First hand reports say the St Bede’s College jubilee weekend of 27-29 May 2011 was a hugely successful event as teachers and class-mates re-established acquaintances from years ago.
It was also hugely successful for former student Mike Smith, whom the College Centennial book wrote-off as suffering a violent death!
Smith, 70, a former journalist is very alive.
“I can still see myself in the mirror so I must be alive” Smith told Stuff yesterday.
In the early 1960’s Smith travelled to Zimbabwe and worked as a reporter for the Rhodesia Herald.
He wanted to be a war correspondent in the Congo and the only way was to join the mercenaries and become a soldier.
Smith said he came under fire every day but managed “to outrun any bullet”.
He told Stuff he is not upset about being put into an early grave and thought it was amusing.
“You don’t often read your own obituary.”
Smith attended St Bede’s College between 1957 and 1959.
Centennial book author and journalist David McCarthy said Smith’s death was based on several sources and he was pleased to her from him.
The college its centenary was postponed for 12 months because of the Christchurch earthquakes of September 2010 and February 2011.
Over the 101 years of the college’s life to date, 193 Marists have lived at St Bede’s and 120 Marist vocations – out of a total of 200 vocations – have come from the College.
Sources