Brother Conleth Henry 1929-2003

By Brother Vincent Corkery

Cover design: Brother Matthew Bay

La Salle Centre, St Michael's Institution

30000 Ipoh, Malaysia

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Early Years Maurice Henry was born 3 May 1930 at Clonadd, two miles from Daingean, Co Offaly, the last in a family of ten. His father was Maurice and had passed away four months earlier. His mother was Eilleen O'Brien. Maurice, or Moss as he was known, was baptised in the Church of St Phillip Neri by the Rev Fr Kavanagh who requested that he should be called Maurice Conleth. St Conleth was the Patron Saint of the Diocese. His godparents were Michael and May Hyland. Many years later when he was ill, he was speaking to his sister in Australia and remarked on the coincidence that his Specialist's name was Michael Hyland. His sister Sister Conleth writes:

In his youth he was very mischievous such as letting down the tyres of his brothers' bicycles and loosening screws and nuts of the farm machinery. When needed he would disappear down to Briens or Rohans. His Primary Education was in the local National School. He was a bright student and applied himself to study, so much so that the teacher, Mr McInerney promoted him from third to fifth class. He received his First Holy Communion at the age of seven, was Confirmed by Rt Rev Bishop Mulvaney of the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. He received the name Patrick. The boys played hand ball in the ball alley at the end of the School Hall. One day, the school was visited by two De La Salle Brothers who were recruiting Vocations. After speaking on Religious Life and the work they did at home and on the missions, they asked if anyone was interested in going to their junior Novitiate. Some hands went up but Moss, who was shy, made no advance. The Brother spoke to the teacher. The class was dismissed. Returning to Castletown via Clonadd, they kindly brought Moss home. They conversed with his mother telling her he would get his Secondary Education and he was free to come home if he was not content. There were two reasons for him boarding one to test his Vocation and the other to avoid travelling to the Christian Brothers possibly cycling nine miles.

He joined the juniorate at Castletown in August 1943. He adjusted easily to the standard routine of study, prayer, games; walks and manual labour, thanks to a happy outgoing disposition and a gift for making friends, some of whom would be life long. He enjoyed the rough and tumble of competitive games and was a skilful hurler. Brother Felix who joined him in his final year writes:

I remember him as a friendly, open person, very loyal to his friends and one who applied himself to the task in hand be it study or recreation / games with a commendable degree of commitment.

Among the staff members Con greatly admired the Sub-Director .Brother Cyril Dullard, then in his early 40's, in particular his passion for Gaelic games, and his strong forthright views on players and on life. Con would seem to have come a little under his spell and even his later manner of delivering a weighty opinion reflected something of Cyril's confident style. His sister writes:

In 1943 Moss went to the junior Novitiate, coming home in holiday time. His eldest sister, who was working in Galway, on returning from Clonadd would take Moss to a friend in Oughterard. He enjoyed himself and was in high praise of Mrs Connolly and her family. Now came the time for Maurice to enter the Noviceship. There was no hesitation what his intentions were to give his life to the Service of God.

Following his three years in the juniorate he joined the novitiate in 1946, taking the habit 7 September and he was given name Brother Conleth Pius. Perhaps not among the better known or more glamorous, St. Conleth's credentials among the early saints of the Irish Church were always unassailable, having been first bishop of Kildare and joint patron of that diocese with St Brigid. He is said to have died 4 May 519. Brother Conleth, known simply and affectionately as Con among his close friends and acquaintances, was born 3 May and would die 5 May. His director of novices was Brother Berchan Close, legendary for his personal piety, robust moods and his infectious laughter. They would meet again in the fifties when a more

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mellowed Brother Berchan was director at Ely Place in Dublin.

Towards the end of the novitiate year novices were' invited to consider volunteering for overseas service on the missions, mostly in the District of Penang which then included Burma as well as Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Con was among those who volunteered and was thus directed to the missionary scholasticate in Mallow to continue his academic studies. There was a pressing demand for young Brothers on the missions and superiors were perhaps a little impatient to have them on their way. He was not yet 19 when together with life long friend Brother Noel Lynch he set sail for Singapore March 1949. They were accompanied by the elderly Brother Patrick O'Donovan who was returning after a holiday in Ireland to pioneer a Brothers' presence in Sarawak on the island of Borneo. Noel gives us some impressions of their adventures together:

We travelled on the MS Oranje and left Southampton 1 March. The Oranje was one of the fastest ships on that route, making only one stop at Port Said. Brother Conleth and I travelled tourist class while Brother Patrick went first class as he had been unable to get a tourist berth First night on board Con and I took stock of our finances, we had one pound each. After ordering two bottles of lemonade we calculated that if we kept to a bottle of lemonade each night and did nothing wild we could have a drink every evening. We had picked up some white pants in Strawberry Hill and Conleth was given a white coat by Brother Kevin Hayes. When we reached Port Said Brother Patrick decided I needed a white coat as well. We shopped around and soon saw that Brother Patrick was an experienced bargain hunter. A purchase was finally made and the draper obviously pleased with the sale became very talkative. Looking at Patrick, snow haired and well into his sixties, and at us, he enquired, `These are your two sons?' Patrick replied in holy haste that we were brothers! The man stopped wrapping, looked at each of us separately a few times, then slowly

shook his head. Clearly there were many questions he would like to ask.

