Quarterly Newsletter of the Clerics of St. Viator • Volume 8, Number 3
Saint Viator High School breaks ground and names new center Saturday, May 31, 2003, three hundred donors, alumni, faculty, staff, parents and friends gathered to break ground for the new Saint Viator High School (Arlington Heights, Ill.) multipurpose athletic facility. The new building is much needed for the 1,000 plus students enrolled at Saint Viator. Past president and the Provincial of the Clerics of Saint Viator Rev. Charles Bolser, CSV said it best when he said, “Coach Majkowski, this is for you. We have been promising this to you for a long time and it will finally be a reality.” Majkowski has been head basketball coach at Viator for 15 years and has struggled with space constraints ever since the institution went co-ed in 1986. “This facility will serve many programs, both academic and athletic, enabling ALL of our students to benefit. It will truly be a MULTIPURPOSE facility!” The tri-level 50,000 -sq.-ft. facility will be located between the existing Cahill Gymnasium and Jeuck Auditorium with projected costs amounting to $8.1 million. The Clerics of St. Viator have agreed to finance the building to expedite construction. Key features include: • Practice Gymnasium • Indoor Running Track • Weight Training Area • Physical Education Classrooms • Four Multipurpose Rooms • Locker Rooms • Physical Education Offices • Dance/Cheer/Poms Practice Area • Wrestling Room The new center will allow Saint Viator the much-needed space to better accommodate curriculum offerings in physical education and health as well as extracurricular offerings in competitive athletic programs. The facility will also include gathering space to encourage social activities and foster a greater sense of community among students.
Teachers of Faith Fr. Charles G. Bolser, CSV, Provincial
Fr. Charles Bolser, CSV, Provincial; (right to left) Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, President; Mr. John Boler, Campaign Co-Chair; and Mr. Stephan Burks, Director of Buildings and Grounds, preside over groundbreaking.
The reality of the building was made possible by generous contributions from almost 600 families, individuals, and businesses and foundations. To date, over $10 million has been raised in gifts and pledges. There were three lead gifts that established the Heart of the Lion capital campaign’s success and set the bar for others. Last year, it was announced that both the Clifford and Boler families donated $1 million each and the Clerics of Saint Viator gave $2.5 million. In light of the Clerics outstanding generosity, Mr. and Mrs. John Boler of Inverness announced they would match the Viatorian gift by donating another $1.5 million in addition to the $1 million they had already contributed. To honor this family’s extraordinary generosity and commitment, the new facility will be named the Boler Center. Following a Eucharistic Celebration, the Bolers and the Clerics were recognized for their leadership through award presentations and the unveiling of the named multipurpose facility. For more information about how to contribute to the Heart of the Lion Campaign, visit the school website at www.saintviator.com or contact Bridget Moore at 847-392-4050, ext. 257.
The Viatorians, in recent history, have been privileged to serve as administrators and teachers at several high schools and universities. Our first U.S. venture into the world of higher education came in 1865 when two Viatorians arrived from Montreal Canada to establish St. Viator High School and College in Bourbonnais. These schools lasted until they went bankrupt in 1938 at the height of the Great Depression. Following this event, Viatorians scattered to provide their expertise and leadership in education at a variety of venues. Viatorians taught at Loyola University (of Chicago), DePaul University, The University of Notre Dame, and Catholic University of America and many others. In addition, Viatorians provided the great majority of high school teachers at Bishop Gorman Las Vegas, Cathedral/Bishop Griffin, Springfield, St. Patrick/Bishop McNamara Kankakee, Alleman in Rock Island, Spalding Institute in Peoria, Ill. All these high schools were diocesan owned, but were assigned to us for teaching and administration. Since 1961, through the generosity of many individuals over the years, we were able to build two high schools owned and operated by our Congregation. These two schools are Colegio San Viator, Bogotá, Colombia and continued on page 2
Viator
Teachers of Faith...
