1

Issue 5 March/April 2014

A bi-monthly news bulletin from the Marist Association

Special

points of

interest

Marist

Association

Invitational

Cricket

St Patrick’s

Day Party

Ethos

Marist

Mercy Care

This year’s alumni dinner will be held on Friday, 6 June in the Marist Association Hall, with special guest speaker, former

Springbok rugby coach, Ian Mcintosh.

Ticket price: R280

Please contact Tessa in the alumni office for more information.

2

March/April 2014 Issue 5

This year is the 85th anniversary of St Henry’s, and so there are

a number of special events surrounding this special occasion, to

which you are all invited:

Founder’s Day Mass to be held at 10am , on Friday, 6 June

2014.

The naming of the fields ceremony will take place after the

mass.

Alumni Dinner on Friday, 6 June 2014 at 6.30pm

Derby day to be held on Saturday, 7 June 2014. St Henry’s

high school rugby & hockey teams, and primary school rugby

& netball teams will be playing at home, in what will be a fun

and exciting day of sport. The high school rugby teams will be

playing against Thomas More College

Golf Day to be held at the Royal Durban Golf Course on 2

October 2014

Please contact Tessa in the association office for more

information.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Marist Association Invitational Cricket

3

March/April 2014 Issue 5

Friday, 7th March saw the first “official” Marist Invitational cricket

match. In previous years, although there have been games of cricket

played against the school’s first team, it had never been formalised.

Starting with this year’s game we would like to see it become a

permanent fixture in the Alumni calendar.

Due to the nature of cricket and there being room for only so many

players,12 old boys who were readily available were asked to play.

These were; Jonathan Schumann, Bhaskar Parmanand, Devin Heffer, Kyle Bowes-Taylor, Jason Grieve, Ad-

am Watson, Matthew Kimble, Matthew Sprong, Nicolas Pitman, Langa Mbongwa, Rory Macdonald and Scott

Hiron.

This was a rather strong tea, as some of the players now play club

cricket, and some are recent matriculants and so, aren't too rusty.

This made for a team with a wide variety of years and skill levels.

As planned, the match was played in the 20-20 format, with high

hopes of it being an explosive afternoon of cricket. The Old Boys chose

to bat first, posting a total of 144 runs.

Devin Heffer was top scorer with a 50, with contributions coming all

the way down the order. Unfortunately due to an extremely slow out-

field and a tricky pitch, there weren't as many boundaries as hoped, but

the runs were on the board.

Next came the innings of the school boys, with Jonathan Schumann

taking the new ball. Quite a risk being taken, by opening with spin, how-

ever it did pay off, with a wicket falling in the first over. From then on,

wickets fell at a regular pace, with some good bowling from all of the old

boys. Everyone willing to turn an arm was thrown the ball and this regu-

lar change in bowling seemed to do the trick with the pupils being bowled out for a total of 77. A special

mention must be made of Jonathan Schumann for taking an absolute blinder of a catch at silly mid-off, thus

earning him man of the match.

The game turned out to be most enjoyable for all those

who were involved, and a big thank you to all those who

participated.

We are looking to host another game in the not too

distant future, and if we can spark an interest, we may

be able to expand this into a bigger event with multiple

Old Boys teams.

If you are interested in participating, please contact

us so we can include you in the next game.

-Matthew Sprong (Captain) Back: J. Schumann, N. Pitman, D. Heffer, J. Grieve, M. Kimble, R. Macdonald

Front: A. Watson, M. Sprong, L. Mbongwa, K. Bowes-Taylor, B. Parmanand, S. Hiron

4

March/April 2014 Issue 5

In what is becoming a strong Marist Association

tradition, we hosted our annual St Patrick’s Night

Party on Friday, 14 March.

In addition to the regular Irish dancers, one-man

band and the infamous Stoned Blarneys, this

year also saw performances by St Henry’s pupils. The evening was an

incredibly festive one, with a record crowd pulling in, which gives us hope

for bigger and better parties in the years to come.

Money raised from the party was used

towards the St Henry’s Irish Rugby and

Hockey Tour which left South Africa’s

shores a few days after the party and has

recently returned (A report on this tour

will feature in our next issue).