On our first day into the Red Sea we were informed over the public address system that official dress had to be worn to dinner — pants, jacket, shirt and tie. I got into my new attire. Con was preparing to do the same when he gave a gasp. Opening his jacket for the first time he saw two wide lines of iron rust stretching from collar to tail — OK for a fancy dress but certainly not as a dinner jacket. It was decided to take turns, I would go to dinner and make excuses for Con if necessary. We arrived in Singapore 20 March. In after years there was always some good natured banter as to who arrived first, Con insisting we arrived 'together and I adamant that I was first as I had stepped off the gangway ahead of him!

We stayed in Singapore for a week. Brother Barnitus, Visitor, was there and it was decided that we would visit communities in Malaysia. We travelled by train and car and in two weeks we visited every community with the exception of Malacca. En route to Seremban, Brothers Barnitus and Patrick sat at one end of a long carriage, Con and myself at the other end. Brother Barnitus had kindly bought us some bottles of orange crush — nectar for us in those days

We were both very interested in the notices posted over all seats — 'In the event of gunfire lie on the floor!' As we travelled along we admired the scenery, miles of jungle and rubber plantations, and drew out our bottles of orange as long as possible. Suddenly there was an almighty crash and in seconds we were on the floor with the orange pouring over us from the upset bottles. We lay on the floor, faces inches apart, waiting for a second salvo. It never came and we slowly realised that no one else had moved. We returned to our seats feeling very silly, sorry sights with our white robes spattered with cigarette butts, matches and orange. We were grateful that the other passengers had not even smiled. Brother Barnitus replenished our bottles and explained that the crash had been a

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thunderbolt, common in Malaysia, even on a bright sunny day..

We were made very welcome in Seremban and after dinner retired early as we were very tired from the journey and the heat. Next morning after breakfast Con came to my room looking very worried. He was convinced he had picked up some deadly tropical disease. He showed me his forearms –they were every colour of the rainbow. We decided to keep it quiet for the time being, fearing we might be sent home if it were serious. Later in the day we confided in Brother Edmund Matthews. One glance and he broke out in a fit of giggles and laughs as only he could. He explained that Con had slept under a multi-coloured blanket and his perspiration had drawn the colours from the blanket. When we arrived in Penang we were initially assigned to the juniorate just then set up by Brother James Dooley.

Between his arrival in Penang late March 1949 and December of that year Con had in all four postings, reflecting a problematic situation arising apparently from the fact that he was considered underage for registration as a teacher. Largely due, it was said, to the kind indulgence of the education office in Penang, he was finally accepted to teach at St Xavier's Institution. Brother Felix writes:

I do not have the inside story on his four postings in 1949 following his arrival in Malaya. Probably he was posted to SJTC on his arrival in Penang in March '49 pending a vacancy in some school. In May he was posted to Malacca but was not approved as a teacher probably because he was under age hence his re-posting to SJTC in August. Finally he was posted to SCI in December and assume this was because he was accepted as a teacher. What is of much more important is how all this affected Con himself and how he reacted to it. Nowadays we would see it as a very traumatic experience but I guess in those days we were taught to accept it as the Holy Will of God which Con would have done but as I got to know him better in later years I am sure he would have asked himself serious questions about the

management skills of the then superiors. This experience may well have helped shape that commitment and dedication which was to characterise all his activities in later years.

Penang was the place to be in those • early years after the war, particularly St Xavier's Institution which was going through one of the more exciting periods of its history. The beautiful majestic building that had been St Xavier's was levelled by the war. Nothing daunted the school resumed normal routine, housed in attap sheds clustered around the perimeter of the large playing field. Conditions were primitive in many respects. The attap did not allow for fans or lights and was not always proof against the regular tropical downpour. In spite of it all the school prospered in games and studies and several students of those years eventually found their way forward into key leadership roles in the professions, public life and the corporate sector: The backbone of the staff was undoubtedly the presence of a large number of dynamic young Brothers, both Malaysian and Irish, in a large multiracial community, presided over by the benign Brother Fintan Blake. Con entered into the spirit of it all, including the annual funfairs to collect funds for the dream new building that all eagerly awaited. Life in community followed the rigid routine of those days, lightened somewhat by the weekly trek to the cooler air at the Brothers' bungalow on Penang hill. Here a slightly more relaxed atmosphere was possible; with time for games, a swim, a long walk in the jungle, at night card games or a singsong, especially during the longer holidays. Noel Lynch recalls:

Con was a good entertainer and always contributed to the concerts we had on Penang Hill after Retreats or during holidays. His party piece was a parody on the tune 'Jerusalem'. It was about someone wearing oversize trousers and the final line was 'You're losing them, you're losing them; Whose pants have you on tonight!' It was also a favourite of the Visitor Brother Barnitus and he always requested it if he were present. It was very amusing to observe the otherwise serious Brother Barnitus shaking with laughter as Con belted out his song.

