Today marks the birthday of my late school principal, Brother Albinus. He would have been 96 years old.
Born Michael O’Flaherty in Ballyhoneen, County Kerry, Ireland on 23 May 1930, Brother Albinus came from a farming family before joining the La Salle Brothers at the age of 14.
During an encounter in 2009, I had asked what inspired him to join the La Salle Brothers. He shared that the Brothers came to his village for recruitment when he was just 12 years old. From that moment, he felt his vocation was to be an educator. “Once a teacher, always a teacher,” he often said in his many speeches.
Brother Albinus served as the principal of Sibu Sacred Heart School from 1972 to 1987. My cohort had the privilege of knowing this beloved principal during our secondary school years from 1974 to 1978, and later again during our Form Six (A Levels) years from 1979 to 1980.
My first encounter with Brother Albinus was in 1974 during the third term of Form One, after my family relocated from Kuching to Sibu. My first impression of him was that he was fearsome and intimidating, speaking English with a strong Irish accent unfamiliar to me then.
After leaving school in 1980, I met Brother Albinus on October 22, 2009 when he had a stopover in Miri during a visit to Limbang. Through the kind arrangement of my schoolmate, Chia Ah Fook (Class of ’79), we had dinner together. Despite the many years since our last meeting, Brother Albinus still spoke and carried himself like a true educator.
When I praised the excellent teachers we had, as well as the school’s outstanding academic and co-curricular achievements, Brother Albinus still lamented that we could have done even better.
“It’s so hard to get teachers then,” he bemoaned. “Few wanted to become teachers because the salary was so low.” His words struck me deeply – a sobering reminder of the sacrifices, love, and care our teachers had given to us ignorant students who often failed to appreciate them at the time.
Another memorable moment was during the Sacred Heart Alumni Dinner at Kingwood Hotel in 2011. Brother Albinus, the guest of honor, was invited to speak after the academic excellence awards ceremony. True to the Lasallian spirit of serving “the least, the lost, and the last,” Brother Albinus reminded the school board of the mission and educational philosophy of the La Salle Brothers. “We must help the very weak and the very poor students,” he reminded all present.
I remember Brother Albinus as strict and disciplined, yet deeply committed to helping weaker students succeed. His leadership combined academic excellence, discipline, and compassion for ordinary students, which is why many old boys continue to speak of him with such great respect, admiration, and fondness today.
Brother Albinus, thank you for shaping generations at Sacred Heart.