A massive thanks to all those who came out to

support, as well as to all those who assisted in

creating such an amazing party, from St Henry’s,

the parent body, Alumni, and the broader Marist

Family.

St Patrick’s Night Party

5

March/April 2014 Issue 5

The Marist Mercy Care project, now involving almost

every Marist School in South Africa, received a

wonderful donation of toys from Mr Price.

A huge thank you to Nicole Gounden (Class of

2008)- who works in the purchasing department of

Mr Price - for organising this donation.

These fantastic toys will be going to Place of Hope,

which cares for over 120 disadvantaged children

from the Valencia Formal Township, Addo, Eastern

Cape.

If anyone wishes to get involved or make a donation

to this project, please contact the Association

office.

Marist Mercy Care

The Marist Association is excited to welcome Mrs Tessa

Tostee as its new secretary.

We wish her all the best and look forward to working with

her in our efforts to continue growing the Association.

Tessa has2 sons, Jean-Luc and Pascal, in the high school.

New Secretary

Committee members with toys

6

March/April 2014 Issue 5

In March, Patrice Madurai (Head girl 2010) was part of the delegation that represented

The University of Cape Town at Harvard World Model United Nations held in Brussels,

Belgium from the 17th – 21st March.

Harvard WorldMUN is known as the Olympics

of Model United Nations conferences as it

brings together over 2000 delegates from

200 of the world’s best universities in an

effort to provide these incoming leaders with

a platform to start laying foundations into

prospective reforms and changes that

pertain to global issues. Patrice sat on the

World Bank Committee where she was an

active member of the African Union. The

topic at hand was access to finance through

the further inclusion of women and the increased implementation of microfinance. After

days of heated debate and discussion the committee was able to agree upon a resolution in

the 11th hour.

Whilst in Brussels, Patrice also participated in the Resolution

Project’s Social Venture Challenge. It was at the forum that

she pitched “The Cupcake reSolution” a project that the

Marist family across South Africa has actively been involved

in. “The Cupcake reSolution” was pitched among 150 social

and global impact ventures. It was placed in the top 5.

Patrice will be representing South Africa at the G20 Youth

Summit later this year where she will be chairing the round

table discussions as well as presenting her research paper on

Youth and Education.

The Marist Association wishes her all the best for the G20

Youth Summit, and are eager to hear about it upon her return.

Patrice Madurai (Head Girl 2010)

7

Issue 5 March/April 2014

Congratulations to Rudi

Visser (Class of 2007)

on the birth of his

daughter, on 6 February

2014!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Congratulations to Rainer Bucki

(Class of 2006) and his wife Tracy, on

their marriage this past weekend.

Wishing them

all the best

for their

future

together.

Clyde Fortuin (Class of 2013 from St

Joseph’s Marist College, Cape Town)

was part of the winning South African

u19 team playing in the recent Cricket World

Cup.

Clyde – a batsman and wicket-keeper - scored

112 not out against India and took 6 catches in

the ICC u19 final against Pakistan.

The Marist Association would like to congratulate Clyde on his achieve-

ments, and are very excited to see him play for the Proteas one day.

Clyde Fortuin—St Joseph’s

8

March/April 2014 Issue 5

Marist Ethos: Reaching Out

Presence - Simplicity - Love of Work - Family Spirit - Mary’s Way

(In the previous article, we journeyed with St Marcellin as he founded his religious

family, the “Little Brothers of Mary” in 1817 and built them a five storey home (“Our

Lady of the Hermitage”) which still stands today and is visited by Marist pilgrims

throughout the world, including a number of our own staff at St Henry’s Marist College.

Worn out by hard work, Marcellin passed away on the 6 June 1840, at the age of 51.

But his legacy of the 5 Champagnat Values (above) formed the bedrock of Marist

Ethos which has endured for 174 years in 80 odd countries throughout the world.)

Life after Marcellin could not initially have been easy. He was a strong leader, untiring in

his zeal to bring the gifts of faith and education to ignorant country boys. But the early

building blocks must have been built with sturdy foundations. When he died there were

apparently 40 schools that had been established, served by just under 300 Brothers.