Rev. Charles G. Bolser CSV Provincial
St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights. During these years we established a tradition of sponsoring outstanding secondary schools, serving well the Church, the young people involved and society in general. We built up Catholic educational communities where faith was lived, deepened and celebrated. Catholic Schools in the Viatorian tradition have continually reflected the willingness of Viatorian administrators and teachers to risk new ways of providing values and a living faith. A central tenant of Viatorian schools has always been to call our graduates to mission — to proclaim the Good News by their lives through leadership based on compassion and faith.
Brother Leo V. Ryan CSV Director of Communications As a non profit and tax exempt ministry, the Viatorians are very grateful for your prayers and financial support in “educating for the future.” For Wills and Bequests: Clerics of St. Viator an Illinois Corporation If you wish to be removed from our mailing list, please call our Development Office at 847-398-6805 or fax your request to 847-398-6247.
Gift Planning Please remember the Viatorians when you are developing your gift and estate plan.
1. Gifts of appreciated securities 2. Charitable gift annuities 3. Charitable bequests 4. Real estate 5. Retained life estates www.viatorians.com/ development or call 847-398-6805
Build a Chapel. Build a Community. Our fall appeal remains open for your continuing contributions.
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the Colegio San Viator to their local communities in years to come. We are also supporting a small Catholic high school in a very poor community in Libano, Colombia, owned by the Diocese but administered by Fr. Pedro Herrera, CSV. This school serves the poor and dispossessed of Colombia who are caught in the ravages of a civil war. This year, we are joining in a new and exciting venture in Illinois — collaboration with the American Province of the Holy Child Jesus, the Congregation of the Resurrection, the Sinsinawa Dominicans and St. Mary’s Parish, Lake Forest to endorse the establishment of St. Martin de Porres High School in Waukegan, Ill. St. Martin de Porres is being established to provide a Roman Catholic education to economically underprivileged boys and girls. It is our hope to be able to encourage faculty, religious and lay, to provide their educational gifts and talents to the young people who are in need of a fine historical tradition of education.
We were committed to providing a welcoming and challenging educational environment that exemplified our commitment to assist students as they began to explore their own talents and giftedness as members of a larger community. Due to a diminishing number of Viatorians, and our aging membership, we have been forced to withdraw our commitment to provide administration and faculty from these diocesan high schools. There is one Viatorian each at Sacred Heart/Griffin, Alleman, and Bishop Gorman. Today, we still own, administer and provide some religious as teachers at St. Viator, Arlington Heights and Colegio San Viator, Bogotá. Even these schools have come to be staffed primarily by professional lay men and women who are providing an excellent Catholic secondary education in the Viatorian tradition.
It is our fervent hope that we will continue to move into communities and assist them in establishing a strong foundation of Catholic Education. This goal is our driving force in Colombia, Belize, Waukegan and Arlington Heights. Whether or not we are teaching the poorest and most disenfranchised students or those with greater resources, we still call our graduates to understand that their human gifts are not to be hidden under a bushel basket but are God’s gifts to the world. Catholic Education has been and will always be a great gift to our world. It is a beacon of hope and a statement of faith in the Incarnation. Our schools are a place where together we can explore the essence of human existence and our relationship to a loving God. Catholic education is a process by which we constantly learn to allow God to cure our blindness and deafness so that we may always be open to active participation in His dynamic on-going creation.
For some, this turn of events is seen as a negative – a loss of something that cannot be replaced. For us, as Viatorians, it is not a tragedy, but rather a reflection of social and ecclesial realities. We helped these local communities establish strong foundations for continued growth and vitality. They no longer depend on the Viatorians for their growth and vitality, but rather they are able to stand tall and thrive on the initiative and dedication of the local community. We are proud to have been partners in the creation of outstanding Catholic High Schools. But also, as would parents, we are gratified to see these institutions stand on their own two feet, mature and confident. The reality is that we have succeeded well beyond all expectations.
As we attempt to discern the movement of the Spirit of God, it seems that we are being called to prepare ourselves and our lay collaborators, to accomplish together the tasks that were once the sole prerogative of vowed religious. It is our task to listen to what God is saying to us at this moment in history and respond with faith and vigor.
