I have lifted this post from Richard Carter, who was a long term servant of the Church of Melanesia and the Solomons. He writes of a teacher I had the opportunity to work with for a year at Selwyn College in the Solomons. I post it to honour a life well lived. Rest in eternal peace John Hovell. From Richard Carter: Many of you will remember Fr John Hovell. He took over from me as Head of English at the old Selwyn site in 1989. He moved to the new Selwyn when it was built and later joined me teaching at Kohimarama. He had a quiet voice and shy manner and eccentric style but he was totally committed to young people in Solomon Islands and the desire to give them a good education. He spent all his income on paying school fees for students and lived on bananas and sour sop. If you went to his house he may invite you in for banana cake and banana bread which he spread with banana butter and gave yiu banana ice cream- bananas he had frozen in the ice box. He loved fishing and the sea and he sailed all over Solomon Islands on the Southern Cross and Ini Kopuria. He used to catch tuna fish and cook them in the galley for all the crew. At night he slept on the bridge roof looking up at the stars. He always wanted students to do well and spent hours helping with papers and applications and finding books and articles for his students to read. He was a humble man and what some of you may not know is that in New Zealand he is a very famous artist who has painted custom ceilings all over New Zealand. You may remember he painted the shields and costumes when we made the action about David and Goliath. He was ordained a deacon and then priest in Temotu. He not only loved Selwyn College but also the Melanesian Brotherhood and joined us on many missions going all round Guadalcanal with us during the time if the tension. He loved the garden and was always planting fruit trees. If you go outside Selwyn College you will see mango trees along the outside fence. He planted about fifty mangos. Not all of them survived but I hope and pray some are left. John cared about real things, things that really matter and he always wanted the students at Selwyn to eat fresh fruit and read good books. I will never forget him because he taught me many things about the meaning if life. I hope some of you will remember him too. A brave man, a wonderful artist, a humble person, someone who wasnt concerned about money or material riches but grass roots elemental things and the true values of Melanesia. He could also float out in the lagoon lying on his back without moving like a whale! Please give thanks for his life and please pray that he now rests in peace with the Gid he served. Best wishes and prayers Fr Richard Carter.
Posted on: Tue, 17 Jun 2014 05:58:26 +0000
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