April 10: Radio Montfort

School tried out a new project called Radio Montfort to 'prepare' the ground for International Friendship Day. Mr Yeo was Mr DJ. It was a very successful morning with songs like 'The Boxer', 'Rockin' Robin' playing and dedications being made to rugby boys for their tournaments and individual students. Some boys from 1A2 who called themselves the Teriyaki Boys even dedicated a song to Mr Simen with the message 'We Love You'.

At Hall Asssembly today, Mr Lloyd Yeo spoke about the life of Montfort and the life of Brother Noel. The band also played in the school hall as part of Founder's Day Celebrations. Mr Yeo explained how you can listen and appreciate music through the various instruments heard.

Below are some excerpts on Mr Yeo's talk about the life of Montfort and Brother Noel:

On the Founder: Louis Grignion De Montfort

His books are summarized in three main ideas:

a. Wisdom - Few will ever have it and are worthy of it. It is a long journey.

To know Jesus Christ, the Eternal Wisdom, is to know enough.
To know everything and not know Him is to know nothing.
A thousand times happier is the man into whose soul Wisdom has come to dwell.
To acquire Wisdom we must seek Him ardently.
We must be willing to abandon all,
to suffer all,
and to undertake all things in order to possess Him.
There are but few who find Him
because there are but few who seek Him
in a manner worthy of Him." - Love of the Eternal Wisdom

b. Cross - Suffering: All of us are called to do so

Born in the sorrowful Heart of the Saviour,
a friend of the Cross comes into the world through His right side,
stained with His Blood;
he never forgets his birth and crosses, death to the world, the flesh, and sin are all he lives for,
that even in this world he may be hid with Christ in God.
He triumphs over the devil, the world, and the flesh and their three-fold concupiscence.
He overthrows the pride of Satan by his love for humiliation,
he triumphs over the world's greed by his love for poverty,
and he restrains the sensuality of the flesh by his love for suffering

"'Be brave,' they keep saying to each other,
'be brave, for if God is for us and leading us,
who dare be against us?
The One Who is dwelling within us is stronger than the one who is in the world;
no servant is above his master;
one moment of light tribulation works an eternal weight of glory.
There are fewer elect than man may think;
only the brave and daring take heaven by storm;
the crown is given only to those who strive lawfully according to the Gospel,
not according to the fashion of the world.
Let us pour all our strength into the fight,
and run very fast to reach the goal and win the crown.'” - Friends of the Cross

c. Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus

It is through the most holy Virgin Mary
that Jesus came into the world,
and it is also through her that he has to reign in the world.
It was through Mary that the salvation of the world was begun,
and it is through Mary that it must be consummated.
Devotion to Our Blessed Lady is necessary for salvation.
He who has not Mary for his Mother has not God for his Father.
"It is necessary for the greater knowledge and glory of the Most Holy Trinity,
that Mary should be more than ever known.
Mary must shine forth more than ever in mercy, in might, and in grace in these later times

Brother Noel (Berthomieu)

Brother Noel was a severe man and took everything literally. He could hardly joke but he was a great fund raiser and helped built up the many extensions for both Montfort and St Gabriel's School. He was also later Principal of St Gabriel's School.

Mr Yeo spoke about how Brother Noel and Brother Emmanuel were scooping ice cream below the Brother's Quarters to raise funds for the scouts in 1954/1955. When asked why he did not involve the scouts, Brother Noel mentioned that the scouts had many other duties to perform and studies to do. This was an example of how he led as a role-model to him.

Brother Noel was also a disciplinarian. He believed that discipline was important for students to learn. The boys called his hands 'Big Bananas' in Teochew because he was a heavy-set man with huge hands. When he slapped any errant boy, they would go flying.

Mr Yeo also spoke about the vows that Brothers make. The vow of poverty, chastity and obedience. Brothers serve noble causes because they devote their whole life to education. Their dream is to go to a mission land, serve the cause and die there, never to return.

Another anecdote told was about Brother Noel's compassion. When he was Principal of St Gabriel's School, a little Secondary One pupil had gone up to him and said that he was not feeling well and wanted to be sent home. Brother Noel felt something was amiss and sent him home, telling the mother to send him to the hospital and to inform him of any updates. The next morning, Brother Noel received a phone call that the boy had died. It changed him into an even more compassionate pupil.

Unknown to the students, it was also through Brother Noel's guidance, talks and closeness to Archbishop Nicholas Chia that he eventually decided to enter into priesthood.

Brother Noel died because he was transfused with the wrong kind of blood at the age of 54.
When Brother Noel died, he had the largest funeral attendance by any of the Brothers. He had an entourage of traffic cops who accompanied the hearst and stopped all traffic at all major road junctions to accord the highest respect to Brother Noel. The hearst drove from the Church of the Nativity in Upper Serangoon to St Joseph's Church / Boy's Town in Upper Bukit Timah where he was buried.