Quarterly Newsletter of the Clerics of St. Viator • Volume 9, Number 2
Our Mission... Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. n 1838, Fr. Louis Querbes received Papal approval for the establishment of a community devoted to the proclamation of the Gospel as Catechists or educators of faith. Fr. Querbes lived in southwestern France, near the city of Lyons during the most difficult years following the French Revolution when the Catholic Church was persecuted by the French Government who to a great degree, successfully created a secular society. Fr. Querbes therefore worked to establish a religious community, under the patronage of St. Viator, a catechist of the 4th Century who lived and worked in that same area of France. As this new community began to grow and flourish, he sent Viatorians out to the French speaking Provinces of Canada and India and from there to North, Central, and South America, Japan, Taiwan, and Africa, hoping to establish strong foundations, as priests and brothers, in mission as educators of faith.
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Throughout the years since, the Viatorians have traveled to every continent, establishing strong educational foundations in order to enable the poor and marginalized to become aware of their God-given dignity and in turn call them to the service of others. It has never been seen as enough to simply meet the needs of the poor, but to enable others to understand that all of humanity is connected, and that we are therefore called to consciously participate in God’s ongoing creation. Today, we encounter new challenges and opportunities. The needs of the marginalized and poor continue to grow, but religious communities, including the Viatorians, are experiencing fewer numbers of men choosing this way of life. It would be easy to become morbid and choose to die a slow death. But that is not our choice. We are getting grayer and fewer in number, but at the same time, are extending our reach throughout the world! Since our beginning, we have chosen to walk and work with outstanding lay men and women who have joined us in our vision. In more recent years, we have been able to formalize this relationship with many who have chosen to participate as Associate Viatorians. Together we are struggling to understand and further develop this evolving relationship. We are grappling with the question of re-defining ourselves as Viatorians, professed religious and laity alike, in a changing world. While our congregational financial situation is stable and our needs are few, we are faced with the requirements of providing for ongoing education and leadership training for those that we work with in our parishes and schools
in the United States as well as throughout the world. The majority of our parishes and schools cannot afford the burden of hiring Fr. Charles G. Bolser, well trained professional catechists, youth CSV, Provincial ministers, and other individuals required to meet the pastoral needs of our communities. Our changing role is a movement from providing direct education to the young as we have traditionally done, to providing proper leadership formation and education within our local communities of faith. In addition, we are convinced that we are required to provide ongoing scholarship assistance to the young, inviting them also to respond to the call of the Gospel. Education is seen as a key that enables each person to become aware of their own God given talents. Education does not exist for itself as a goal, but rather as a tool that enables each individual to nurture their compassion and commitment to activate their faith. This is the mission of the Viatorians throughout the world today in collaboration with the whole church. To achieve our mission, it is therefore important that I ask you to consider supporting us in our mission through your prayers and your financial assistance. We are continuing to accept the challenge of establishing new foundations. We have accepted responsibility in the District of Corozal in Belize for providing leadership at St. Francis Xavier Parish, which includes 24 outlying villages and 5,000 students. At the present time, they are in working with the government to establish St. Viator Vocational High School to meet the unmet educational needs of the very poor. (see page 6) We are collaborating with a parish and three other religious communities in the establishment of St. Martin de Porres High School in Waukegan, Illinois, to serve low-income and minority students. We have accepted new pastoral responsibilities in Colombia, working with the very poor and disenfranchised who have been displaced by the violence of a long-term civil war. Additionally we are asked to assist in the ongoing formation and education of those working in the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso of Africa. While we have accepted these responsibilities with faith and compassion, we continue to provide assistance to those within our traditional parishes and schools within the United States. The requirements to provide ongoing continued on page 2