A Beacon of Light

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  • My name is Kevin Carroll. I was born and raised in San Francisco, California, where I attended Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. I am a graduate of both Santa Clara University and the University of San Francisco. Following a 40-year career in teaching and pastoral ministry, I launched a new career as a writer and speaker.

    I live in San José, California. My wife, Kathy, and I have three adult sons and five precious grandchildren. I have much for which to be grateful.

    I can be reached via email at kmc43sjc@gmail.com

    My books are available for purchase online from Amazon. I also have copies of some of these titles at my home for those who would like to buy them directly from me.

    A Moment’s Pause for Gratitude  (2017)

    Cherries in the Summer  (2021)

    The Ambassador of 38th Avenue  (2022)

    Dad: 12 Questions…  (2023)

    A Focus on Gratitude  (2024)

    Through the Lens of Gratitude  (2024)

    A Bahamian Odyssey (2026)

  • Life After 70

    “You can’t help 
    getting older, 
    but you don’t 
    have to get old.”
    George Burns

    I’m home. Having spent the past three weeks walking the streets of Nassau, talking with friends from St. Augustine’s College, and reminiscing about a one-year experience I had more than fifty years ago, I’m grateful to be back in the Bay Area. I thoroughly enjoyed the past twenty days. My time was spent visiting with former students and colleagues, exploring areas of Nassau I frequented in the mid-seventies, and indulging in a variety of Bahamian meals and snacks. During the first two weeks of this visit, I averaged close to 10,000 steps per day. In the last week, because I had boxes of books to move around, I rented a car. My step-count decreased significantly, but having a car enabled me to explore more areas of the island and visit some old friends.

    I mentioned to a number of people in Nassau that this might be my final visit to The Bahamas, and that A Bahamian Odyssey would be the last book I write. While both of these may be true, I was reminded more than once to “never say never.” This is good advice. While it feels, in many ways, as though I’m closing the book on The Bahamas chapter of my life, I’m not erasing it from my memory… or my heart. Nassau, and the people I know there, will always be special to me. For now, though, I’m looking ahead.

    Yes, I’m getting older. This reality doesn’t bother me at all. I’m in full agreement with Carl Jung, who wrote, “A human being would certainly not grow to be 70 or 80 years old if this longevity had no meaning for the species to which he belongs. The afternoon of human life must also have a significance of its own and cannot be merely a pitiful appendage to life’s morning.”

    I can also relate to the wise words of Maya Angelou, who wrote, “I love living. I love that I’m alive to love my age. There are many people who went to bed just as I did yesterday evening and didn’t wake up this morning. I love and feel very blessed that I did.”

    So what do I do now that I’m home, well aware that I will celebrate my 72nd birthday in June? I’m motivated by the words of C.S. Lewis. He said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” 

    While I don’t plan to publish any more books, I am committed to continuing to write on my blog. I’m also committed to getting together with friends on a regular basis, exercising every day, and being conscientious about the food and beverages I consume. Staying connected with others, maintaining regular physical exercise, and eating nutritious foods can all contribute to a healthier and longer life in older age.  

    I am grateful to be able to say, as Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.”

  • Heading Home

    “Maybe that’s the  
    best part of going  
    away for a vacation —  
    coming home again.”       
    Madeline L’Engle

    This morning, I’m packing-up to go home. This cozy condominium cottage has been my home for the past three weeks. While it is privately owned, it is located in the midst of three residential rental communities — Colony Club, The Oasis, and Sandlewood. The three communities, along with the individually-owned units, share a community pool and recreation area where breakfast is offered each morning from 7:00 to 10:00. Each evening from 7:00 to 10:00, the pool/recreation area is the site of a social gathering for residents and guests. The family-like atmosphere allows guests to feel a tangible sense of belonging.

    In the three weeks I’ve been here, I’ve met people from Canada, Nova Scotia, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, France, Cuba, Mexico, Uruguay, Italy, Trinidad, Jamaica, Ukraine, Argentina, the Netherlands, and, of course, a number of locations in the United States, including New York, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Kansas, and Colorado, to name a few. 

    The cottage I rented (pictured above) is located west of downtown Nassau. From the front door to the shopping district on Bay Street is about a 40-minute walk. A $1.50 ride on a jitney/bus cuts that time significantly, even when traffic is congested. There are two excellent restaurants that serve authentic Bahamian food nearby, along with a small grocery store. 

    Since my plan was to stay here for three weeks, one of the selling points of this unit is that there are laundry facilities (washer/dryer) inside the unit. I wouldn’t necessarily need that for a 7-10 day stay, but for a three-week stay, this was a necessity.

    The owner of this unit is not well-known by name, but his voice, and one particular song he sang, is familiar to just about everyone. Dyson Knight was the lead singer of the Baha Men, a calypso rock group twenty-five years ago. The song the group is best know for is “Who Let the Dogs Out?” Even my grandkids are familiar with the song, since it is featured in the recently-released movie Trolls.