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Transfers were the order of the day and it was no surprise when Con found himself posted all the way south to St Paul's Institution, Seremban early January 1952. It was a big contrast to Penang, a community less than half the size at St Xavier's, but community routine remained the same. Brother Felix speaks of his passion for rugby, and his success in coaching younger players, many of whom retained lasting memories of his expertise. Here the relief from stifling bedroom and classroom heat came at weekends when they went to Port Dickson beside the sea. Even though as in Penang Brothers always brought along stacks of exercise books for correcting and texts to prepare for the coming week's lessons, the atmosphere was relaxing, and there was a lovely beach and swimming when the tide was in. Con retained many happy memories of these years, and often spoke warmly of the Brothers he came to know so well.

Study leave On 15 August 1955, now 25, following the practice of the times he pronounced his perpetual vows. Shortly afterwards he went on home leave after more than six years in the tropical heat. One can only guess the thrill of his homecoming, considering how much his mother at the lack of correspondence these early years in the Far East. After a few short weeks at home he made his way to De La Salle University Hall, Ely Place in Dublin. Settling into university life he took in his stride, helped greatly by the fact that some of his closest friends among the Brothers were also doing their university studies at the same time. It was a companionship which allowed for lots of banter and friendly contestation, but always with a basic seriousness for the task in hand. Among the courses he took was economics which soon became a passion for him, in part no doubt because of the excellent professor at that time, and it would remain a favourite teaching subject in subsequent years. He took his studies seriously and was never known to miss a lecture or an assignment. Life in Ely Place was a privileged experience in those days of fairly rigid style religious life. There were comparisons with fellow students of other congregations, which allowed no departure from fixed monastic routine. At Ely Place by contrast, the Brothers were allowed to exercise their maturity and personal initiative, and it made all the difference but was never abused. In his first year Brother Berchan was director, a man he already knew

from his novitiate days who had now become pleasantly benign and non-intrusive. Books have been written about Dublin's

'golden fifties' focusing mostly on the rich cultural life of the city in those years. During his stay 1955-1958 Con entered into this wonderful world, but perhaps his focus was more on the great rugby matches which brought fever-pitch excitement to the city. Most Saturdays he found his way to the famous Landsdown Road rugby stadium. But when the really big international games were pending the fever of anticipation began days earlier, and when the big day came there was a rushed lunch before dashing off with fellow enthusiasts long before the game was due to begin to get the best place among the thousands who could only afford to stand. On more than one occasion it was a day so bitterly cold and dreary that few others would dare venture out. It would take much more than mere weather to dampen Con's enthusiasm and commitment to the game. Sundays saw him at Croke Park for the GAA games. He had no problem harmonising such polarised loyalties.

Mornings at Ely Place saw the Brothers hasten routinely from morning prayer to St Teresa's Church in Clarendon street for Mass, then back for breakfast and upstairs to the community room to grab the headlines from the daily papers before rushing off for lectures. During these few minutes with the papers there was always some light banter about the latest news, snippets of scandal etc. One such morning Con was having fun with some strange names on the obituary column when suddenly he went stone silent. Few even noticed him leaving the room. He had just read the obituary notice of his sister back in Daingean, a young mother with a large family. Only in the course of the morning did the word get round to the other Brothers, and there was a sense of deepest shock and sympathy for Con. Con meanwhile had left for home. His sister writes:

In 1955 when Brother was studying in the U.C.D., tragedy struck the Henry family. Kathleen (Mrs Molloy) mother of eight and expecting her ninth got very ill. She requested her husband to get their children ready for school. Afterwards he brought her to the doctor

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who advised her to go to the hospital but she objected saying she had to prepare her children to be cared for while she was in hospital. On reaching her house, she went into a coma. The ambulance took her to the hospital. She never regained consciousness. The baby was stillborn on Sunday and Kathleen died on Monday. It was a big shock to Brother. He travelled from Dublin to Tullamore to reach the hospital before the body was transferred to the Church in Daingean.

The Brothers from Malaysia at Ely Place rented a car to attend the funeral; Brother Berchan came along as well. It was deep winter and the roads were treacherous with heavy frost following a night of snow. Thankfully Br Senan at the wheel seemed perfectly at home with all weather conditions. It was the saddest of funerals. One memory stands out: Berchan approaching the bereaved husband at the graveside to give him a warm reassuring handshake with quiet words of condolence, as only Berchan could. The words were commonplace: `When God closes one door He always opens another', but spoken with the full warmth of a great personality, there was no denying their consoling effect. As for Con one felt it had scarred him deeply, perhaps for life. `December of that same year, his Aunt Mary died. She was very kind to the family after their father dying helping their mother in many ways. Brother Conleth had the privilege to visit her and be with her when she died'. [Sister Conleth] A Great Teacher On his return to Malaysia he was posted for two years to St Michael's Institution, 1poh, where his main focus was the teaching of economics at sixth form level. He is still remembered for his lessons which were meticulously prepared and his students responded very readily to his strong sense of seriousness when it came to work. They liked his lessons and many achieved top grades. Long hours were spent in detailed preparation and in marking the students' work. Now and then a past student will still quietly recall how he was the best teacher he ever had. In addition to teaching normal day hours he was invited to teach in the further education classes held in the evenings at the government school for second chance students, those who did not succeed in

