Bro Elzear (Bertrand Roberge)

Bro Bertrand Roberge also called Bro Elzear was trained as a teacher and served as a missionary in India and Singapore, before beginning his missionary work in Malaysia.

He arrived to take charge of St Gabriel's School from 1954 to 1955. He had also taught at Holy Innocents' English School. He was one of the 4 pioneer Brothers who went on to start out at first Serandah Boys' Home and then later Montfort Boys' Town in 1959 and served until Jan 11, 1965. He was responsible for more than half of the early buildings at Boys' Town Youth Centre in Shah Alam.

He was a brilliant and courageous man who loved the challenges of difficult projects. he also loved hunting as a sport. He was extremely prayerful and played a key role in the evolution of the missionary projects in Malaysia.

Under his leadership and with his personal charisma, he attracted many benefactors to the development of the Gabrielite Brothers in Malaysia. In the ensuing years, Bro Robierge returned to Montfort Bos' Town between 1970 to 173 where he helped to intiate evevn more new buildings and workshops.

He later left the Brothers of St Gabriel and became a Capuchin monk and  founded the Prayer Center in Ulu Tiram. He was also Vicar-General of the Diocese of Johor. Bro Roberge died when he suffered a massive heart attack in General Hospital in Johor in 1990 at the age of 69.

According to Bro Basil who visited him in Ulu Tiram when he was a a monk, the place was located behind an abbatoir where pigs were slaughtered. The pigs would squeal at 3am in the morning and that was the time when they would wake up for prayers. The prayer center of funds and money was on the shortfall. Divine Providence however came to their aid. On one occasion, it was said that it was raining heavily and a thunderstorm lashed out at the church where he lived. Lightning however struck the electricity meter and when they go the electricity running again, they discovered that the meter was no longer working but the electricity was runnin gas paer normal. They needed to pay only a few cents that month for their electricity. The Lord works in deed in mysterious ways.