Golden Jubilee Message from Brother Jerome:

6th January, 1998.

Dear Br. Michael,

  Regretfully I am unable, because of indifferent health, to accept your kind invitation to attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the arrival of the Presentation Brothers in San Fernando. Would that I were in good health, I would gladly avail of your ticket to return to my beloved Trinidad to paticipate in your various Jubilee ceremonies, to renew old acquaintances, to revive the treasured memories of, for me, an eventful fifteen-year period of my life, but especially to be present with you in thanking God for the many blessings and graces bestowed on the school community during the historic fifty year period - 1948 to 1998.

  I acknowledge my indebtedness to the staff, lay as well as religious. Their pursuit of excellence at every level of endeavour, while upholding the Catholic ethos of the College was a tonic to witness and a privilege to be part of. I salute the efforts of Brothers Livinus Kelly, Bartholomew Browne, Anselm O'Callaghan and Matthew Feheney and particularly you, in making San Fernando College what it has become.

  You, Br. Michael, have added to and refined the efforts of your predecessors, to enhance the process of Christian Formation of which the College is justifiably proud. From the beginning the Presentation Brothers sought to inspire their students through the Christian milieu they developed on campus, through the spirit of work they cultivated and through the consistent manner in which they promoted the development of the full person in accordance with Gospel values. They reached for, achieved and sustained quality at every level of human endeavour, academically, in sports, in culture and in the promotion of the arts. The wide range of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities on offer, testify to the vision out of which these educators operated.

  Long may these ideals that now have become the tradition of Presentation College San Fernando continue to inspire the present generation of students and indeed generations yet unborn, to identify, develop, own and use their gifts and talents for their own enrichment but also for the good of the wider community. It is an understanding of what constitutes service to others that is needed today more than ever in order to counteract the self-centred philosophy of a materialistic and secular society.

  By way of putting these thoughts in context I should underline that we live in a world of imperfection and impermanence. The night of unbelief may grow still darker before the dawn. The underlying consensus and values which held society together no longer exist in the broader society as they once did. There is now both the need and opportunity for the Gospel once again to fill the spiritual void that secularism is creating.

  The challenge facing educators everywhere is that we must be reborn each day to compassion - compassion especially for the poor, for the weak, the wounded and the wayward. In such a climate much can be done to accommodate each person's hunger to be understood and each person's dream of becoming a winner at something.

  Yes, there are causes for concern in the world scene, be they modernity, the defeatist attitude to failure, the loneliness of today's youth, etc. However, in Trinidad and Tobago you generate your own good reasons for hope; and you are blessed with your special sources of inspiration.

  There is no substitute for the stamp of authenticity which characterises the atmosphere of Presentation College where the primacy of the person and the dignity of every individual is enriched through a religious climate which is a tribute to all concerned.

  I take the liberty then to encourage you to continue standing resolutely in the promotion of the Christian milieu, wherein not only is religious instruction given at fixed times, but every other subject is taught in conformity with Christian principles and truth. As warp and woof interlocking assure the texture of a piece of cloth, so do religion and other learning give firmness to the fabric of life; Divine Truth irradiating every domain of learning; secular study revealing God more and more.

  Kindly convey my thanks and appreciation to His Grace Archbishop Pantin, to Bishop Mendes, the priests who served in the parish and in the College: diocesan, Dominican and Holy Ghost as well as Benedictine; our great friends the St. Joseph of cluny sisters, present and past students and their parents and in a special way, that dedicated school secretary, George McSween and all members of staff, present as well as past members.

  We are indebted in a special way to the Benedictine Monks for what they accomplished for education in San Fernando through the old St. Benedict's College and for their particular service and availability to Presentation College over the years.

  Finally, I congratulate you Br. Michael and your staff on what you have achieved and indeed on what you aspire to.

  May Our Divine Lord and His Blessed Mother bless you in all that you are called to be and to do in life. May Blessed Edmund Rice continue to inspire you and the school community with creative vision in the years ahead.

With warm personal regards,
Br. Jerome

Copyright © 1998, Presentation College, San Fernando.
All Rights Reserved.