Today, looking to the future, we continue to plan the process of turning both St. Viator High School and
Belize is still in urgent need of chapels. www.viatorians.com/ development or call 847-398-6805 2
Clerics co-sponsor school for economically challenged Saint Martin de Porres High School, a Cristo Rey model school, is scheduled to become a reality in Waukegan, Ill. in the fall of 2004 with 250 freshman and sophomore students. The 2002 study for such a school started a few years ago when Fr. George Rassas of St. Mary’s Parish in Lake Forest, Ill. approached Fr. Charles Bolser, CSV, to explore the possibility of starting a Cristo Rey school in Waukegan, an economically depressed area with a large African American and Hispanic population. The closest Catholic high school there is some 30 miles away with tuition costs that are prohibitive for parents in the area. Cristo Rey Network is a national association of high schools that provides quality Catholic college preparatory education to young people from low-income families who otherwise could not afford such an opportunity. Member schools have their own identity but are characterized by a curriculum that is tailored to the students’ needs and by the unique Corporate Internship Program developed in 1996 by
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School of Chicago through which each student finances the majority of the cost of his or her education. Cristo Rey schools have had remarkable success. Serving neighborhoods with the highest high school drop out rates in Chicago, Cristo Rey sends more than 80 percent of its graduates to college. Endorsing sponsors of the school include the Clerics of St. Viator, the American Province of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, the Congregation of the Resurrection, the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation and St. Mary’s Parish in Lake Forest. Fr. Charles Bolser, CSV, Provincial, liked the idea of the school. “This is a chance for us to empower the poor young people with no possibility of a college preparatory education in a Catholic setting,” he said. “Our mission is to establish a strong foundation so that in five to ten years the school is self, sufficient with a lay board of directors and faculty.”
The grant for the school came from the Cassin Educational Initiative Foundation, which works with religious orders, dioceses, parishes and other groups seeking to establish faithbased college preparatory middle and high schools in economically challenged communities throughout the country. The foundation makes grants for feasibility studies and start-up operating costs and provides ongoing support to grantees. Fr. Charles Bolser, CSV, and Dan Lydon of St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights, Ill. represent the Clerics of St. Viator on the board of directors. Some 25 companies in Lake County are ready to support the school financially and with jobs for the incoming freshmen and sophomores. The site of the new school will be on the campus of College of Lake County Center, Waukegan. A nationwide search is underway for a school president and interested religious and lay men and women who would be willing to work in this environment.
Students put their “faith in action” through service For 48 years, the Clerics of St. Viator have been serving the community of St. Viator Parish in Las Vegas, Nev. St. Viator School is largely a parish school with 356 (78 percent) of the families being members of the parish, As the only Catholic school located in southeast Las Vegas, St. Viator extends the opportunity of a Catholic education to 90 families from eight other parishes. Two thirds of their students continue Catholic education by attending Bishop Gorman High School in the area. This year the school adopted the Catholic education national theme— Catholic Schools: making a world of difference. The students are using this framework to explore the world beyond the classroom, the world of the neighborhood, the community and the greater world beyond their border. The students celebrate how they are touched by the world around them and how they, as St.Viator School and as individuals, can be a positive influence in the world. Three leadership organizations within the school act as sponsors for “faith in action” activities among the student body. First, there is the National Junior Honor Society for 7th and 8th graders. Students are invited to participate in
each class bringing in toiletries for various shelters; the Do Something Team sponsoring walkers for the Walk to Cure Diabetes. Students also continue to work with the Viatorians to support the Belize missions with prayers and donations.