obtaining admission to the regular sixth form classes. With the approach of the rugby season Con would be out helping to coach the school team. He related with the players with all the confidence and assurance of one who knew what he was talking about. His Landsdown Road exposure stood him in good stead. It was noted that his concern was mainly with coaching the forward line. He worked closely with Brother Mark Blake, and together they produced some famous players. Some evenings he managed with a companion or two to go for a stiff walk along the river bank in their white robes. He was a great believer in regular exercise. Holiday time it was possible to spend some time in the cooler heights of Cameron Highlands, staying with the French priests, until later when the Brothers' house was completed. The Highlands were still at an early stage of development and facilities such the golf course were not heavily patronised. For a few dollars green fees it was possible to have a whole day on the course. It was here perhaps that Con got his first taste of the game and he developed a life long love for it. At the same time he loved the jungle walks of which there was quite a rich variety. January 1961 he went on transfer to St Xavier's Institution, now no longer a spread of atap huts but an impressive modern school complex. One of his students this first year was shocked with news of his death. She writes:

It was his first year at SXI when we were in lower sixth form in 1961. He laid the foundation for our knowledge of economics and many of his ex-students went on to serve society with advanced knowledge of this subject in later years. We had two full years of his tutorship. I gained a lot from Brother Conleth who brought the subject Economics into my life. I recalled his first sentence in class – Economics is a science of choice. Another characteristic was that he always began his lessons with: let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God'. Later I was to find that this is the practice of the La Salle Order and I've grown to use this practice in my life.

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The Quiet Man

He was a quiet introspective person, good company, a genuine confrere and a seriously religious man. In his teaching classroom days he made certain mental adaptations to time and place.

He was a part of a long "FSC line/ 'multitude' in South East Asia who could be categorised as the relatively unsung vineyard labourers. He and his contemporary confreres touched hearts and minds in ways far beyond their imagining in the context of the FSC educational establishments they were part of.

Br. Conleth, appreciated by friends, clients and old students, was one of the unheralded 'jigsaw' FSC pieces in the matrix of South East Asia, especially in Malaya & Singapore.

Brother Oliver Rogers

He was very spiritual, very Catholic, and would like to see every student who aspired to be a teacher to be trained at Pulau Tikus [by the Brothers] or at Bukit Nanas [by the IJ Sisters]. What perhaps he did not foresee was that God has no boundaries and teachers trained in government colleges may find their faith there, be baptised and grow to touch lives equally well. I think he was disappointed when I did not choose Bukit Nanas.

. It was here that Brother Felix joined him the following year in 1962:

When I caught up with him in SXI at the beginning of 1962 he was an established member of the staff and while like all Brothers he was assigned to teach Religion and English classes his specialty was economics and there is many a student from St. Michael's, St. Xavier's and St. John's who will attribute their success in their profession to the impact Con had on them when he was their Econs teacher in Form Six. He prepared his lessons very thoroughly, made his presentation in a logical and methodical manner which enabled the students to grasp the fundamentals and thus laid the groundwork for future success. He was demanding with his students and insisted that assignments be ready on time. Although hoary excuses were set aside with much disdain he was always sensitive to the needs of students who may have had particular difficulties. These would be called aside after class in order to identify the problem and find solutions. Demanding as he was in the area of work he was never known to have resorted to corporal punishment or other practices demeaning to human dignity to get the co-operation of his students.

The St. Xavier's community was very large even by the standards of those days and numbered around 25. It was strictly hierarchical - superiors, senior brothers, those holding administrative posts (the community managed 9 schools including Kedah), established brothers of which Con was one and the young brothers. The Brothers daily life was scheduled and governed down to the minutest detail from rising around 4.30 am to lights out around 9.30 pm. Stress was supposedly not a problem in

those days but obviously the unrelenting demands of the quotidianum was a heavy burden for many a brother more especially the younger ones. These found a true friend in Con and I am convinced that not a few of them value and appreciate his support and advice in those days. Vatican II was in the planning stages and there was certainly an air of expectation that better times were in the offing but these did not take shape until the General Chapter of 1966/67.

Con was only too well aware of the many anomalies and inconsistencies of the life of the Brothers in those days and he could measure out severe criticism of the said practices while at the same time being careful not to lay the blame solely with our superiors. He was particularly annoyed by a certain lack of trust placed in the Brothers that expressed itself in over zealous chaperoning and monitoring especially of the young Brothers. He felt that there was too little trust. He was equally uncomfortable with Brothers who sought the limelight and insisted on blowing their own trumpet or worse still encouraging and promoting the

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personality cult. He did not always vocalise his feelings but very often a shake of the head or a gesture indicative of disapproval became a clear indication of how he felt.

In January 1966 Con moved to St John's Institution in Kuala Lumpur where he continued his usual teaching assignments. Brother Lawrence Spitzig was Director during these years and he recalls:

One outstanding quality was his zeal, not only from the rostrum but also on the playing field. I have no difficulty in proclaiming this quality because it was so apparent. I attribute it as a built-in feature of the man, stemming no doubt partly from his family heritage and in turn augmented by the discipline and rigorous type of formation experienced in religious life of his day. This quality is still often referred to in other areas too – the playing field in particular. I am very often reminded of it by former pupils I meet. His intensity always surfaces. He demanded and got his money's worth so to speak. In return his pupils got their money's worth too. Piles of exercise books adorned his desk and were dealt with promptly. He usually saw to that at night because the playing field was calling and his disciples were waiting – rugby and football. He put his lads through serious training and at interschool matches St John's seldom met its match.

