I Can't Forget - Bro. Gerard Majella

Mr Lloyd Yeo spoke about Bro. Gerard Majella as the run-up of activities to Founder's Day.

"Rev Bro Gerard Majella, the first Bro. Director of Holy Innocents', is an old resident of the East, having first come to Bangkok in 1913. Two years later, he had to return to France, his native land, which was then embroiled in a World War with Germany. After the war, he was again posted to the Assumption College in Bangkok, but in 1926, he went to Lnodon to become the Director of St Gabriel's School in Wimbledon. 1934 saw him back in Siam as the Director of the College there, but for the good and faithful servant there can be no restg when the harvest is greatg and the labourers are few, and in November 1936, Brother Gerard journeyed southwards to Upper Serangoon, Signapore, to take over the direction of Holy Innocents' English School which had been handed over to the Brothers of St Gabriel.

Bro. Gerard was Director of the school until May 1938 when he was replaced by Rev Brother Louis Gonzaga. A new Novitiate was opened at Bukit Timah for the training of young Brothers for Malaya, Siam and India, and Bro. Gerard was appointed Superior. He remaind in the post until WW2 and spent 2 years in Bahau, where he suffered very severely from Malaria. In 1946, he returned to Siam, for the Novitiate was no longer functioning.

During his stay as Dirctor of the school, he skilfully continued the work done by Mr PA D'Costa, the former Headmaster, while at the same time introducing the traditional methods of education used by the Brothers of St Gabriel. He started the School Certificate Class for the first time and the results were most encouraging. He helped in the management of the class by teaching Scripture, and some of his old boys are now holding posts of responsibility, one of them being Mr Low Kok Pheng, who is the Assistant Controller of Foreign Exchange.

I Can't Forget

I have loved you so well
How much I cannot tell
That all that love of yore
Still glows, O Singapore!
I can'tr forget

That hazy Serangoon
A gem under the moon;
Its balmy grobves and streams
With birds that sing their dreams
I can't forget

Those cheery boys whose bands
Gladden high and low lands;
The shady homes and huts,
The palms and their green coconuts
I can't forget

The spacious Church whose spire
To pray would fain inspire
Whose aisles the lofty folds
Are mother's arms to young and old,
I can't forget.

But least of all that School
Where love is still the Rule,
Where one could meet angels and saints
That dear, that Holy Innocents'
I can't forget.