Students assemble at St. Viator church for eighth grade graduation ceremony.
this prestigious group. Next is the Student Government, with elected officers from grades 5 to 8 with representatives from 4th to 8th grade. Finally there is the Do Something Team for grades 4 to 8. The school implemented the Do Something Team as a community service leadership group. Some of this year’s activities included: each classroom taking turns making bag lunches for the homeless twice a month; the National Junior Honor Society answering the call of empty shelves at the St.Theresa Center in Henderson by sponsoring a food drive; St. Viator School joining the Joint Student Government of Catholic Schools by hosting a fall service project called “Sparkle and Shine;”
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Twice a year in September and May the Viatorians and the administration recognize the students’ hard work at a luncheon for members of the National Junior Honor Society, Student Government and Do Something Team. “The Viatorians are most grateful for the outstanding leadership of the administration and the faculty. The continued support of the parents make all our programs successful and rewarding experiences,” says Fr. Richard Rinn, CSV, Pastor. Each year there is a school wide Thanksgiving food drive and a Wednesday’s Child Christmas Donations for the needy, both of which develop an awareness of a problem and allow each student to respond to it in a Christian manner. All students are encouraged to offer prayers for personal or individual needs when attending weekly Mass. continued on page 8
Canada
Spain
Italy Belize
Participants and youth ministers from the diocesan office felt that this was one of the most well organized Jamborees. Clement Wade, the Diocesan Director, complimented John Eustice for his excellent work on this the 20th Annual Jamboree. Congratulations to the parish, parishioners and the Corozal Youth Group for their leadership in making the 2003 Jamboree an outstanding success!
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Tradition Around th n a i eW tor or a i Japan
U. S. A France
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Honduras Haiti Colombia I v o ry Coast
Burkino Faso
Peru
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Chili
The latest initiative of Fr. Brian Cooper, CSV involves the opening April 10, 2003 of the Viatorian Center, Libano. An abandoned elementary school has been leased to Fr. Brian at no cost, arranged by a local St. Vincent de Paul group.
Belize: The 20th National Catholic Youth Jamboree was held in Corozal Town April 23-26, 2003, hosted by the parishioners of St. Francis Xavier, Corozal Youth Group and their pastor, Fr. Chris Glancy, CSV. The event attracted over 300 teens from all over Belize. Parishioners provided 250 beds for visiting delegates.
The Viatorian Center will be the distribution point for various social concern projects, and for prayer and community faith development. Major projects involve a powdered milk program for 75 babies and children (Cost: $350 per month); Monday-Friday lunches for 50 needy children (Cost: $200 per month); a point for distribution of food packages for 100 of Libano’s poorest families (Cost: $500 per month). The Center is also helping 400 students with notebooks, pens and other school supplies. (Cost: $800)
Pre-novice, John Eustice, parish youth minister, coordinated the Jubilee. The purpose of the Jamboree is to provide opportunities for youth to enhance their spirituality and challenge their personal development with education and faith experiences, with time to socialize and have fun together. The 2003 theme was “Empowering Youth to Joyfully Live God’s Mission.” Bishop Osmond Peter Martin celebrated the closing Jubilee Eucharist.
Fr. Brian has students cleaning away the accumulated rubble or spading for a future garden. Students help with food distribution and planning prayer services. His latest project is a Friday noon “treat worth being good for” - a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Peanut butter is unknown in Libano and jelly is a rarity. (Initial Cost: $70 per month)
The keynote was delivered by Fr. Robert Bolser, CSV, Associate Pastor, St Viator Parish, Chicago. A former missionary in Colombia, Fr. Bob also has extensive experience with U.S. Hispanic ministry and youth groups. Besides giving the keynote address, Fr. Bob gave a workshop on pastoral ministry to people with AIDS.
All these projects have been supported by family, friends and Viatorian sponsors. The needs are great and ever expanding. Would you like to join the team and help sponsor a months support for powdered milk, children’s lunch, family food packages, help students or join the Peanut Butter and Jelly Brigade? “What you do for the least of these my brethren, you do unto Me” (Matt 25:40)
The Jubilee educational programs included banner presentations, panel discussions, 14 ministry workshops and village visits. A Spiritual Night of Taize prayer, included music and meditation. On Saturday, they organized a pilgrimage to nine prayer sites around Corozal Town before reaching the parish for the Bishop’s concluding Mass. The social program included Olympic competitions and a dance at the Civic Center.