    As nice as everything has been here, and as grateful as I am to have spent the past three weeks here in Nassau, I’m looking forward to getting home. I’m thankful for many people who helped to make my 2026 Nassau visit such an enjoyable and memorable one. 

  • An Absolute Joy

    “Behind every  
    successful man
    there is a woman.”       
    Mark Twain

    For the past three weeks, I have had the pleasure of meeting up with quite a few of my former students. The youngest of them are now 62 years of age. Doing the book signing events at the Logos Book Store on Saturday and at Saint Augustine’s College yesterday, enabled me to see even more. I had one unexpected visitor at Logos on Saturday — a woman I had not seen in more than fifty years.

    Mrs. Floridell Adderley is the widow of Mr. Lou Adderley, to whom my book, A Bahamian Odyssey, is dedicated. I mentioned in my book, and in a previous blog post, that Mr. Adderley was a man of integrity. He was a scholar, athlete, leader, permanent deacon in the Catholic Church, and former Headmaster (principal) of Saint Augustine’s College. On a number of occasions back in the 1974-75 academic year, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Adderley’s wife, Floridell. I remember her as being attractive, intelligent, and incredibly kind. These traits apply to her today (she’s in her mid-80’s) as much as they did fifty years ago.

    Mrs. Adderley was accompanied by one of her daughters, Daria, who teaches at Saint Augustine’s College today. Their visit to Logos on Saturday was one of the highlights of this visit to Nassau. 

    Today is my last full day on the island. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be here again, to see so many former students, colleagues, and friends I’ve met here through the years, to share my book with them. After a brief visit to SAC this morning, I’m looking forward to taking one last walk down Bay Street and along the promenade at Junkanoo Beach. I’ll probably stop at The Fish Fry this evening to enjoy one more Bahamian dinner — cracked conch with peas ’n rice. I’m not aware of anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area where this menu is offered. 

    As Thornton Wilder taught us, “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasurers.”

  • SAC Sunday

    “I regarded home as  
    a place I left behind  
    in order to come back  
    to it afterward.”   
    Ernest Hemingway

    Over the past fifty years, whenever I’ve returned to Nassau for a visit, I’ve always had a sense that I’m home. This is even more true when I visit the campus of Saint Augustine’s College. Any time I’ve returned to the SAC campus, I’ve been overwhelmed with a sense of belonging. This was my home for one brief year of my life, yet the memories and positive feelings I have about this place are as vivid today as they were fifty years ago.

    As I wind down this visit to The Bahamas, my last scheduled engagement was a book sale and signing event in the SAC library today. It was an absolute delight to see a number of former students and to visit with a few others via phone calls. Some of them are now living on one of the family islands or in the U.S., so hearing from them by phone was a blessing. A shout-out to Philip Davis for arranging the calls.

    I was asked by Myra Mitchell to sign one book for Michelle Albury-Chandler. Michelle is a former student now living in south Massachusetts, where Kathy and I cruised the islands of Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Block Island last summer. Later in the evening, I received a phone call from Michelle! It’s amazing how, after more than 50 years, connecting with my former students brings me such joy. I’m always a bit surprised that they remember me, and they’re usually a bit surprised that I remember them.

    It’s a little after 11:30 PM here now. While I was energized throughout the day, I’m exhausted now. One last day in Nassau tomorrow before heading home on Tuesday.

  • Logos Books

    “A town isn’t a  
    town without  
    a bookstore.”       
    Neil Gaiman

    Nassau has a bookstore. Actually, it has a number of bookstores, but Logos Book Store, located in the Harbor Bay Shopping Center on East Bay Street, is considered to be the best. This will be the venue for my book signing event this afternoon.

    Ricardo, the bookstore manager, agreed to sell my book Through the Lens of Gratitude beginning March 2025. Now he’s selling my latest title, A Bahamian Odyssey. Copies of my new book are displayed in the front window and in a high-visibility location inside the store. Ricardo assured me that books about the Bahamas do quite well at Logos. While there is no guarantee as to how many people will come to the store for the book signing event today, I am hopeful that the book continues to sell at a good pace.

    I am grateful for the support I’ve received from Ricardo and his staff.

  • Father Elias

    “He should first  
    show them in deeds  
    rather than words  
    all that is good and holy.” 
    Rule of Saint Benedict

    Father Elias Achatz, O.S.B. was born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He entered the Benedictine Order at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. Much to his surprise, he was assigned to live at Saint Augustine’s Monastery in Nassau and teach at Saint Augustine’s College. He spent most of his life in The Bahamas.

