph’s community in 1962 recalled: “He was easy to live with, gave us ample freedom and rarely interfered. Ever even-tempered, he never allowed himself to be upset by persons or events. He was sympathetic to the pupils, especially those who got into trouble, and took a personal interest in the poor boy”.

In 1964, having completed his term as Principal and Director he went on home leave after which he was posted to La Salle Secondary School, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Here he teamed up again with Brother Raphael Egan until 1966 when he was appointed Director and Principal. Circumstances were very different to those in Hong Kong but Brendan settled in and grew very attached to the students, many of whom were relatively poor. He had particular time for the boarders and spent much time chatting with or counseling them. After his death one of them had this to say: “For us, the boarders, his attentive ears provided the solace for young troubled minds at times”. On the school front, he provided facilities for the newly opened sixth form classes and before his term expired he admitted the first batch of girls into Form 6. On the community front he had a three-storey community residence built for the Brothers

In 1969 he was back in Hong Kong, at first as a teacher in La Salle College, but two years later he was appointed the first Principal of Chong Gene Hang College on Hong Kong Island. The school is located in a resettlement and industrial area and it was the first secondary school there.  He had to commute every day from St Joseph’s College to Chong Gene Hang, but there was no complaint. At once Brother Brendan got down to business, recruited a young staff and set about creating a warm and homely school climate. He spent eight years in this post and the school soon developed a spirit and identity of its own with a strong sense of belonging among staff and students. Since the school lacked sports facilities, he encouraged cross country running with the result that the school was soon grabbing headlines.  Brother Brendan’s generosity and largeness of heart was much appreciated by both the school and the local community.

At a Speech Day for the school in 1974, we get a glimpse of Brother Brendan’s thinking in relation to the school. Addressing the boys directly he said: “Well then, for your own good and for the reputation of the entire school, make sure you behave responsibly, and make it easier for the other boys to behave well too. Always remember you carry the reputation of the school with you wherever you go. You are the School!”

In 1979 he reached retiring age and bade farewell to a school he loved and set fair to flourish. Retirement saw him giving a hand to unemployed youth at Benburb Base, a Lasallian Centre in London and to a private Catholic school in Sabah. He had a calming effect on these young people undergoing hardship or trial and, if he felt it was justified, would move heaven and earth to help them.

In 1981, he was to return to his second home, St. Joseph’s College Hong Kong, where he would live out his final years, keeping in touch with old boys of St Joseph’s and Chong Gene Hang, entertaining visitors and deepening his spiritual life, especially through prayer and a study of the Scriptures. There were no frills in his spiritual diet. The Mass, meditation, the rosary and the Legion of Mary were the mainstays. He was still devoted to hiking and to smoking his pipe. After a good workout on a hot and humid afternoon, he would return dripping with perspiration and enjoy a smoke and a bottle of beer. Other hobbies included doing the daily newspaper cryptic crossword. It was beyond most of us but to Brendan it was a breeze.

“During these years he traveled a lot, visiting relatives in England, Ireland and Australia” writes Brother Thomas Favier. He kept in touch with former students and figured prominently at annual reunions. At a recent dinner and dance the Guest of Honour, a leading government official, spoke of how Brendan, back in the 1950’s, put him on his feet when things were low for him. As the official resumed his seat midst much applause, Brendan drifted by, gave him a swish of his serviette, and said:” ’You talk a lot of nonsense!’.” His memory for the names and work of old boys was phenomenal.

In the ordinary day to day events of life, Brother Brendan meant many things to many people. To many he was simply a friend, a good friend, because if Brendan became your friend you were a friend for life. To others he was a counselor, gifted with insight and understanding and lending a discerning ear to those who confided in him. To still others he was a rock and a refuge in times of trouble or distress. Brendan, puffing his pipe, usually had a calming effect on people undergoing trials. And he would help them in every possible way.

Some two years before his death he was in hospital for cystectomy. He took some time to adjust but the main trouble came from a weakening of the heart. As he needed more and more care, Brothers Alphonsus Breen and Thomas Favier saw to his daily needs. They arranged for nursing help, doctor’s visits, room-cleaning and made sure he was settled for sleep every night.

The story of Brother Brendan’s last few days and hours is easily told. For some days he had slowed down a lot and was eating little. Yet, on the evening of the 6th March 1998, a first Friday, he managed to make his way as usual to St Joseph’s Church, for Mass and first Friday devotions. That night, some time after 10 o’clock, Brother Alphonsus went to look in on Brendan and see if he was settled for the night. He found him lying quietly on the floor and, sensing that there was no time to lose, he called an ambulance and a doctor. Brother Brendan, however, passed away peacefully before the ambulance arrived.

The funeral mass was held on the 18th March in Christ the King Chapel with Bishop John Tong as chief celebrant. There was a large attendance of former staff and students, government officials and religious. St Joseph’s College scouts provided a guard of honour. Present too were two nieces, Kathleen and Mary, from Australia as well as Mary’s husband. Brother Patrick Tierney gave the homily. Brother Brendan was laid to rest in the De La Salle Brothers’ plot in St. Michael’s Cemetery, Happy Valley.

Brother Philip Callaghan, a companion of the pre-war and war years, wrote a poem tribute, one verse of which goes as follows:

“There will be a void, not a voiceless void;
Vibrant voices shall recall your legend
Speaking praise of your friendliness and loyalty;
How you evangelized relaying the truth;
Were counselor and guide for bewildered youth”.

Or this one from Brother Patricius;

“Yours was no lingering demise
Nor slow drift to decay
Death flung its portals sudden wide
As you sped from Life away
You folded up like to a flower
At evening’s dimming light
You turned from Time’s darkling hours
And bade the world good night
You went upon your pilgrim path
And gave to death the nod
Then star-ward sped from our dark sphere
Into the arms of God

At the back of Brother Brendan’s memorial card is a touching tribute from one of his former students entitled “I will remember”. It goes:

You had a way with things
The class will never forget you
Neither will I.