Can Fr. Brian and the poor of Libano count on you?
Casualties of war hit home at rural Viatorian parish At the funeral mass, Fr. Fanale quoted one of Beaupre’s letters home where he wrote he hoped Mark and Nichole Beaupre, parents of fallen Marine Capt. Ryan Beaupre, leave the cemetery with Marine many Iraqis Capt. John Wascher. would surrender before America’s mighty weapons were turned on their cities.
Grief permeated St. Anne, a farmland town near Kankakee, Ill., when the news arrived that Capt. Ryan Beaupre, one of their own, was among the first United States soldiers to die in the war with Iraq. Beaupre, a helicopter pilot based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. died on the second day of the war in a helicopter crash in Kuwait. He was 30. As active parishioners at St. Anne Catholic Church, the Beaupre family turned to their friend, Fr. James Fanale, CSV immediately after hearing the news about their son. There weren’t enough seats for the hundreds who converged on St. Anne for the full military funeral for the fallen pilot. The ritual of a military funeral with troops in full military dress, the playing of taps and the draping of the American flag over the casket affected the grieving town of 1,300 people, nearly all who knew Beaupre and his family.
“To be honest,” Beaupre wrote, “one thing that worries me is a lot of Iraqis getting killed…I fear many will die for a dictator.” Beaupre is buried next to his grandparents. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the parishioners of St. Anne.
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Novices Profess First Vows minister and even as youth minister. Following this pre-novitiate year, Br. Jason entered the novitiate in July of 2002 to prepare for his first vows.
Fr. Dan Nolan, CSV, Vocation Director Having completed the novitiate at the Province Center in Arlington Heights, Ill., Brother Jason P. Nesbit, CSV, and Brother Daniel J. Tripamer, CSV, will profess their first vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as members of the Chicago Province of the Clerics of St. Viator on July 7, 2003.
Brother Daniel J. Tripamer, CSV Dan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1966. At the age of six, he moved with his family to Las Vegas, Nev. where he attended St. Anne Elementary School and Bishop Gorman High School (BGHS). It was at BGHS where Dan made his first contact with the Viatorians. Father Charles Bolser, CSV, was principal. Br. Dan J. Tripamer, CSV After graduation from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in 1995 with a degree in secondary education, Fr. Tom von Behren, CSV, hired him to teach mathematics at BGHS. After teaching at BGHS for five years, Dan moved to Arlington Heights, Ill., and taught mathematics for two years at St. Viator High School before entering the novitiate.
We are happy to introduce to you our newest professed members. Brother Jason P. Nesbit, CSV Jason was born in Granite City, Ill. (a city situated on the Mississippi, just northeast of St. Louis, Mo.) on November 25, 1977 and lived there until he was 23 years of age. He is the youngest of three children; his two older sisters are married with children. He was baptized at Sacred Heart Parish. Br. Jason P. Nesbit, CSV Jason first met the Viatorians when Sacred Heart merged with two other parishes to become Holy Family Parish in 1988. Fr. Bill Fisherkeller, CSV, was the pastor, and Fr. Tom Wise, CSV, and Fr. Casey Kicmal, CSV, assisted him. Jason attended Catholic grade school at Sacred Heart and Holy Family. After graduating from Granite City High School in 1996, he attended Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in History and General Business Administration in 2001.
Dan was interested in becoming a Viatorian for one simple reason. When he returned to Bishop Gorman High School as a teacher, the Viatorians ministering there were powerful examples of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their witness inspired Dan to examine his own life, and he decided he wanted to make some changes. With the help of Br. Corey Brost, CSV, he became involved in the various campus ministry programs, especially a retreat called KAIROS. Through this retreat experience, Dan felt strongly motivated to be a disciple of Christ. Through the encouragement of Br. Michael Gosch, CSV, Dan realized that he could live out discipleship as a member of the Viatorian community.