Bro Conleth was no stranger to the chapel. His priedieu cushion was well worn and I don't think his spirit of zeal could have been better kindled than on his knees. Like all of us however Brother Conleth was no paragon of perfection. Living in a very large community of various origins and ages there were personality clashes from time to time, and the lock-step routine that prevailed in those days demanded faith in every day living. Bro Conleth had it. I can say without hesitation that Bro Conleth handled his problems in a spirit of faith, zeal and acceptance. Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.

The Rugby Enthusiast Con's major contribution to the area of extra curricular activities in his days in Seremban, Penang and Kuala Lumpur was in coaching rugby particularly under age groups. I have always been puzzled as to how he came to focus exclusively on rugby. He had no exposure to rugby in Ireland and unlike many of us who were 'born again games wise' during our Strawberry Hill days where devotion to rugby and support for The Tavern in the Town just about had equal call on the affections and time of the students of those days who were all ex-servicemen.

Here we have Con, supposedly untutored in the game and who missed out on this exposure, helping to introduce rugby to St. Paul's Seremban in the early 1950's and going on to build up a team that had considerable success. Unfortunately the club disbanded for want of a coach after he left in 1955. When I revived rugby there ten years later many old boys who were coached by Con and had been selected to play at state level volunteered to help with the coaching and were unstinting in their praise of Con and how he had made them the men they were now.

This commitment to rugby he carried with him to St.Michael's, St. Xavier's and St. John's. He preferred to coach the under age groups as he felt they were more willing to listen to the coach and acquire the correct skills rather than older players who may have felt they knew it all and had nothing to learn. Certainly he had exceptionable success with his Under 14 and Under 15 teams many of which swept all before them.

Like everything else he emphasised the basics like handling skills and team play. Long before the era of professionalism he placed great emphasis on fitness. There was a memorable occasion in Penang when on a Saturday morning the Under 15 squad were sent to climb Penang Hill as part of their fitness training.

Among the squad was the son of the then Governor of Penang, Tun Uda. the kid had informed the family that he was going to school for rugby training but did not mention the Penang Hill hike as he had maths tuition at 11.00 am and knew he could not make it home by that time.

When the youngster failed to materialise for his tuition the Governor personally phoned the school and let his disappointment be known. This was conveyed to Con on his return and like the real sportsman he was he immediately called the Governor held up his hand and pleaded guilty. Not only that he accompanied the kid home to the Residency in the Brothers car. So impressed was ,the Governor with Con's caring attitude that his earlier disappointment evaporated and general absolution resulted.

Of much greater impact was Con's enhanced reputation with his flock for here was a coach prepared to stick his neck out for them and save them from the due rewards of their negligence.

Brother Felix Donohue

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Counsellor and Spiritual Guide In 1969 Con took a sabbatical to read for a Dipoma in Counselling in Dublin during which he resided at Ely Place once more. Brother David Jones was a student there at this time and he remembers Con very vividly:

I lived with Conleth at Ely Place 1969-1970 when he was doing a post graduate course. My memory of him is of a very energetic hard-working person who possessed a wonderful sense of humour. His laugh and chuckle were a panacea for the blues. He was a man of sane judgement and on more than one occasion I benefited from his advice. He had a strong sense of justice too and he would get very annoyed if he sensed an injustice was being committed by anyone, including superiors.

On his return to St. John's he added counselling to his other assignments, and set about organising a proper counselling room with all the essential resources. Brother Patrick Chan was in the community at this time and he found in Con a listening ear for his many problems as school principal. He writes:

I first came to know Brother Conleth when I was the Principal of La Salle Primary School 2 and lower secondary school. In community I found Brother Conleth a very kind, considerate and helpful person. He was very keen in rugby. He trained a strong team, with regular practices on our field. He wanted to beat our main rival Victoria Institution and he succeeded.

He liked golf. I can still remember during Br Joseph Yeoh's time four of us, Br Joseph Yeoh, Conleth, Anthony Rogers and myself went out by car to a Golf Club in KL one early morning around 5.30am. All the others could play golf except myself. However I did enjoy myself, it was good exercise for all of us. His most important work was guidance and counselling. This was done after school hours, usually in the evening and at night. On my part I was asked to help type out the notes he had prepared before putting them in the respective files.

I realised he was a very patient man, able to listen and give be good advice. He was indeed highly respected by those who came to see him.

