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December 23rd 2020
We have received a Christmas message from Fr. Mike Targett M.Afr. in Ghana. This message can now be found in the Appeals section of the web site.
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December 22nd 2020
We have received a new message from Fr. Dave Cullen M.Afr. by way of Robbie Dempsey. As usual, Fr. Dave's message can be found in the APPEALS section of the web site.
We were recently saddened to hear of the passing of Fr. Stanley Dye M.Afr. from Sunderland, in Wales on Dec. 6th.
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December 14th 2020
On Friday, December 18th we will have our last Zoom gathering for 2020 (They will resume in January 2021). If any Pelican wishes to join us, even if only to wish former confrères, friends or acquaintances a merry Christmas, please check out the information below. All Pelicans are very welcome.
(Please pass this invitation on to your Ex-WF contacts, lay or ordained).
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This is an invitation to join our next ZOOM meeting of Ex-WF students, which will be on Friday, December 18.
TIME: This will take place at:
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The ZOOM link for our weekly meetings is:
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· In addition to the pleasure of re-connecting and catching up on the many decades of our lives, we also believe that we can support each other (and our significant others), as we move from youth to older age.
· This support includes promoting and maintaining our health, within the limitations imposed by aging, in all areas of our lives—including our physical, psychological, social and spiritual health.
· We currently get together by ZOOM for 90 minutes every Friday at 4:00 pm (UK time), which is 11:00 am Eastern Standard Time (EST) in the Eastern United States and Canada.
· We are open to modifying our meeting time to accommodate a greater range of ex-WF students located around the globe (e.g., Peter McMurray in Tasmania!).
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We look forward to "seeing" you, and talking with you this Friday, or on any Friday when you are free.
Stay safe.
Stay well.
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December 1st 2020
Ian Scott has sent us a photo that John Mattock has discovered in his archives of Melrose House at St. Columba's in 1961/62 when John was House Captain. We have added this photo to others that John has shared with us over the years. So, please, check out GALLERY page 89, especially if you were a member of Melrose House in those days. Thank you, John and Ian for sharing with us.
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October 28th 2020
Back in July we posted a message from Michael Goodstadt (The Priory 1954-57) looking to add Pelicans from his time with the White Fathers to a Zoom gathering he was hosting. He did, indeed, find several, and these Zoom meetings / reunions have been going on weekly since before Michael made his request to us. It is now time to invite any other Pelicans who care to take part in these gatherings. Usually held at around 4pm on a Friday afternoon (UK time) but occasionally changing in order to accommodate Pelicans in distant lands.
If any ex-White Fathers' student out there would like to join us, please, contact Michael at m.goodstadt@sympatico.ca for login details. We look forward to having you with us.
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October 27th 2020
We have added an obituary of our Webmaster Emeritus and founder of "The Pelicans" website, Paul West in the Obituaries section of the website. Thank you to all who contributed memories of Paul.
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October 19th 2020
We have added an obituary to the late Paul Ashby (The
Priory 1954-58) to the OBITUARIES
section of the web
site.
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October 13th 2020
It is with great sadness that we learn, from Fr. Chris Wallbank M.Afr. of the passing of our Webmaster Emeritus, Paul West. Paul passed away in a Care Home on October 8th. An obituary to Paul will be published as soon as possible. We are sure there are many of you out there that have many memories of Paul either from all those years ago at The Priory or more recently from the early days of this web site that he started way back in the early 2000s. Please, share these memories with us at webteam@thepelicans.org.uk so we can include them in the obituary. Thank you, Paul, for all the work you did for us. May you rest in peace.
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October 1st 2020
It is with great sadness that we learn from Tony McCaffery, by way of Michael Goodstadt, of the passing of Paul Sinclair Ashby (Priory 1954-58) on September 18th 2020. We will add an obituary to Paul in the appropriate section of the web site in the next few days. Anyone with memories of Paul that they would like to share, please, forward them to webteam@thepelicans.org.uk. Thank you. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
September 16th 2020
We have received a new message from Fr. Dave Cullen M.Afr. who is now back in the U.K. As usual, Fr. Dave's message can be found in the APPEALS section of the web site.