Jason stated that he wanted to be a priest since he was a child; yet, when he began junior high, he realized there were other career paths he wanted to investigate. However, the idea of a church vocation never left him. While in college, taking courses in business and preparing for a financially secure future, he realized that he was not that interested in the sometimes frustrating and competitive world of business administration.
After a period of discernment with the Viatorians, Dan entered the Pre-Novitiate Program in at St. Viator Parish in Chicago and he continued to teach at St. Viator High School. A year later, Dan began the novitiate in July 2002. As Dan was preparing for profession of first vows, he stated that in the future he sees himself ministering at St. Viator High School, but not just teaching mathematics but also the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He hopes to be an example of discipleship to Christ for young people just like fellow Viatorians, Brothers Corey Brost, Michael Gosch, Rob Robertson and Fathers Tom von Behren and Arnie Perham.
In 1998, Jason met with Fr. Fisherkeller and told him that he would like to discern a church vocation. Though Jason contacted other religious orders and the diocese where he lived, he also wanted to contact the Viatorians since they were very good to him at Holy Family. Jason made contact initially with Fr. Chris Glancy, CSV, and later Br. Corey Brost, CSV, Viatorian Vocation Directors. As Jason discerned God’s call to religious life, he had several opportunities to visit, reflect and pray with the Viatorians. After Jason graduated college, he decided to live, work and continue to pray with the Viatorians by entering the Pre-novitiate Program at St. Viator Parish in Chicago. He attended classes at the Catholic Theological Union on a part time basis, and also worked in various ministries at the parish and its school. This was a great experience for Jason and as he looked to the future, he began to see himself as a Viatorian priest, teacher, pastoral
Both Br. Jason and Br. Dan will profess their vows for three years. During this period of temporary vows, each will be given the time, training, environment and apostolic experiences needed to make a life long commitment as a Viatorian. Temporary vows may be renewed after this initial period or perpetual/permanent vows may be requested. Congratulations and God’s blessing to both Brother Jason P. Nesbit and Brother Daniel J. Tripamer.
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Guardian Angel Cathedral responds to spiritual needs of parish and visitors alike Fr. James F. Crilly, CSV Rector, Guardian Angel Cathedral
Second Bishop of Las Vegas in 2001, and the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral on October 3, 2003, and the role of the Cathedral as center of Diocesan celebrations is readily understood.
Guardian Angel Cathedral located in Las Vegas, Nevada
Like all parishes, Guardian Angel Cathedral, Las Vegas, Nev., is responsible for a manyfaceted ministry. But, it has one special role that is unlike other parishes. It is the Cathedral. As the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Las Vegas, it is the Church of the Bishop and the Mother Church of the Diocese. As a parish, it ministers to the spiritual needs of its 1100 registered parishioners. As a church located within the resort corridor of the tourist mecca of Las Vegas, it is the home away from home for thousands of visitors each week.
As a parish, the Cathedral responds to the spiritual needs of the parishioners. The sacraments are made available for all. Twice a year, the Sacrament of the
available to visit the sick, especially for the Anointing of the Sick. As the home away from home for the thousands of Catholic visitors who vacation in the Las Vegas area, the Cathedral Staff and parishioners endeavor to make the visitors feel at home. Since 75 percent of those who attend the eight weekend Masses are from out of town, it has always been a priority at the Cathedral that they know they are welcome. That this has been accomplished in the past and continues today is the fact that so many people stop to greet the celebrant after Mass and say they are back again for another visit. The Cathedral is also noted for its music program. A song leader and organ accompanist enhances the weekend Liturgies. The 11:00 a.m. Mass is a particular joy and attraction for both parishioners and visitors when the organ accompanist is joined by a string quartet, brass duo and timpanist. A vocal quartet assists the congregation as they raise their voices in prayerful song.