During these years at St John's he paid an occasional visit to Brother Oliver Rogers who at that time was principal of St Anthony's School in Telok lntan in a one-man community. Brother Oliver writes:

I was in Teluk Anson for a few years (1974-1977) and during that period, probably 1976-77, when I was a lone ranger there, Conleth visited me at least twice, if not more, presumably in the months before he had his first 'breakdown' and suddenly returned to Ireland. We used to sit on the community veranda in the dusk-time facing St. Anthony's Church and watch the simple world of Telok Intan pass by on bicycles or shanks mare and in a rare car or two. He loved a beer or two on those occasions and no doubt we sorted out the problems of the times, fsc and other wise. But I do know that these visits were very supportive to me personally at that time and in retrospect I suspect mutually so to him also in view of his subsequent nervous breakdown

It gradually became clear to his confreres that he was overworking in trying to combine a normal teaching load with counselling and rugby coaching. There were other strains as well as Brother Felix recalls:

Adding counselling to his other assignments proved to be a double-edged sword for while it enabled him to help students with their problems it led to a conflict of loyalty. He was now sub-director of the community and ipso facto, according to the practices of those days, deputy principal of the school. He was very clear that his first loyalty was to the school administration while at the same time being very conscious of the fact that certain school disciplinary practices did not always give sufficient recognition to the individual needs of some students. He shared this feeling with me at the time but he was adamant that his first duty was to the head of the school. To what extent this affected him I do not know except that in 1977 he felt he was heading for a breakdown and returned to Ireland for treatment. Eventually his

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condition was diagnosed as depression brought about by a deep seated chemical imbalance in his system. After undergoing treatment he remained in Ireland for over three years until he returned to Singapore in March 1980. This effectively spelt the end of his teaching career in school.

During his three years in Ireland he spent some time on the staff of De La Salle Boys' Home in Kircubbin, where his counselling expertise was very much appreciated. The Home was located in wooded country setting which in itself must have been therapeutic. Brother Patrick Tierney came by whenever he was on leave when Brother Albert his brother was director. Pat recalls some impressions:

Serious but with a lovely sense of humour, gently smiling his way through life's peculiarities. I would go to Kircubbin for spells during holiday time. When Con was there he took me golfing to a course at Kircubbin. I made him happy witnessing my vain attempts to get around with some dignity. I have never seen a course with so many sand traps and elevated greens and they nearly killed me. Con meanwhile laughing heartily and negotiating his way round with enviable ease. However his smiles and laughs were always encouraging.

Brother Oliver Rogers also has memories of meeting him in Kircubbin:

I recall how both of us and Noel Lynch had a golf round or two on a local farm that had just been recently converted to golfing purposes. I guess that would have been in the autumn of 1977 when I would have been on home leave from Telok Intan before my transfer to Singapore. And then in March 1980 he arrived in St. Patrick's Community from Kircubbin where our friendship was renewed.

In his St. Patrick's School phase he set up his own Counselling 'service' and he had a little room set up for that purpose just inside the Chapel entrance on the left hand side. Counselling was rather new at that time, but his style was somewhat different from that of Br. Harry Morgan, the pioneer of school counselling at SPS. Br. Conleth counselled professionally and never did operate as a

classroom man during his time in Singapore. He did gravitate towards Spiritual Direction in his later Singapore years. He was now 50 and it was at this time 'that he turned to retreat work and signed up for part-time training to conduct directed retreats, which extended over four years: first and second years the training lasted two months, the remaining two years for one month. It was a live-in programme at the Catholic Junior College Hostel, with initially some 30 participants, under the guidance of Jesuits Fr Bob Rice and Fr John Reilly. This led to the formation of 'life direction teams' to conduct retreats, mainly directed retreats extending from four to eight days in duration and mostly for lay groups. These years gave Con much personal fulfilment, it was work that appealed to him, and some beneficiaries maintained contact for years after. He developed a clientele, many of whom still remember him, including one or two ex-Brothers. Brother Oliver who was briefly Director at St Patrick's and Principal of the school recalls how Con was a tower of strength to him, even to basics like showing him how to keep accounts. One can imagine Con did a thorough job of it, if for no other reason than that Oliver continues to be a rather exacting keeper of accounts. In the period 1985 - '87 Con was a Spiritual Guide to a number of former Catholic Junior College students who were attending the University at that time. They were a very spiritually committed group and Con exercised a special influence over them. In later years they often enquired about Con. On Oliver's transfer to St Joseph's, Con took over as director of St Patrick's community until his own transfer to St Joseph's January 1987, just as the community were moving into their new quarters in Malcolm Park. In August 1989 he felt obliged for health reasons to return to Ireland permanently. The Final Phase Back in Ireland he was posted briefly to the Pastoral Centre in Castletown in 1989 but this did not last, possibly for continuing problems with his health and a fairly demanding routine. He went on to St Benildus' College in Kilmacud where he did valuable work updating the computer records of the students on an ongoing basis. The work seemed congenial and he was routinely in good spirits. Brother Sylvester Fitzpatrick

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who joined the community in 1994 writes:

Getting to know Con was not a quick and easy process. Con on first acquaintance seemed quite shy and retiring, a very private person, and it was only gradually that one became close to, and friendly with him. When however the ice was broken and friendship was established one began to recognize and appreciate the many sterling qualities of the man, the religious confrere and the religious apostle.

Although a private person Con was sociable and friendly, endowed with a somewhat wry and dry sense of humour, kind and sympathetic to those who were in need of compassion and sympathy, and always willing to lend a helping hand when and where needed. He entered into Community activities wholeheartedly, but did so in a quiet and almost self-effacing manner. As a Religious he was of the old school, solid and undemonstrative, a man of deep faith and quiet prayer, being in communication with the Father in secret while at the same time being faithful to all the external practices of Religious and Community life. During his time in St Benildus he was involved with a local group whose members were participants in the practice of Centering prayer. His influence and leadership among the members of this group was considerable.

