Page 61 - The Gonzaga Record 2004
P. 61
Incurables Donnybrook, and that address already conjured up some startling
images. We discovered many remarkable people behind the forbidding gates and
long avenue, many of whom had spent many long years in Donnybrook and were
not going to be leaving except to the graveyard.
Gonzaga boys were privileged - we knew that thanks partly to Fr. Stephen
Redmond SJ, our history teacher, who reminded us of it regularly, and from any
general observation of life around us. Perhaps because of this privilege we were
made to be all the more serious about our commitment to the Royal Hospital.
Wise Fr. John knew that if this experiment went wrong it could be psychological
ly damaging for both sides - the boys, the patients and, of course, the school. There
was enough of the experimental in the Gonzaga experience already without a mis
guided, amateur and casual affront to the vulnerable people involved, adults and
young people alike.
The Vincent de Paul Conference was open to boys in Seniors 4, 5 and 6. Many
of us in Senior 4 joined. It was more difficult for those in Senior 5, the Matric year,
and those in Senior 6 were already looking to their futures, but there was a good
representation from those years too. It was decided, after an initial experiment with
some of the men’s wards, that we should confine our activities to the ladies. We did
not visit all the ladies’ wards as Ward 11 was exclusively for Protestants. I think we
felt somewhat embarrassed, even in those early ecumenical days, when we hurried
past Ward 11 on our way to Ward 12. Rumour had it that these ladies felt our
absence too.
We had our conference meeting in the hall of the hospital where our activities of
the previous week were discussed and solemnly, or not so formally, recorded in the
minutes book. We then proceeded to our wards and our assigned ladies to dispense
tea, a chocolate bar and our eloquent conversation. We soon discovered the great
characters that dwelt there, ladies who had lived for years with their disabilities.
Many were not bedridden but suffered from an infirmity which may have confined
them to a series of institutions since childhood. They were interested in our doings
and our difficulties, and many provided much sound and valuable advice to us ado
lescents coping with our teenage years.
Obviously some of the clients were livelier than others, but we usually managed
a mixture of dispositions and built up friendships which in some cases endured for
years to come.
The Vincent de Paul Conference developed over time. The boys organised out
ings for the patients, helped with the annual garden parties, invited some of the res
idents into their parents’ homes, brought in their relatives and girlfriends for
inspection (and approval!). Santa Claus would appear at the appropriate time of
year and was much kissed - ‘let me take you to my bosom’ was a phrase Santa Claus
heard as he dispensed good cheer.
But we were the really fortunate ones, those in at the beginning of the Vincent
de Paul era in Gonzaga: we were novel and really welcomed and appreciated and
Page 59
images. We discovered many remarkable people behind the forbidding gates and
long avenue, many of whom had spent many long years in Donnybrook and were
not going to be leaving except to the graveyard.
Gonzaga boys were privileged - we knew that thanks partly to Fr. Stephen
Redmond SJ, our history teacher, who reminded us of it regularly, and from any
general observation of life around us. Perhaps because of this privilege we were
made to be all the more serious about our commitment to the Royal Hospital.
Wise Fr. John knew that if this experiment went wrong it could be psychological
ly damaging for both sides - the boys, the patients and, of course, the school. There
was enough of the experimental in the Gonzaga experience already without a mis
guided, amateur and casual affront to the vulnerable people involved, adults and
young people alike.
The Vincent de Paul Conference was open to boys in Seniors 4, 5 and 6. Many
of us in Senior 4 joined. It was more difficult for those in Senior 5, the Matric year,
and those in Senior 6 were already looking to their futures, but there was a good
representation from those years too. It was decided, after an initial experiment with
some of the men’s wards, that we should confine our activities to the ladies. We did
not visit all the ladies’ wards as Ward 11 was exclusively for Protestants. I think we
felt somewhat embarrassed, even in those early ecumenical days, when we hurried
past Ward 11 on our way to Ward 12. Rumour had it that these ladies felt our
absence too.
We had our conference meeting in the hall of the hospital where our activities of
the previous week were discussed and solemnly, or not so formally, recorded in the
minutes book. We then proceeded to our wards and our assigned ladies to dispense
tea, a chocolate bar and our eloquent conversation. We soon discovered the great
characters that dwelt there, ladies who had lived for years with their disabilities.
Many were not bedridden but suffered from an infirmity which may have confined
them to a series of institutions since childhood. They were interested in our doings
and our difficulties, and many provided much sound and valuable advice to us ado
lescents coping with our teenage years.
Obviously some of the clients were livelier than others, but we usually managed
a mixture of dispositions and built up friendships which in some cases endured for
years to come.
The Vincent de Paul Conference developed over time. The boys organised out
ings for the patients, helped with the annual garden parties, invited some of the res
idents into their parents’ homes, brought in their relatives and girlfriends for
inspection (and approval!). Santa Claus would appear at the appropriate time of
year and was much kissed - ‘let me take you to my bosom’ was a phrase Santa Claus
heard as he dispensed good cheer.
But we were the really fortunate ones, those in at the beginning of the Vincent
de Paul era in Gonzaga: we were novel and really welcomed and appreciated and
Page 59