Brother Francois succeeded Marcellin and achieved enormous success when after his

20 years in office, the number of Brothers had grown to over 2000, working in 365

schools. An astonishing growth rate! School buildings must have been disused barns in

the country, cellars and attics in the villages and wherever there was a roof in the

towns.

Momentum continued however and the Marist Congregation moved out of France and

arrived in Great Britain in 1852 and later to Belgium in 1856. Then the dogged

persistence of Bishop Grimley of the Cape Colony finally paid off. He had approached

Rome in the hope of requesting a Teaching Order to come to the Cape to educate the

growing number of settler children. But Rome proved rather slow for his liking and he

decided to journey himself to France, to sell the idea to the Marist Congregation. He

was successful. And so it was, that the first country outside of Europe to receive a

Marist missionary, was Africa. In fact there were 5 Brothers who volunteered for this

mission and it is worthwhile mentioning these pilgrims by name as this must have been

a brave decision on their part as very little was known in Europe about the Cape Colony

of the 1860’s :

Brother Chumald – Director (French)

Brother Anotolie (French)

Brother Sulpice (Belgian)

Brother Faust (English)

Brother Anthony (Irish)

9

March/April 2014 Issue 5

They eventually arrived in Marseilles where they embarked aboard a French gunboat, “l’Ephigenie”

and immediately set sail for the fairest Cape. The journey and the weather however, must have

been anything but “fair” but after 62 days at sea, they at last sailed into Simons Bay. After a

short stopover at Simonstown, they negotiated with the owner of an ox-wagon to take them on

the two day journey to Cape Town where they were welcomed by the formidable Bishop Grimley.

The year was 1867. It is thought that the band of Brothers received a very hospitable welcome in

the Cape which made settling in far easier than imagined. They held their first lessons in Hope

Street in Cape Town but soon moved to the junction of St John’s, Vrede and Hatfield Streets in

the Gardens. St Aloysius (Junior) School stood for many years in the shadow of Parliament,

sandwiched between the Synagogue and the Art Gallery. The sign with the Marist insignia, is

apparently still in evidence today as a tribute to the footprint of those early Marist educators.

St Josephs Academy at Phoenix House, was also opened in 1867 and served as high school in

later years. It closed in 1933. St Joseph’s Rondebosch, was opened in 1918 and all Marist

activity in Cape Town was later consolidated onto their beautiful grounds alongside the Liesbek

River and guarded by the backdrop of Devil’s Peak.

After the success of the two earlier schools, it came as no surprise that a request was received

by the Brothers to open a school in Port Elizabeth. Three Brothers were released from Cape Town

and the earliest school St Augustine’s,(1879 – 1917) was opened in the Baakens Valley in

1879. This facility later proved too small and was moved to a property on Prospect Hill. St

Patrick’s (1882 – 1966) was also opened on the same property but in a different building. It is

interesting to note that after +/- 39 years and due to the scarcity of Brothers, St Augustine’s

was handed over to the Assumption sisters from Grahamstown. The Brothers of French

nationality had to return to France to serve their country in the First World War.

As in Cape Town, and after a further property was purchased in Bird Street, all educational

activity was later centralised in the property known as St Patrick’s Walmer, purchased in 1958

and situated on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth. (St Patricks closed down either in the late

1960’s or early 1970’s – Ed)

Perhaps the earliest of the iconic Marist Schools but certainly the first boarding school, Our Lady

of Good Hope College, (1884 – 1951) Uitenhage, was founded by four Brothers from Cape Town.

The diamond diggings in Kimberley and the Gold Rush on the Witwatersrand were contributing

factors in making the boarding establishment well-known to families throughout southern Africa.

The Railways of the time laid on special trains from Johannesburg and Cape Town for the school

terms. The Brothers established their Provincial House on the campus and many dignatories and

even royalty, in the person of King George VI, visited the College.

Subjects on offer were Classical (Latin & Greek,) Maths (Algebra, Euclid and Trig,) Commmerce

(Shorthand, Typing and Bookkeeping,) Modern Language (French & Dutch,) Geology, Art and Law

(Preparation for University) and Agriculture (Detailed Approach to all Aspects of Farming.)

Gymnastics and Military Drill were part of the curriculum and the cadet corps of 1903 recorded

among their number, boys who had fought in the Boer War – some of whom had held commissions!