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September 13th 2020
Following our post on the fire at the Sugar Shack in Eastview, Robbie Dempsey sent us a 43 page document on the life of Bishop John Forbes M.Afr. who was the first Canadian White Father. As Fr. Forbes he was also the second superior, albeit briefly, at The Priory, Bishop's Waltham (1915). This document is now available in the HISTORIES section of the web site. Thank you, Robbie.
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September 11th 2020
We have heard from Chris Benton, who reports the following:
"I spoke to my good friend Brian McGowan who is the maintenance man at St Columba's and who has been tremendously welcoming to all visiting ex WF students over the years. He tells me that Mrs Hughes' son Bernard died some years ago.
Brian also tells me that St Columba's has been sold by Tweed Horizons to a JP Telecoms. No sooner had the purchase been completed, Covid 19 lockdown set in and resulted in two of the companies, which had been renting units, ceasing to trade. As you may be aware, the chapel had been converted into an audio/ visual conference centre but Covid has seen demand for this facility fall to zero. My understanding last year was the whole building required significant repair in particular to the exterior. Perhaps this explains the asking price of £400,000. I also understand that housing development has been, categorically, ruled out by the Planning dept., Having regard to the combined effect of the foregoing, it is difficult to foresee whether JP Telecoms will be able to succeed in its venture.
Brian himself will shortly retire after 43 years service but he assures me Pelicans will always be welcome to visit the college. Any intending to do so can contact him beforehand and he will be pleased to arrange access."
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August 27th 2020
We have received some sad news from Michael O'Callaghan's wife, Hélàne, especially for those who were at the house in Eastview (Vanier). The Sugar Shack that students build there, all those years ago was heavily damaged by fire in the early hours of this morning. Here is the link to the CBC News report. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/vanier-sugar-shack-ottawa-fire-1.5701735 The Vanier Museopark, mentioned in the CBC story is the former White Fathers' property in Ottawa, at the top of, what is still named, 'Ave Pères Blancs'. Thank you, Hélène.
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August 19th 2020
We have an update on the 'Africa Medical Aid Project' (AMAP) from Mike Ellis. This update is available in the APPEALS section of the web site.
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August 3rd 2020
We have added an obituary for Tom McKeith in the OBITUARIES section of the website. This obituary was posted in the "Sacramento Bee" and later reproduced on Facebook by Jay Spooner who's permission we have to add it to our website.
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July 25th. 2020
It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Tom McKeith in Sacramento, California after a fight with cancer. Tom originally hails from Glasgow and never forgot his beloved Scotland. He was a student at St. Columba's 1961-63 and at The Priory 1963-64. May he rest in peace.
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July 22nd 2020
We have received the following message from Michael Goodstadt in Toronto:
Hello:
This is Michael Goodstadt calling!!!
A blast from the past!!!
I hope you are all well.
I’m contacting you on behalf of our small ZOOM group: Tony Visocchi, Jim Youdale and Nick Muller
We have been holding ZOOM meetings every Friday for the past few weeks.
We would like to invite other folk from our cohort to join us in our weekly get-togethers.
Our cohort years are:
· St. Columba’s: 1951-1954
· The Priory: 1954-1957
· St. Augustine’s: 1957-1959
· Novitiate: 1959-1960
Would it be possible to connect with someone from The Pelican website to discuss how to communicate our invitation to join our ZOOM meetings?
Maybe we/you could post our invitation on the Pelican website.
My phone number is +1 416-691-7860
I am free most days, most hours.
I hope you are staying safe and staying well.
Take good care.
Michael.
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Michael Goodstadt
62 Wheeler Avenue, TORONTO, Ontario, Canada. M4L 3V2
416-691-7860; 416-571-8496 (cell)
m.goodstadt@sympatico.ca
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May the Lord bless you and keep you!
May the Lord make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you!
