Richard Fitzpatrick - August 2010

I left the Mittagong Marists in January 1967 after two years in the Juniorate and one year in the
Novitiate because I found myself day after day in the morning meditation period drifting off to “how much would I earn if I was working in a job, how much of that would I save and how much would I invest to buy things . . . .” And little did I realise that one day I would end up as an accountant! When I went to see Brother Fergus to tell him of my desire to leave I was shocked when he agreed . . . . I had expected him to try to talk me into staying and giving it another go. However looking back I can see that I was pretty restless in that year at the Nov and getting up to a fair bit of mischief – going rabbiting one day during the middle of a six day retreat, restoring an old wagon that I and another boy had found in a paddock and then parading it back to the Novitiate, the midnight food fest in the hay barn, etc. I guess that Brother Fergus could see better than I could the need for me to try a different path.

Early 1967 I started studying science part time at the NSW Institute of Technology, Broadway and 12 months later I became an atheist . . . . . a year of that and reason stepped in to say that atheism was illogical and so I settled for agnosticism for the next six years. In the meantime a good friend of mine convinced me to switch to accounting after three years, part time, of my science degree and eventually I became a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants where I am now a Fellow.

My career in accounting has been very generous to me . . . . . . I spent my first ten years with Touche Ross & Co (now part of KPMG) in Sydney with stints in their London and PNG offices. After that I joined a mid-tier accounting firm, became a partner in 1983 and then a few years later became managing partner of the NSW practice, chairman of the board of NSW partners, a director on the board of the national firm and a delegate to the meetings of the international firm. All of this was a lot of hard work, great exposure to corporate business events, lots of travel and very rewarding. However it wasn’t very good for the work/life balance.

Fortunately an opportunity came to me in 1996 to carve my section of the business out of the firm and join a smaller group with less work pressures. This came just as our eldest was starting high school at St Aloysius’ College (Jesuits at Milsons Point, Sydney) and so I was able to spend more time with my family, with our local church . .. . . . Holy Name at Wahroonga . . . . . .and with spirituality.
Yes, I had come back to the fold of Christ! In 1975 while backpacking through Europe for several
months prior to starting employment in the London office of Touche Ross & Co I returned to the
Church. However when you throw your Faith away for no good reason God does not just hand it
back to you on a platter! While I thereafter regularly went to Mass I did not straight away regain my
Faith. This took many years. I must say that memories of the liturgy, theology classes and other
religious events at the Novitiate and Juniorate helped me on that path back to God. Many, many
times I was able to think back and recall what Brother Fergus had said or what Brother Colgan had taught us in scripture classes or what Brother Claudius had said in the Juniorate or details from the John Henry Newman books I had read in the library, which, if my memory serves me correctly, was at the corner of the bend in the walkway down towards the classrooms at the Novitiate. In time I was a restored believer. Thanks be to God. In recent years my Faith has strengthened . . . . . . six years ago I undertook the Jesuit “Great Retreat” under the guidance of Father Tom O’Hara SJ at St Marys, North Sydney. At least it was Tom’s version of the great retreat for lay people. The great retreat normally lasts for 40 days but Tom’s lay version lasts for one hour a day for 40 weeks . . . . . . .almost a full year! Anyway, I did the retreat, up at 5am each day to do my hour and then off to work. The retreatants then met once a week for discussion and joint study.

Following that very beneficial experience with the Jesuits I became more involved with the
Dominicans (Holy Name Wahrooonga used to be a Dominican parish and a Priory and our four
children went from K to 6 at Prouille, a Dominican school in Wahroonga) and I’m now a Lay
Dominican. I made my final Profession last year. We Laity make a solemn promise to be bound by
the Dominican Rule but, clearly, do not take vows of Poverty or Chastity and therefore are not
Consecrated Religious members of the Order. Instead we are committed to our married or single
vocations while still being members of the Order. As such, I am now a Dominican, an OP, and try as much as possible to reach out to other people in all aspects of my daily life and through several ministries in our local Church & the Jesuit Churches in North Sydney & Lavender Bay (both near my office) and as a member of the Catholic Chaplaincy team at Parklea Correctional Centre (North Western Sydney, near Blacktown).