The College had an excellent reputation for turning out the finest sportsmen in the country.

10

Issue 5 March/April 2014

The Gym was built in 2003 by the Marist Association to en-

courage all sportsmen and woman of St Henry’s Marist College

to maintain peak fitness levels and to prevent injury when play-

ing against other schools. As of 2014 we would like to continue

to encourage pupils, parents, staff and alumni using these facili-

ties to benefit their physical and mental well-being.

The gym is open from 6am—6pm, Monday—Friday.

Membership Options Banking Details

Student Membership p/t R200.00 ABSA Bank Pavilion

Staff and Parent Membership p/t R200.00 Branch Code 632005

Alumni Membership p/t R200.00 Account No. 710579504

Other Members at the discretion

of the Marist Association and

St Henry’s Marist College R250.00 Contact the Association office for

**p/t = per term more information.

Gym

It sadly closed In 1951 as school enrolment began to drop due to both the area becoming

very industrialized and the growth of the Marist schools with boarding establishments in

Johannesburg. It appears to have been a top Marist College comparable to the best schools

in the country. But I leave the last word to the Editor of the Eastern Province Herald “To have

been a pupil of the Marist Brothers College, is to possess a passport of the affection and to

ensure the assistance and comradeship of an ever-increasing group of past pupils, many of

whom occupy positions of responsibility and importance in the various leading cities in South

Africa.”

(I shall continue with the impact made by the Marist Brothers in South Africa via their Ethos

and history of their schools in the next article. If there is any Alumni living in Cape Town who

has time on his/her hands, please be so kind as to visit the old St Aloysius Building next to

the Art Gallery in the Gardens and take a picture/s of the original Marist Brothers signage.

Photos can be emailed to the St Henry’s Marist Association Office alumni@sthenrys.co.za I

would be most grateful ! – Ed.)

- Brendan Martin (Vice-Chairman)

11

Issue 5 March/April 2014

A special appeal to all past pupils to please pay

their subs! The money that the Association

raises from subs is directly used to pay for the

Marist Association Bursary which is awarded

annually to a Grade 10 pupil for their Grade 11

and 12 years.

R150 pa – Students and Pensioners

R200 pa – Ordinary Members

Banking Details:

ABSA Bank Pavilion

Branch Code: 632005

Account Number: 710579504

Membership Fees

The Marist Association is sad to

announce the passing of

Charles Bell (Class of 1976)

On 11 December 2013, in Australia.

Charles was a lawyer, whose brother,

Cliff, and 2 sons, Richard and Paul, also

attended St Henry’s.

We would like to offer our deepest con-

dolences to Charles’ family and loved

ones, who remain in our thoughts and

prayers.

May Rest In Peace!

In Memorium

Challenge your writing skills and send

the Association desk a nostalgic

report on an episode or a memory of

your school days at St Henry’s.

You may send us as many stories as

you wish, as it is the Association’s goal

to publish these memories once we

have sufficient material.

So start writing! Especially you older

Old Boys!

- Brendan Martin (Vice Chairman)

Challenge Your Writing

Skills!

12

Issue 5 March/April 2014

The Marist Association Hall is an excellent venue for

weddings, birthdays, meetings, dances, conferences

as well as many other events.

The Hall can seat approximately 150 people

comfortably and has magnificent views of Durban and

the schools sporting grounds from the outside

verandas.

When you hire the Marist Association Hall we are able

to supply reputable and trusted decorators, audio

visual equipment, caterers, photographers,

videographers, DJ’s you name it!

If you would like

to hire the hall

please do not

hesitate to

contact us.

Venue for Hire

Telephone: 031 261 7410

Email: alumni@sthenrys.co.za

Website: www.maristassociation.co.za

Office Hours: 09h00—12h00, Monday—Friday

Facebook: St Henry’s Marist Brothers Durban Association

www.facebook.com/groups/2256355653/

Twitter: @MaristAlumniSA

www.twitter.com/MaristAlumniSA

Contact Details

Please keep the Association

desk updated on any past pupils

who have achieved in life, cele-

brated a special event or passed

away.

Any news from alumni would be

most welcome!

Please also notify us of any

matriculation anniversaries or

reunions.

Please Keep Us Updated