Father Knolly Knox C.S.S.P, a simple and beautiful man of God who lives his life according to the prayer "Lord help me to be contented no matter what life offers me" celebrates his golden anniversary as a priest today, Sunday July 15, 2001, with a special Mass at 5.30 p.m. followed by a small reception at the Assumption Roman Catholic Church on Long Circular Road.
Parish Priest of Assumption since 1999, this quiet and unassuming man takes care of this very large and upscale parish "with thanks to God for the gift of peace of mind within oneself and with others" which he sees as a source of health "because anger and ill temper wears down one's health."
It was in 1942, during the war, that Knolly Knox, Francois de Verteuil, Peter Nicholson and the late Granville Johnson left for the French Canadian Holy Ghost Fathers seminary which was affiliated to the University of Montreal. "We could not go to Europe as it was during the war" says Father Knox, who completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy "throwing in some science - physics, maths etc" and came back to teach at his alma mater, St Mary's College, for three years. "In those days you were given teaching experience as a "prefect" before starting in the priesthood."
By 1948 he was sent to Dublin, Ireland, to the Holy Ghost Missionary College for four years of Theology. On July 15, 1951, Father Knolly was ordained a priest and spent another year in Dublin doing more practical theology. In 1952 he returned to teach physics, biology and religious knowledge until 1974 at St Mary's College, not far from his boyhood home on Pembroke Street. Having been sent to the parishes during vacation periods, Father Knox became interested in parish work and in his very humble fashion recollects that the late Archbishop Pantin sent him to Petit Valley in 1974, and there he stayed at St Anthony's Church until 1982 when he moved to St John's the Baptist Church in San Juan until 1990. "It was just after the coup and surprisingly I went back to St Anthony's in Petit Valley and stayed there until moving to Assumption in 1999 and I am still here."
Father Knolly is one priest who is "very happy in all my work. I teach among the parishes for confirmation and do funerals all over. My work has also been a learning experience and very interesting one, I am very, very happy. I get a lot of co-operation from my past students who are around and help me."
Life has been hard at times like in 1954 when Father Knox was only two years into his priesthood and his mother, Juliana, died suddenly, followed three weeks after by his father, Hector. "There was grief and pain but it was a spiritual blessing as I was able to understand more the pain and sorrow of other people. We all have to go through dark patches but we must always feel the presence of God, as He is the mastermind behind it all." Today at age seventy-seven, he enjoys good health and has always maintained "if you have health all is well." Father Knolly has kept a very open mind about the appointment of a non-Trinidadian as Archbishop of Port of Spain. "Of course, I always thought it would have been a Trinidadian to succeed Archbishop Pantin but you have to look at it as an answer to prayer since we were praying to the Holy Spirit and we have to accept who was sent. Subsequently I have met Archbishop Gilbert and found him very personable and gracious, he is a very good listener so I have no problem with him. Both himself and the Apostolic Nuncio will be at the anniversary celebration this afternoon."
Father Knolly's views on the changes in the Roman Catholic Church are as simple as the man himself. "As a young priest everything was cut and dried, disciplined, and all answers were very clear. With Vatican Council 11 the Church became more open, more flexible. I suppose windows were thrown open and there was more freedom, but with some of them the church went to the other extreme in use of that freedom, and it is going back now to settling down. Vatican Council 11 freed up the church's cobwebs making it more up to date, leaving things to one's own conscience, for example, some people use that to not go to confession as often as before."
And speaking of the Vatican, he has been three times to Rome, and became a little emotional when speaking of his 1984 visit with the Sacred Heart Choir which sang in the Vatican at St Peter's Basilica, toured Rome and the Holy Land: "They were the first set of Trindiadians the Holy Father Pope John Paul met before he came here." Is retirement in the offing for Father Knolly? "It should be but I am allowed to serve as long as I am able. Normally seventy-five is the age for retirement but as long as I am in good health I am prepared to serve."
Father Knox thanks God for fairly good health, his parents for family life, he had one brother Anslem who was killed in the war and his sister Electra Harris used to be in media with the Government Broadcasting Office. And is very appreciative that his parishioners have always been extremly kind, supportive and helpful "I have met people of all kinds and they have been nice."
This very low-keyed gentleman is happy "to have just served, I do not want to be in the limelight" as was obvious by his slight reluctance for this interview on his fiftieth anniversary as a priest "I have always been discreet in my statements, I listen more and talk less." He continues to be very busy in the parish with sick visiting on Fridays; Saturday night Mass and Sunday Masses at 7 and 9 a.m; along with weddings, funerals, baptisms, office hours, and looking after the maintenance of the property."