A unique aspect of the ministry of the Cathedral is the number of weddings, which are celebrated for couples coming from out of town. Of the The most Reverend Bishop Joseph A. Pepe concelebrates some 50 to 60 weddings performed each year, all mass with Bishop Norman McFarland (right) and Bishop but one or two are from outside Nevada, and Daniel Walsh (left), both former bishops of Las Vegas. even outside the United States. On a recent Saturday, two weddings were celebrated, one Anointing of the Sick is celebrated at Mass. from Rome, Italy, the other from Michigan. Baptisms are celebrated frequently although Every year, there are at least three or four wedthe make-up of the parish is definitely on the senior citizen side. Through our pastoral associ- dings from Ireland and England. Of course, all preparations for these weddings take place in ate, Sister Timothy Malone, CHS, the homethe home parish of the couple, and the docubound and hospitalized are visited frequently mentation must be approved by the home with the opportunity for reception of Holy Communion. The priests of the parish are also Diocese, as well as the Diocese of Las Vegas. In many cases, the couples return to celebrate anniversaries in Las Vegas, and stop to renew acquaintance with the priest who presided.
In its role as Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Las Vegas, Guardian Angel Cathedral is the site of numerous Diocesan liturgical celebrations. It is the place where the Bishop welcomes the catechumens of the Diocese on the First Sunday of Lent. It is the site of the Mass of Chrism at which the priests of the Diocese gather to concelebrate with the Bishop as he blesses the Holy Oils to be used to administer the Sacraments for the coming year. Each year the Bishop celebrates a Jubilee Mass for married couples, and also a Mass in recognition of the Vowed Religious Women and Men who minister in the Diocese. Likewise, each year the Bishop welcomes the school children of the Diocese and their teachers to a Liturgy during Catholic Schools Week. And, of course, the Bishop presides at the Holy Week Triduum, the Easter Liturgy, and the Christmas Midnight Mass. Add an occasional special celebration, such as the Ordination and Installation of Bishop Joseph A. Pepe as The Sanctuary of Guardian Angel Cathedral
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Viatorians presently serving at the Cathedral are Frs. James F. Crilly, Lawrence D. Lentz and Francis P. White. Other Vistorians who assist on weekends are Fr. Norbert P. Bibeault, a teacher at Bishop Gorman High School, and semi-retired Fr. Edward C. Anderson and Fr. Robert F. Cooney.
The youth ministry of St.Thomas More parish leads teens closer to Christ What compels approximately 300 hundred teenagers to attend a special Sunday evening Mass and an hour of educational services every week, publish their own newsletter and take a proactive role in spreading the Word to the rest of their parish and the community? The answer is the LIFE TEEN youth ministry program led by Ken Rosania and his assistant, Amanda Romsak. According to LIFE TEEN, an International Catholic Ministry, the program’s goal is to serve the Church and lead teens closer to Christ by providing resources and training that encourages vibrant Eucharistic celebrations and opportunities for teens to grow in their faith. LIFE TEEN is the brainchild of Msgr. Dale Fushek, who felt that teens were not getting all they deserved from the Church and were turning away from Christ. In the early Nineties, he initiated LIFE TEEN, which promised to “stand up for the dignity of life and life giving for every teenager who became a part of it.” Today, there are approximately 847 parishes that belong to LIFE TEEN and 100,000 plus teenagers that celebrate LIFE TEEN Mass and Life Night weekly. Ken Rosania began his LIFE TEEN leadership training in 1996, after the pastor, Fr. Dan Nolan, CSV, completed the task of building the first church at St. Thomas More in Henderson, Nev. He knew that LIFE TEEN would be the right ministry for the parish teens and started the program with 150 participants. LIFE TEEN seeks leaders who are persons of faith, have a good rapport with teens and have a good working knowledge of the Church. As a youth ministry leader, Ken initiates, organizes and oversees programs in association with his assistant, a Core group, parish leadership and the parish at large. “ LIFE TEEN has been a dream come true,” says Ken. “It’s my life long work. When I see the lives it has changed, teens making a conversion, it’s a blessing.” With Henderson being the fastest growing city in the United States, there are now approximately 5870 families in the parish and over 400 teens enrolled in the parish youth ministry. Of those enrolled, one hundred students are involved in Confirmation preparation and may or may not stay with the program.