All of the above has been solely about me . . . . . . . the story needed to flow as a unit . . . . . . . now for the important people in my life, my family.

I am married to a wonderful woman, Janet and we have four delightful children.

_ Brad is 28, lives in London, is an accountant like his dad and one day plans to return to
Sydney, settle down and have a family. I’m flying to London to visit Brad for two weeks in
October and while I’m there he will be running in the Dublin marathon and so I will be his
coach, mentor, cheer squad and fellow Guinness drinker after the event!

_ Liesl is 26, lives in Paddington and is the creative member of the family. Soon after finishing
her HSC at Loreto Normanhurst (IBVM Sisters) she started an all girl rock band called “Post
Panache” where she was the lead singer, song writer and lyricist however she came to
realize that it was not a good way to make money, unless you are extremely talented and
very lucky. Now she works as an executive with EMI Music Australia.

_ Aline is 24, lives at home and has just finished her five years international studies and
communications degrees, with the last 18 months at a university in Valparaiso, Chile and is
now embarking on her career path.

_ Rachel is 21, based at home but is a resident student at Charles Sturt University, Bathurst in
her final year of a primary school teaching degree (4 Years).

_ My dear wife teaches three days a week in mainstream and disability classes at Hornsby
TAFE and Meadowbank TAFE and is an Executive Assistant for two days a week in the
Director’s unit at Hornsby TAFE.

_ Yours truly is now working four days a week in my accounting practice at North Sydney.
Fortunately I have very loyal staff members who keep the business running on the day I am
not there.

Hobbies and interests . . . . . . apart from everything above . . . . . . I sing classical church music in our choir at Holy Name Wahroonga, I sing in a religious choir in Sydney known as The Sydney Singers (and I thank the Music Master, Brother Valerius from the Juniorate for my love of singing. I’m not a soloist but can hold my place in a choir), I am an avid snow skier both downhill and cross country and I sail whenever possible, which is not so often these days, on our 25ft sloop “Papillon”.

I cannot say how much my three years at Mittagong has meant to me . . . . . . the boys in my year,
the year prior, the year following and the Marists Brothers who looked after us in those years. And DOM David in the Juniorate, the Chinese cook in the Juniorate (I’ve forgotten his name!) and Father Peter in the Novitiate. All of these good people are part of my Marist Mittagong story.

Everyone has their individual path to God . . . . . . always give it 110%!!!

Bell Tower

A little hard to read:

Dorm Crew 1964

B. McGrath

P. Barry

B. Cannon

p. 137 of Tony Butler's book "A Hermitage in the South"

Note: Bernie Cannon is not credited in Butler's photo.

MEV BIO

Married Gemma in 1975, 2 daughters

Taught high school geography for 5 years in 1970’s

‘Retrained’ as a Planner in late 70’s

Local government Planner through 1980’s

Private Planning Consultant since 1990, now part-time

Also lectured part-time for six years in Planning at UNSW

The Fecundity Stakes

The National Average is around 2.1 children per couple !!!




KING Tony WAGNER - Married Beth, 9 kids, 10 gc,




Terry KACHEL - Married Christine, 6 kids,
Peter MURPHY - Married Robyn, 6 kids, 9gc,


Bill WADDELL Married Therese, 5 kids,


Steven ESLER - Married Karen, 4 kids,
John LAST - Married Margaret (1977), 4 b & 2 g,
John PENNY - Married Bernadette, 4 kids,
Richard FITZPATRICK - Married, Janet, 4 kids,


Michael BURNS - Married (and divorced) Cathie, remarried, 3 boys,
Paul F. - Married Cathy, 3 kids,
Ron HOLMES - Married Jane, 3 kids,
Mich P. - Married Elaine, 3 boys,

Denis BRISTOW - Married & Divorced Lyn, 3 kids, 5gc,

Michael COCHRAN - Married Noelle, 3(?) kids,

Terry FOGARTY - Married Mary (1971), 3 girls,

Ian BOORMAN - Married 3 kids, 8 gc,

Frank BORG - Married 2 kids,
Tony BRITTON - Married Sue, 2 kids,

Dr. Jim HANLEY - Married Pat, 2 girls, 2+gc,

Wayne CURRAN - Married Theresa, 2 adopted Korean children

Raff GARAFANO - Married Margaret, 1 girl,

Peter Bully

Tez

Peter Bully came down from Maitland Marist with Pete Goldman.