May the Lord look upon you kindly, and give you peace!
Amen!
(Numbers 6: 24-26)
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The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
(Galatians:5:22-23)
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Anyone wishing to join Michael, Tony, Jim & Nick, please, contact Michael at one of the options above to make arrangements. Please, remember, in doing so that Toronto is 5 hours behind the UK (i.e. BST -5)
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July 2nd. 2020
We have received a note from Bill Nimmo-Scott and he has a very important question for all Pelicans, particularly former Priorians. This question, along with the associated photo can be found at the bottom of GALLERY 380 on the web site.
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June 29th 2020
We have added an obituary for Fr. Gerry Stones M.Afr. with the help of Eric Creaney in the OBITUARIES section of the web site. Anyone wishing to add to it, please, contact webteam@thepelicans.org.uk
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June 26th 2020
We have just learnt the sad news of the passing of Fr. Gerald Stones M.Afr. on June 21st in a nursing home in Glasgow. We will add an obituary in the appropriate section in due cause. Any Pelicans who remember Fr. Gerry and care to share with us, please, send your memories to webteam@thepelicans.org.uk.
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May 27th 2020
Michael O'Callaghan's wife, Hélène has shared some sad news for those of us that were at Eastview (Vanier) and attended St. Paul's University in Ottawa. Fr. Frank Morrissey OMI, who taught at the university and was Dean of Canon Law from 1972 - 1981, passed away on May 23rd at the age of 84. The following is a link to Chantal Beauvais's (the current Rector of St. Paul's University) obituary posted on facebook: https://tinyurl.com/yb3tkzb4
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May 24th 2020
Maurice Billingsley pointed us to a post on the White Fathers' UK website on Fr. Peter Kelly. We have now added this to Fr. Kelly's obituary in the OBITUARIES section of the web site.
As we continue this period of social distancing we hope that all Pelicans, along with their family and friends, are safe and healthy.
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May 8th 2020
We have added an Obituary for Fr. Peter Kelly M.Afr. in the Obituaries section of the web site based on information from the Society's Rome web page. If anyone has anything they'd like to add, please, address them to us at: webteam@thepelicans.org.uk Thank you.
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April 20th 2020
We have a new update from Fr. Dave Cullen M.Afr. in Zambia. Fr. Dave's email can be found in the APPEALS section of the web site.
In his message, Fr. Dave shares with us the sad news of the passing of Fr. Peter Kelly M.Afr. who some of us may remember from our days at St. Columba's. We will post an obituary for Fr. Peter as soon as possible. If anyone has any memories of him they wish to share, please, drop us a note at webteam@thepelicans.org.uk, Thank you.
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March 21st 2020
As the world appears to be going crazy due to this Corvid-19 virus, we, at the Pelicans, hope and pray that all our members, no matter where in this world we live, are safe, sound and virus free.
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February 13th 2020
Happy Birthday to our illustrious Webmaster Emeritus, Paul West. Paul, all of us at the Pelicans hope you have a wonderful day.
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January 24th 2020
We have received an AMAP update from Mike Ellis pertaining to the medical support given to epileptics in Mali. This report is now available in the APPEALS section of the web site.
Thank you! to those who helped bring us back out of the red.
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January 21st 2020
Happy New Year, Pelicans. Welcome to the year of 'Perfect Vision" :-)
You will see on the Welcome page that our donation total has dropped to a negative figure. This is due to our taking off monies that have now been paid, £163 (web hosting + domain registration + domain security) paid in January 2019 and a further £34 (Domain registration + domain security) paid earlier this month for a total pay out of £197 which taken from the £168 we had collected gives us -£29. However, we have acquired a new partner to share the hosting costs so where our hosting cost in the past was £43 per year from hereon in it will only be £34 per year saving us £9 per year hence our tote-board is showing only -£20 to reflect this difference. So between now and next January we need to raise a further £54 to cover the deficit and have the money to cover the registration and security bill next year. We are confident Pelicans will rally around and help out. Thank you in advance.