In the school apostolate in St Benildus College his contribution to the development of technology in various areas of school administration was considerable. Being very skilled and competent in Computer Science he was most influential through the advice and practical help that he gave. He fidelity to the college through his attendance and his work was much appreciated by Headmaster and staff and evoked much favourable comment and tribute from them. Failing health began to take its toll in recent years and while initial surgery was beneficial, and Con had a period of remission during which he seemed to have got a new lease of life both

physically and emotionally, his illness returned, was mercifully relatively short.

Brother Oliver writes:

In the 1990's we renewed acquaintance in Ireland during my occasional home leaves and he and I toured much of Ireland in my sister's Subaru car on two occasions which I enjoyed for he was good companionable company. I last met him in October 2001 at St. Benildus in Dublin at which time his cancer was in mild remission. We enjoyed a few walks in Deerpark nearby and some refreshments at Kiely's Road House at the edge of the park.

Brother Felix speaks of Con as a great community man, who enjoyed the company of his confreres.

Finally the caring Con in a different context. He was a great believer in community and always went out of his way to promote community. After he returned to Ireland he remained in close contact with his former colleagues in the Penang District and looked forward to meeting up with those who were on home leave. To better facilitate such meetings each year he booked a "cottage" in a congenial area where those available could get together and relax for a few days - just resting, maybe fishing, playing a round or two of golf and sightseeing. For those not in the know a "cottage" is a fully-furnished, self-catering bungalow, generally double storey, and offered for rental during the holiday period. He did the bookings in early January to benefit by the early bird discounts and avoided the peak tourist period thus availing of more economic rates. He certainly enjoyed these get togethers as did those who were fortunate enough to share these occasions_ I suppose all of us will recall the nights when we sat around after the days activities shared refreshments and reminisced about our shared experiences in the Penang District

In these later years he was in closer contact with his family members, making frequent visits to his sister Cora in Clara. He also got in

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some travel. Twice, 1986 and 1996, he made the trip to Australia to visit his sister and namesake Sister Conleth. He was also interested in the family tree and made contact with several members of Henry family who had emigrated to America. When it came to his final illness, it was diagnosed as cancer of the stomach. Brother David Jones writes:

It's not for me to comment on his religious or spiritual life. I remember however his writing to me when he first discovered that he had cancer. He mentioned the possibility that it was terminal and he posed the question: Am I afraid of death? He answered that question himself with: I am not! Surely these were the words of a man at peace with himself and at peace with God.

Thanks to timely treatment the cancer went into remission for some time and Con was back in circulation as his usual self. Later it caught up with him again with the result towards the end that there were good days and some very bad days when the pain was excruciating and morphine was not being effective. But good or bad he always treasured visits from old friends and took advantage when things were not too bad to go out with them for a meal. He remained his happy self to the end. He still enjoyed watching a game of rugby on TV, always with the keenest interest and emotional involvement. He could still accept a little banter, and enjoyed scoring on a point of fact, or on the golf course after a neat stroke, and then with a roguish smile he would articulate his signature phrase: "That shook you!" Toward the end of April 2003 he was seen to be declining fast and close friends sat with him for hours. Finally it was decided to admit him to St Vincent's hospital, and it was here that he passed away 5 May. The funeral took place in Castletown with a large attendance of Brothers, family members and friends. Brother Kevin Byrne gave the following the homily:

We are gathered here today in Castletown to bid farewell to Brother Conleth, a confrere who was much revered both here in Ireland and n the Far East. Our sympathies go out to his

relatives and friends, in particular to his sister Cora and his other sister, Sr Conleth, a Sister of Mercy in Australia. My memories of Conleth, or Maurice

Henry as he was then known, go back to the Juniorate days here in 1944, when I first met him. At that time, I recall many of us were dressed short pants and pullover but Maurice had a fine suit of clothes which put the rest of us in the shade.

Conleth went to the Novitiate in 1946 and I recall that when I became a Postulant in 1947 I was put sitting beside him in the Novitiate above us here. The novice was supposed to be a kind of mentor for the Postulant. I must say he was very encouraging, and never upset by Brother Berchan's talks, threatening us with hell fire and damnation. Conleth was an open straightforward man who always expressed his convictions sincerely without worrying about what others thought of him or his beliefs. He volunteered for the Missions immediately after completing his Novitiate. Some of us volunteered for the Missions because we had a limited knowledge of Irish, but this did not include Conleth, he was a genuine real missionary. The countries Malaya, as it was then known, and Hong Kong and Singapore were still getting on their feet after the Japanese invasion and surrender, and were badly in need of personnel to man their large establishments. Conleth and his fellow missionaries were sent to Mallow to study for the Oxford School Certificate examination, which was the very basic requirement for teachers in those days. Being a bright student he did well in his studies and after one year in Mallow he set off for the Far East on board a Dutch liner. He was accompanied by Brother Frederick Lynch, now Fr Lynch, whom you see in the sanctuary here. And Brother Patrick O'Donovan was their mentor. The young men with next to nothing in their pockets, set off for the unknown, yet they enjoyed the experience, overcame their homesickness and were thrilled with their visits to exotic

