NEWS was received from the Presentation Brothers in Ireland of the death of Brother De Lellis O’Sullivan in Cork on Monday 26 June 2023. The name Br. De Lellis or “Ti Pap”, if you prefer, will resonate readily with Saint Lucians for the dedicated service which he gave to the Education sector in our island over several decades.
There is no more appropriate portrait of Brother De Lellis and his service in these parts than that presented by Sir Calixte George in his 2019 tome “St Mary’s College Saint Lucia West Indies, The Caribbean’s Nobel Laureate School” and reproduced below with his kind permission:
‘Ti Pap’ Brother De Lellis Sullivan was so christened at the Samarian Baptismal Font by the students because of his short stature, loving, caring and fatherly manner. Brother De Lellis Sullivan was from Glengarriff, County Cork, Ireland and graduated from University College Cork where he studied Mathematics, Latin and Geography and also obtained a Higher Diploma in Education.
During his first tenure of about a decade in Saint Lucia, he taught Mathematics and Geography throughout Saint Mary’s College up to the High School Certificate level. During this period, he contributed significantly to the upgrading of Mathematics teaching in Saint Lucia as illustrated by increasing success in Mathematics examinations at the Cambridge Senior and High School Certificate levels. He also served as Bursar and Honorary Secretary to the College Advisory Committee during this period. He then went on to serve in many countries where the Presentation Brothers were based, including Peru, Barbados, Trinidad and Grenada.
Bro. De Lellis returned to Saint Lucia and taught Mathematics under his former student, then Headmaster, Mr Michael Mondesir, from 1993 to 1997. As such, a younger generation of Samarians would be familiar with him.
It was under his guidance as Superior of the Presentation Brothers that Brother Dominic Brunock established the Centre for Adolescent Renewal and Education (C.A.R.E.) in Saint Lucia. He served as the Mathematics Tutor to the Programme for a period of about sixteen years. This means that Bro De Lellis has been the longest serving Presentation Brother in Saint Lucia.
In 2013, at the age of 82, Bro. De Lellis Sullivan was honoured by Her Majesty the Queen to be a Member of the British Empire (M.B.E.) for his contribution to education in Saint Lucia, thus becoming the third Presentation Brother to be so honoured.
Brother De Lellis has indicated that after labouring in the Caribbean for so long he does not want to go back to Ireland. His fervent wish is that he spends his last days in Saint Lucia and it is hoped that the powers that be would do all in their power to meet his final wishes. However, he has been based in Grenada and has had to travel to Ireland of late for medical treatment unavailable here. {End of Extract}
On behalf of the current local chapter of Presentation Brothers Associates (a body initiated locally by Brother in the late eighties ) I express our sadness on the passing of Brother De Lellis, who felt so at home on this island that he wished to end his days here so that for as long as possible he could continue to walk through the city and be happily stopped and warmly greeted by a good dozen or more Old Boys at various times on any given day as he traversed the streets of Castries in the course of running his errands. He also enjoyed receiving extra special service from Old Boys when he visited government and other offices. May he rest in the peace of the Lord.
Nahdjla Bailey
(On behalf of the Presentation Brother Associates Associates)