paxabbey at The Abbey of Our Lady of Exile, Mount St Benedict, Tunapuna, Port of Spain 00014 TT - Fr Benedict finally joins the STARS!
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Fr Benedict finally joins the STARS! |
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| Fr Benedict Simons, OSB, in our monastic refectory |
The Abbot and Monks of the Abbey of Mount St Benedict report the sad news of the passing away of Fr Benedict Simons, OSB, on Thursday 01 January 2009 at 6:20 pm at the age of 89 years. Cornelius Benedictus Maria Simons was born in The Hague in Holland on 18 June 1919 and joined the Abbey of Mount St Benedict on 08 December 1947, where he was given the name “Benedict”. He was professed as a monk on 21 March 1949 and ordained to the Priesthood on 28 October 1952. Fr Benedict was one of the most loved and sought after monks at the Abbey and always radiated a spirit of joy. He will be greatly missed by the monks and by the many pilgrims who sought him out as a ready confessor, confidant, adviser and friend. Please remember him in your prayers. The funeral of Fr Benedict took place at the Abbey Church at 10:00 am on Saturday 03 January 2009. The funeral homily is given below:
Soon after Fr Benedict passed away on Thursday, we found a note in his room, written in his own handwriting. It read as follows: “Goodbye, Dear Brothers and Sisters! May God richly bless you and me, AMEN! (Signed) Fr Benedict”. He had actually shown one of the brothers this note before he was taken to the hospital on Wednesday and told him where to find it. Benedict knew that his time was fast approaching. Co-founder of the Trinidad and Tobago Astronomical Society and editor of the Astro News for several years, one may be tempted to say that he read his fate in the stars. However, Benedict always took time to clarify the difference between astrology, which he detested, and astronomy, which he loved dearly. He spent his entire life pointing out the stars to all who crossed his path.
His love for the stars and for astronomy was indicative of the man we are burying today. He always pointed away from himself. And he always pointed out the lovely - the beautiful - the true. In so doing Benedict was very much like John the Baptist in today’s Gospel, who pointed others away from himself and to Jesus: “Look, there is the lamb of God …”
And if there was no beauty, no truth, it made him very sad. On his last visit to his native Holland in 1976, Benedict was very disturbed about a trend towards materialism and hedonism that he had found there. So saddened was he, that when he returned from his vacation 33 years ago, he vowed never to return to “pagan” Holland. And this was but one of the vows that Benedict kept.
The word, Benedict, means “blessed”. And, indeed, he was blessed in many ways. Fr Benedict would always introduce himself to people whom he met for the first time, as the man after whom Mount St Benedict was named. He had a lovely sense of humour and a way of always pointing to the good, the true and the beautiful. This was most manifest in his great love for photography. At Mount St Benedict we have thousands of photographs that he had taken over his long life as a monk. And each of these photographs tell us a story. They tell us a story about God’s presence in our midst. Whether it was God in the midst of Liturgy School at Benet Hall, or in a group retreat at Mount St Benedict, or merely about the homely presence of a God who dwells with our community at the Mount in our prayer, our work and in our common recreation, there was Fr Benedict with his camera, capturing Jesus’ presence on film and pointing him out to others. This was the John the Baptist in our Community. Sometimes we wonder … if digital cameras were invented when he was in his heyday, what would have been the result – maybe millions and not thousands of photos left behind?
At the Abbey School, he was the great scientist, always up to some new invention. He was known to all the students as “Fr. Voosh”. Always up to something, never an idle moment, he took St. Benedict’s words to heart: “Idleness is the enemy of the soul.” In the waiting room at the Doctor’s Office, on his bed waiting for the nurse to bring his medication, his mind was always racing – always thinking and writing – never an idle moment!
Today’s Gospel from John is indeed very appropriate for our funeral celebration. John the Baptist was always seeking to decrease in importance so that Jesus could be more visible to others. This was the way of John, it is the way of the Christian, it is the way of the monk, it is the way of Fr Benedict. In all his varied interests and activities as a monk over the past 60 years, Fr Benedict was merely doing what John taught us to do – pointing the way to Jesus.
God has blessed the Mount with a beautiful person, with a beautiful life and with a wonderful example for the younger ones, like me, who have been left behind. Thank you, Fr Benedict, for a life well lived, thanks for the love, thanks for the passion, thanks for the energy and thanks for the witness! Yes, you have seen and you are the witness that Jesus is the Chosen One of God!
We have received messages from all over the world supporting us at this crucial time. The family of Fr Benedict in Holland have sent special greetings, and although they are unable to be present with us in person, they are supporting us in spirit, with their prayer and concern. May God bless them abundantly! The brothers at our monastery in Guyana are also with us in spirit. Unfortunately they also are unable to be present. We particularly regret the absence of Bro Paschal Jordan, who Fr Benedict always said was his best music student. May the music that Fr Benedict taught at the Abbey now echo in the heavenly choirs of angels!
And may God bless all of you who have taken time to be present here and to support us with your love and your prayer. God bless you all!