    In the summer of 1971, while in Jamaica with Father Russ Roide, S.J., one of my high school teachers, and my classmate, Dan Pasini, the three of us attended a celebration of the Feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola at Campion College in Kingston. It was a gathering of the religious women and men who lived and worked in Jamaica. Dan and I met many people that evening. One person, who, to be honest, I don’t recall meeting, was Father Elias Achatz. I’m guessing he must have been visiting the island at the time.

    Three years later, in the spring of 1974, Father Elias contacted Fr. Roide and asked if Dan and I might be available to teach at Saint Augustine’s College for one year to fill-in for a beloved teacher who would be off the island for a year completing a Master’s degree in England. Fr. Russ called me and I accepted the offer. I called Dan and he said, “I’m with you, brother.”

    When Dan and I arrived at Nassau International Airport in late August 1974, Father Elias was there to meet us and drive us to the SAC campus. The monastery was located on a hill overlooking the school campus. Dan and I lived in two of the guest rooms adjacent to the monastery for the 1974-75 academic year.

    Fr. Elias was 63 years old at that time. It didn’t take long to realize that he was deeply loved and highly respected in the Saint Augustine’s community. He was a good communicator, a strong leader, and a source of incredible wisdom. I experienced Elias as someone I would describe as kind, friendly, humble, calm, patient, gentle, and disciplined. In addition to the strict daily routine of all the monks living in the monastery, Elias also set aside time each day for personal exercise. He ran two miles around the SAC track every day at 4:00. You could set your clock by it.

    When he learned that I played tennis, Elias invited me to play a couple of sets at the Emerald Beach Hotel on Cable Beach. The tennis courts there had lights, so night tennis was an option. Elias, however, suggested that we play at noon. As I mentioned, he was 63, and I was 20. I didn’t expect him to be much competition, which is precisely why he schedule the court for noon time. The hot Bahamian sun, combined with the intense humidity, took its toll on me in no time. I was drenched in perspiration, so much so that when I hit the ball, the racket would turn in my wet hand. Being soundly defeated by a 63-year-old was a humbling experience.

    Father Elias continued living and working at Saint Augustine’s for many more years after Dan and I returned to California. He served as prior in the monastery, head of the Religion Department, and chaplain for the school. In his later years, he retired from his leadership position in the monastery and his teaching role in the school, but continued to serve as chaplain.

    Elias died in December 1993. He is buried, along with a number of other monks and lay persons with whom I worked, in the small cemetery at the bottom of the hill on the north side of the monastery.

  • “Good afta-noon!”

    “Good manners are  
    just a way of showing  
    other people that we  
    have respect for them.”       
    Bill Kelly

    When I stopped by the Saint Augustine’s campus on Tuesday afternoon, I found myself sitting in the reception area of the main office for about fifteen minutes waiting for the last period of the day to end. I wanted to visit with two teachers who were in class at the time. As I sat patiently waiting for 2:45 to arrive, no less than a dozen SAC students came into the office for various reasons. Without exception, each one acknowledged my presence and greeted me warmly.

    “Good afta-noon,” each would say confidently with their Bahamian accent. 

    It would have been so easy for these students to simply ignore me, an older white gentleman they did not know, sitting on a chair in the corner of the waiting area. In fact, that’s what I would have expected, but SAC students are different. Or, perhaps, it’s Bahamians that are different.

    An important component of Bahamian hospitality is good manners. This is evident from the moment visitors arrive at Nassau International Airport. Taxi drivers, merchants in downtown shops, hotel workers, and an impressive percentage of Bahamians I encounter on a daily basis display basic social skills not often seen in Silicon Valley. Bahamian hospitality is real. In a country where tourism is the #1 industry, friendliness and good manners makes a significant difference to travelers visiting the islands. 

    Henry Clay, a politician from the 1800s, stated, “Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.”

    Over the past twenty years, I have developed what might be described as a “grateful and appreciating heart.” And yes, the friendliness of Bahamians in general, and SAC students in particular, is something I admire and appreciate.

    Basic courtesy, whether toward those we know or people we’ve never met before, is a valuable life skill — and it requires very little of us to be courteous. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy.”

  • Integrity Personified

    “Live so that when your  
    children think of fairness,  
    caring, and integrity,  
    they think of you.”  
    H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

    There’s not a whole lot more I can say about Lou Adderley than I said in my book, A Bahamian Odyssey. On the dedication page, I wrote:
     
    “It is an honor for me to dedicate this book in memory of Mr. Leviticus “Uncle Lou” Adderley. Mr. Adderley was the headmaster of Saint Augustine’s College in Nassau, Bahamas in 1975. Better known as “Uncle Lou” to those who loved and admired him, Mr. Adderley was a true Renaissance Man. He was a scholar, athlete, man of faith, formidable leader, and loving family man. For me, he was a powerful role model of professionalism, compassion, and integrity. I feel blessed to have known him.”

