St. Patrick's College, Silverstream
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St. Patrick's College, Silverstream |
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 St. Patrick’s College, Silverstream, Heretaunga, N.Z. Mon. 13th Nov. ‘67 Dear Mum and Dad, I suppose you will be home by now. Last Thursday we went to Fr. O’Connor’s funeral. It was a double funeral – also Fr Spillane’s. The Church was packed. I don’t suppose you heard the particulars of his death. He had a heart attack at about 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday. He came out of breakfast early because he didn’t feel well and took a coffee into his office. A boy heard a crash on the floor and ran and told a priest, and by 8.40 a.m. he was dead. He lay in state in the Chapel in the evening. The next morning we had a concelebrated Requiem Mass (17 priests) in the Assembly Hall, after which the coffin was taken away. Fr. Head is acting Rector at the moment. Next Sunday is a free Sunday but I do not think I will come home because Bursary exams start on the Thursday after. I do not think I will do very well at Bursary because Maths is weak. I have got four subjects and will have to get an average of 50% to get a B-Bursary (200 pass). 250 marks are needed for an A-Bursary. For a subject to be counted a mark over 30 must be got, but although I’m working at Maths 30% seems a long way off. This means, for a B-Bursary in 3 subjects, I will have to average about 67%. For the recent school exams I got 13% for Maths – this mark, incidentally, was not the lowest, the lowest running 5%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 20%. How is the vegetable garden thriving? and how are the chickens? U.E. Accrediting was done on Friday. Among those who got accredited were Terry Banner, Bernard Avery and Vince Alisae. Last night the choir and orchestra went over to the Home of Compassion and put on an informal concert – it had to be informal because the piano was so out of tune nothing serious could be played on it! I have not got my form for the Seminary yet. I think Fr. O’Connor had just got them. Anyway, Fr. Mills is going to have a look. Well, that is all the news. Love from Bruce |
 Me at this time |  Fr. Kevin O'Connor, my Rector at St. Pat's, Silverstream who died 7th November 1967 |