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places, far away places, with strange sounding names, as someone has said. As was said here before these men had very little or teacher training and fund themselves standing before classes of 45 and more pupils on a Monday morning shortly after their arrival in a foreign land. It was a question of sink or swim. Fortunately the vast majority of them, often with help from their experienced confreres survived and became excellent teachers. Many past pupils in high positions in these countries, in the Church,' Government, Medicine, Commerce and the Services speak well of the education they received in the Brothers Schools. Many of them also accepted the Christian faith and are exemplary in the practice of it. Brother Conleth's ex-student, head of Economic Affairs Department in Malaysia had invited him to the 150th anniversary of St Xaver's in Penang., passage paid, last year. Unfortunately his failing health prevented him form undertaking the long journey to the East. Conleth began his teaching career in Penang, was then posted to Malacca, to walk in the footsteps of St Francis Xavier. Brothers were transferred frequently in those days, so it was off to St Paul's Seremban for Conleth in 1952. He returned to Ireland in 1955 to do his degree course at UCD. He was posted back to 1poh and then to Penang to teach Economics in Form Six there. He was an experienced teacher now and yearly his students obtained excellent results. Conleth covered every topic on the syllabus in detail and was generous in supplying detailed notes to those of us who were less energetic in class preparation. He also coached the school rugby teams.

A Spiritual Guide

1 would like to convey my condolences upon the passing of Bro. Conleth.

Bro. Conleth has been a blessing for many in the years that he served in Singapore. I had the blessing of knowing him in 1987 when he became my spiritual director. Through his help I was `discipled' into a life of prayer and seeking God in my life. He was a humble man of prayer and openness to the Spirit. I am grateful to God for the gift of Bro Conleth and for our last walk together in Dun Laoghaire last June. In our last conversation, he spoke of the deepening interiority of prayer in his life. A gentleman with an Irish temperament! He was a man who trusted God and people in their capacity to hear and respond to voice of the Shepherd.

Today, as I reach out to others in my call as a Catholic lay missionary,I can see the foundations that God built in my life through Bro. Conleth and his unique gifts expressed through his love and friendship. I always left a meeting with him feeling encouraged and strengthened for the onward journey. Our last meeting in 2002 was no different.

I would like to thank God for the gift of his life and may the seeds that he has sown continue to bear abundant fruit for the Kingdom in generations to come. Whilst I will miss him, I know that he will continue to live in my heart and those whom he has touched.

1 would also like to thank the La Salle Brothers for sharing the gift of your brother with us.

Esther Fong Institute for World Evangelisation

ICIPE Mission

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In 1966 he was transferred to St John's in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaya. In 1966 he was transferred to St. John's, Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia . Gradually he convinced himself that although our schools were excellent academic institutions what was lacking was provision for Student Counselling and Career guidance especially in very large schools like St. John's. Besides the country was now turning out its own teachers and graduates. Very little was being done to help, advise and guide boys and girls with personal and family problems and frustrations. So Conleth decided, with the support of his superiors to take the full time Career Guidance and Counselling Course at UCD in 1969. On his return to Kuala Lumpur he threw himself whole heartedly into his new role as guidance and counselling teacher. He spent long hours with his students and adults as well. In fact he got over involved and had little time for himself The result was that he had a slight breakdown and had to come back to Ireland to recuperate. He recovered his health fully after rest and treatment and a stay in Kircubbin. The Brothers in the Penang District invited him back to the East as they knew he had much to offer the district, so in 1980 he returned to the East and was posted to Singapore where English was the medium. of instruction, whereas Malaysia had adopted the Malay language as the first language throughout the whole education system. Shortly after his arrival in Singapore he was invited to join a team of Sisters, and highly qualified lay people who conducted various types of Retreats and provided counselling and guidance services. In 1982, Conleth was chosen by the Community of St. Patrick's as their Director, and in 1988 he was appointed Director of the community at St. Joseph's. No doubt his experience in guidance and counseling proved very helpful in these responsibilities and his common sense and concern for the welfare of the Brothers in his community were very much appreciated. In 1989 Conleth decided to return to his native land for good. After a short stay in Castletown he was posted to St. Benildus where he gave some assistance to the school as he was well versed in the use of the computer.

In his retirement he still thought of his fellow missionaries from the Penang District and each year he booked a self catering bungalow for a week or two where they could rest, explore the country, play a game of golf. Among his other accomplishments was the ability to cook a good dinner and this was much appreciated. Despite his failing health he lived out his last years happily in the Community of Brothers in Kilmacud. Being a very spiritual man Conleth bore his sufferings with great faith and patience and was never one to complain. And so, we bid farewell to a Brother who was much loved and greatly appreciated both in Ireland and the Far East. May his soul rest in peace for ever

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

BROTHER CONLETH

In terms of what I knew of him, what he did for me and his contribution to my life, Bro Conleth lived his life truly serving God's purpose for his creation and completely fulfilling God's mission for him. Now that he had returned to his Maker safe in His arms, I shall forever remember him with love and speak of him with joy and gratitude. The saddest thought I shall have to carry with me the rest of my life is that I had not been able to see him just before he departed, something that I promised myself that I would do.

Wong Pak Sun, Penang