    Mr. Adderley graduated from Saint Augustine’s College, where he was the top academic student in the school. He also happened to be the top athlete on campus. He excelled in sports in both high school and college at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. While at Saint John’s, he was a three-time conference champion in tennis and won the conference wrestling title in 1954. 

    Yesterday, when I stopped by the school, I had the pleasure of giving two copies of A Bahamian Odyssey to Mr. Adderley’s daughter, Daria, who is now a physical education instructor at SAC. One copy was for Daria. The other copy was for her mother, who I remember fondly. When she and Lou would show up to school events together, they seemed like the perfect couple. It seems that, in reality, they were. 

    In a recent newspaper article on the legacy of Mr. Adderley, his wife, Floridell, was quoted. She said, “We were partners. We looked out for each other. We shared everything. We came together and discussed our family and our finances. He had a humble, gentle, kind, loving heart.”

    I should also mention that Mr. Adderley was ordained to the ministry of Permanent Deacon for the Archdiocese of Nassau, serving at Saint Anselm Church in the Fox Hill district. 

    I learned so much from Mr. Adderley. Apparently, hundreds of others did, as well. He retired from his administrative post at SAC in 1991 and passed away in May 2003 at the young age of 69. 

    One of Deacon Adderley’s former SAC students, Philip Galanis, said this about his former teacher and administrator: “Deacon Leviticus Adderley was unquestionably a Bahamian ‘man for all seasons.’” Indeed, he was. 

  • SAC Today

    “There is no better  
    investment a nation  
    can make than  
    education.”       
    Steve Nguyen

    Much has changed at Saint Augustine’s since 1975. Most notably, the monastery has closed. No longer do monks live in the facility or work at the school. The monastery property is now owned by the Archdiocese of Nassau. From what I’ve heard, no particular plans for the facility have been adopted as of this time.

    The campus at the bottom of the hill is thriving. The aerial view of the campus shows that there are currently twelve classroom buildings, two more than in 1975. A central outdoor corridor separates the two sets of six classroom wings. In 1975, walking up that corridor towards the administration building afforded a spectacular view of the monastery on the hill above. Today, due to the growth of trees over the past fifty years, the monastery is no longer visible from the campus.

    At the end of the campus nearest the monastery, the main entrance to the campus features the administration building and a library/audio visual center. The book signing event for A Bahamian Odyssey will be held in the library on Sunday afternoon from 1-4. 

    In addition to the academic buildings, a physical education building is located between the swimming pool and the administration building. It houses locker room facilities for boys and girls, along with office and storage space for the Director of Athletics. 

    On that same side of the campus are the SAC athletic fields and outdoor basketball courts. The athletic facilities are not fancy, but they are quite functional. Saint Augustine’s College is well known for its outstanding athletic teams.

    On the opposite side of the campus from the athletic fields is the school cafeteria. Since 1975, they have added an outdoor covered pavilion to expand the seating capacity of the facility.

    While the monks sold off some of the property around the campus for residential development, there is still sufficient room for growth at this site. Plans are in the works for a state-of-the-art athletic complex to replace the current athletic facilities. 

    This campus, and the memories I have of the time I spent teaching at SAC, will always have a special place in my heart. 

    After a brief visit to SAC this afternoon, I stopped by the home of one of my former colleagues, Winston Carter, who I mention multiple times in my book. He taught at SAC for 45 years! I had not seen him since 1975. Not surprisingly, he didn’t know who I was when I showed up at his front door, but when I showed him the book and introduced myself, his face lit up and he invited me inside. We had a great visit. Meeting with him is one of the highlights of this trip.

    With Mr. Winston Carter

  • Top of the Hill

    “And so we are going  
    to establish a school for  
    the service of the Lord.”  
    Rule of St. Benedict

    Saint Augustine’s College was opened in 1945. In 1947, the school moved from it’s original location on West Street to the expansive campus in Fox Hill. A new Benedictine monastery and school building had been constructed at the top of the hill. As the monks settled into their new home, some of them began farming the land at the bottom of the hill. The top photo shows the monastery on the top-right, the school on the top-left, and the farm below.

    As time went on, the need for a larger campus could not be ignored. While a small portion of the farm was saved, the new Saint Augustine’s College campus was built at the bottom of the hill to the south of the monastery. More about that tomorrow.

    By the time Dan and I arrived in Nassau in 1974, the new campus was well-established. Some of the rooms of the original campus had been converted into guest rooms. One of those rooms was my home for the 1974-75 academic year. It was small. One might even describe it as monastic. What a surprise, right? My meals were with the monks in the monastery dining room, though, for the most part, I joined them only for dinner.

    The second image above shows the original school building adjacent to the monastery. The white VW bug was the car provided for Dan and me for the duration of the school year. It’s parked in front of our rooms. It needed to be push-started most mornings, but it served us well, for the most part. Great memories.