From my recollection he may have stayed one or two terms in 4th year.

No idea where he is now.

Cheers Terry

Peter Howard

Hi, Terry,

Peter Howard is living at Watervale (SA) growing wine grapes. I still keep in touch with him. BTW, I have 2 grandchildren (and another on the way), not 4.
Regards,


Jim Hanley

Dr Jim Hanley
Religious Education Consultant - Secondary Colleges
Diocesan Catholic Education Office

John Last

Hello Friends on a Journey.

I thought it was about time I told you a little about my story. It is amazing after all this time - 45 years after my time in Mittagong - making a connection.

I was only at Mittagong for one year at the Juniorate. I had attended Marist Brothers in Hamilton - Terry Kachel was there too at the same time.Only a few years earlier I choose tocome a Catholic - I was in the Leaving Year of '64 when the director of vocations visited us and I thought I might give-it-a-go.One of my friends at the time said he would say YES if i did too. So, I made the big decision, my friend did not. I went to the Juniorate.

The year was quite significant, even though I left at the end of the year. Br Claudius had a great impaact on my life. I can remember there were 3 of us who were one year older at that stage and repeating our 'leaving year' so maybe we could get a scholarship. it was also the year of the the big changes of Vatican II and Claude was open to change. For me in my personal struggle Br Claudius was a great mentor. I am sure you remember the 'state wards' and 'orphanage' and the change in relationship we as 'Juniors' had with them.

I left Mittagong . Worked as a Laboratory Technician and then in the early days of computing - still mechanical and wiring and big Processes. Three years later, I decided to go to Teachers College and studied PE at Sydney Teachers College at an annex of Sydney University. I worked in Outdoor Education - Sports and Rec. Camp at Point Wolstoncroft on Lake Maquarie for 2 years amd then went to Perth for a degree in education at University of Education.

A few years later I met my wife, Margaret, and became a Principal in a Catholic School. Margaret and i have been married for 33 years. We have six children - 4 boys and 2 girls - 2 are married - no grandchildren as yet.

After 23 years as a Principal in Perth, we began an international journey. i have been working as a school consultant and/or Principal for the past 10 years in a few countries and i am now in Singapore as the Principal of Excelsior International School (http://www.eis.edu.sg/).

Life has brought a number of challenges.

Thank God that I am still in good health and can still be active. I have had some contact with Ian Boorman over the internet. Peter Renshaw was one of my lecturers in Perth when I was doing my masters degree - actually he was one of the best experiences I have had. I ran into Robert Periera one year, when he was running a course in Catholic Schools in Perth. He is in Singapore at the moment and we are getting together during this week. i have been back to Mittagong a few times and met up with Claude once. And I went to Hunters Hill and ran into Br Bede and his dogs.

Thanks for keeping me on the contact list. My best to you all. Although, you may not remember me during my 'one year', I remember you and your names and many of the shanniganes we all got up to. Now who was with me studying in the freezing cold, I think with torches near the 'woodshed', before exam time - I think there were 3 of us.? We set the alarm for 3am or something rediculous like that - i'm sure we didn't learn anything. I have attached a couple of photos ... I have only one photo of myself in Mittagong Days- that photos in Perth.

Bless you all and keep me in your prayers

John

John Last

Hello Terry,

Yes it is the same J Last from Mittagong days.

I remember Terry Fogarty. as sson as I read the name ..ha ha Mittagong.

At present I am a resident in Singapore and a Principal at an International School.

I have spent most of my past life in Perth WA.

Great to hear from you ... please keep in touch. Have just started my day and a few meetings coming up. I'll get back to you.

Hope your day goes well.
John

Novices 65

Brother Claudius

Frank Peach