Often outspoken, even against clergymen, Bro Michael Samuel was described as a legendary educator and fierce soldier in the trenches of humanity. It was no surprise that when hundreds of mourners showed up for the former Presentation College headmaster’s funeral yesterday, the pews at Our Lady of Perpetual Help RC Church proved to be too little. Many, even grown men, struggled to hold back their tears.
In trying to honour his legacy, Fr Martin Sirju called on Catholics to help uplift standards of Catholic primary schools, which Samuels had been advocating for years. At one time Samuels even accused the priests of not doing enough for the primary schools, as he felt the shaping of a good man should be done from that tender age. In a solemn homily, Sirju urged Catholics to pursue a teaching profession to help nurture pupils at their schools.
He said, “In our Catholic primary education system, of which Bro Micheal was very concerned, we continue to see a grant of term. We recently attended a workshop in which we were given some statistics. Thirty-four schools in the country are excelling at the primary level.
“Out of those 34 schools, we have some Catholic private primary schools...but we are talking about our government-assisted primary schools. Out of those 34, only two are excelling and these are girls’ schools, not boys’ schools,” Sirju said.
In a glowing tribute to his former principal, President Anthony Carmona reminisced of his fun school days, recalling that under Samuel they were dumping buckets of ice on themselves. Loving, yet stern, he said Samuel was able to make anyone a better person. “The respect I had for that man was just phenomenal. He has been a soldier in the trenches of humanity. They don’t speak of compassion. They practice it.”
Samuel’s niece Gillian Dwarika said it did not matter how uncaring someone was to him, he was the epitome of love and forgiveness. She said he loved so many people, even becoming a third parent to most of his students, and many loved him back as well. Scores of people gathered through the streets to witness a procession to Paradise Cemetery, where he was laid to rest. Samuel died of cancer at his San Fernando, home last Sunday.
