"I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
- Etienne de Grellet, Quaker missionary
There are few occasions in our lives when we encounter a person who etches an indelible imprint on our minds, our hearts, and our spirit. That person often exudes a quiet confidence that is devoid of cockiness, with decisiveness, discipline and determination that is not despotic, and a positive sense of purpose that is motivated by an interest in offering a helping hand or a kind word of encouragement precisely when each are needed. Therefore, this week we would like to consider this... did Deacon Leviticus Adderley personify a Bahamian "man for all seasons"?
His early years
Leviticus Louis "Lou" Joseph Adderley was born in Nassau on March 11, 1933. He was among the early students to attend St. Augustine's College, which was established in 1945 and initially held classes at the Niche, adjacent to St. Francis Priory, and then relocated to its present campus in Fox Hill.
Leviticus Adderley went to Saint John's University in Minnesota after graduating from St. Augustine's College in the early 1950s. During his years at Saint John's, he excelled academically and was an outstanding athlete in three sports: track and field, wrestling and tennis.
Although Lou was not previously exposed to the sport of wrestling before enrolling at Saint John's, he earned a conference championship in 1954. He was an exceptionally talented tennis player, losing only one match in his entire tennis career at Saint John's, during the conference championships in his freshman year.
Lou became the tennis conference champion during his last three years, demonstrating that, with perseverance, hard work and discipline, an individual can accomplish any task that he undertakes.
His return to The Bahamas
Lou Adderley graduated from Saint John's in 1955 with a degree in economics and returned to The Bahamas, accepting a teaching job at St. Augustine's College - becoming its first lay teacher. He served St. Augustine's College for the rest of his life, first as a Physical Education and Math teacher, then as the first lay Headmaster, and finally as President of the Development Council.
Also upon his return to The Bahamas, Lou resumed his membership in St. Bernard's Sporting Club, starring on its baseball and basketball teams. As a founding member of The Bahamas Volleyball Federation, he played with the St. Augustine's College Alumni Association's Volleyball team which dominated local volleyball in the 1960s. He was also the player-coach on the first volleyball team to represent The Bahamas internationally at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada in 1967.
Adderley founded The Bahamas Association of Certified Officials in 1976 and was also a founding member of The Bahamas Association of Basketball Officials, once serving as national interpreter.
In 1982, Adderley was inducted into The Bahamas Amateur Basketball Association Hall of Fame.
His contribution to national development
Lou Adderley had a direct hand in producing many of the finest Bahamian high school athletes during his 44 years at St. Augustine's College. He also played a significant role in establishing the kind of academic and athletic excellence for which that St. Augustine's has been so well known.
In recognition of his contribution to national development, Adderley was recognized by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
His deeply rooted spirituality
Leviticus Adderley was ordained a Deacon in the Catholic Church and, for the last 10 years of his life, served faithfully at St. Anselm's in Fox Hill, along with Monsignor Preston Moss, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Nassau.
Leviticus "Uncle Lou" Adderley left us on May 24, 2003. During his funeral, Deacon Adderley was lauded by Monsignor Preston Moss "as a good man, a holy man, and there was no need to ask what a true Bahamian man was because we had seen and touched and felt it in Uncle Lou." He was buried in the cemetery at St. Augustine's Monastery.
Honoring his legacy
Later this week, an official delegation from the College of Saint Benedict (CSB) and Saint John's University (SJU) will visit The Bahamas. The delegation, which will be led by Dr. Michael Hemesath and Dr. Mary Hinton, the Presidents of Saint John's and Saint Ben's, respectively, will also include Joe Mucha, the SJU Chairman of the Board of Trustees, three SJU Board Trustees, John Young, the SJU Associate Vice-President for Institutional Advancement and Valerie Jones, Executive Director of Alumnae Relations at Saint Ben's.
During their visit, the delegation will meet with the Head of State, Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling, the Prime Minister, the Chairman and President of the College of The Bahamas and Patrick Pinder, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Nassau.
On Saturday, February 7, 2015, Deacon Adderley will be honored at a Gala Banquet at Atlantis, beginning at 6:30pm. On that occasion, the official delegation, Bahamian Alumni of Saint John's University, the College of Saint Benedict, St. Augustine's College and the wider community will pause to reflect on the immeasurable contributions that Deacon Adderley has made to nation-building.
During the Gala Banquet, the St. Ben's and St. John's Alumni Associations in The Bahamas will officially launch the Leviticus Adderley Scholarship Foundation. The primary purpose of the Foundation is to raise funds to assist CSB and SJU Bahamians who reflect adherence to the high values of Deacon Adderley. An annual scholarship will be awarded to students who demonstrate or develop the capacity to give back to their community with their time, talents and other resources. They will be designated "Lou Adderley Scholars".
The Lou Adderley Scholar will be required to enroll in the academically structured Independent Studies Program at CSB or SJU under the guidance of a professor and will receive course credits for this Independent Study. At the end of the course, the Lou Adderley Scholar will be required to write a paper on an approved specific aspect of Deacon Adderley's life. It is anticipated that this important body of work will ultimately be incorporated into a book or several books about Deacon Adderley.
We hope that the next generation of Bahamians will be positively affected by Deacon Adderley's legacy, which, although he remains with us only in spirit, constantly regenerates each generation by the values that he imparted to those whose lives he touched.
Also during the Gala Banquet, Deacon Adderley will posthumously receive the Colman Barry Award for Distinguished Contributions to Religion and Society. This award was established by Saint John's University in memory of Fr. Colman, a Benedictine monk of Saint John's Abbey, professor of history and eighth President of Saint John's University. As President Michael Hemesath observed, "Fr. Colman's life was distinguished by initiatives designed to enrich the cultural and religious life of society. He was especially passionate about the intersection of culture and religion."
Fr. Barry authored the book "Upon These Rocks" - a comprehensive history of the contribution of the Catholic Church in The Bahamas.
Conclusion
Deacon Leviticus "Uncle Lou" Adderley was a builder of young men and women, a teacher of students, a coach of champions and a defender and living testimony of his faith. Affectionately referred to as "Uncle Lou", he was also a mentor, a surrogate father, an all-around supporter and headmaster to thousands of students who passed through St. Augustine's College, who played sports, who were Catholic and non-Catholic. He was great Bahamian man.
In so many ways, Deacon Leviticus Adderley was unquestionably a Bahamian "man for all seasons". In every aspect of his life, he adopted and embraced the mantra that: "I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
o Philip C. Galanis is the managing partner of HLB Galanis and Co., Chartered Accountants, Forensic & Litigation Support Services. He served 15 years in parliament. Please send your comments to pgalanis@gmail.com.
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