Ken Rosania (bottom left), poses with some of the members of St. Thomas More’s Youth Ministry participants after a Life Teen gathering.
“Life Night, the educational/formation component of the youth ministry takes place for one hour every Sunday night after the LIFE TEEN Mass,” explains Fr. Patrick Render, CSV, current pastor at St. Thomas More. “Every year the program includes several retreats, one of which L.I.G.H.T. is offered every summer and includes a strong work/ service component which the teens do among the poor and with social agencies serving the poor in the cities of Las Vegas and Henderson. Retreats and services experiences are an equally important component of LIFE TEEN.”
“Getting the opportunity to share my faith in God with friends through this program has changed my life completely. The Life Teen program has given me a way to praise God and serve Him in new ways.” Joe Rosania editor of Beyond the Mass News
As mentioned, Ken works with a Core group of adults and young adults who reach out to teens on both an individual and a group basis. “Core members are responsible for most of the presentation and execution of each Sunday’s Life Night program,” Fr. Render continues. “They also do all the leg work in planning and implementing the service components and the retreats.” Many adults that make up the Core group are former LIFE TEEN members who have not gone away to college and elect to work with the teens.
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LIFE TEEN encourages teens to embark on a journey of faith through special Masses and Life nights. Teens learn more about the Catholic faith and grow to love the Sacraments, the Word and the Mass. “LIFE TEEN breaks down the barriers and gets high school kids involved with the liturgical process,” says Ken. “ The concept is to speak to their hearts with drama and music.” LIFE TEEN recognizes the vital importance of quality music when working with teenagers. Many young people create or find their identity in the music culture. The music however is not to wow teens or lure them into faith by the groove of the music. The ministry’s purpose is to be authentic; to encourage the teens to live and pray the lyrics they sing and do so with a musical arrangement that is relative to their culture. St. Thomas More’s youth ministry is making a difference. Some LIFE TEEN members teach CCD to grade school children in the parish. Some of the Young Disciples who are the junior and senior members of LIFE TEEN, assist with the freshman and sophomore Confirmation program. Youth ministry has led some high school graduates to get involved in service and ministry opportunities in the community and in the church. “When teens leave here, we encourage them to spread the excitement of the Word to wherever they are living,” remarks Ken. “We believe that LIFE TEEN accomplishes this goal and lets Christ shine through them.”
Clerics of St. Viator 1212 E. Euclid St. Arlington Heights, IL 60004-5799 847-398-6805 www.viatorians.com
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Students put faith into practice... continued from page 3
The “Buddies” program teams up 1st graders with 5th graders, 2nd graders with 6th graders, 3rd graders with 7th graders, and 4th graders with 8th graders in faith-based activities which enables older students to share their faith with younger students. Teachers incorporate the school motto, act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with God, in their monthly theme in the regular classroom activities as well as the school/home connections. This mission carries through in the Good Samaritan program that teaches and encourages students to live the school motto and recognizes them for their efforts at the weekly prayer and flag assembly. As a Catholic parish school in the fastest growing metropolitan area in the country, St. Viator School has maintained a strong Catholic identity and competitive educational program over the last five years. The main focus of the school is the Catholic faith development of the children. With over 71 percent catechist certified and the other 29 percent in the process, the faculty is strong in their ability to teach doctrine of the Church. Students are expected to treat others with respect and dignity and to live the words of Micah— Act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with God.
Viatorians T E A C H E R S O F FA I T H The Clerics of St. Viator are religious priests and brothers sent by the Catholic Church to teach the faith and proclaim Jesus Christ as Gospel. In parishes, schools and a variety of ministries, Viatorians work with Christian communities to live, deepen and celebrate their faith. Fr. Dan Nolan, CSV, Vocation Director 1212 E. Euclid St., Arlington Hts., IL 60004 847-398-0685 DanNolan@viatorians.com