Viator Newsletter 2009 Winter

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Viatorian Community

Winter 2009

Volume 14, No. 1

Provincial Perspective My final task for the year 2008 was to sit down at my desk at the province center and write this letter for the Winter Edition of Viator 2009. I realize that you are reading this Provincial Perspective weeks after you have turned the calendar to 2009. However, as I wrote this, the calendar was dated December 31, 2008. Thus, it was time for resolutions.

Normally, I do not make a lot of New Year’s resolutions.

Not because I do not think that it is a good idea; rather I have broken so many resolutions in the past that I just do not bother with them anymore. This year is different – I hope. So here goes – my resolutions for 2009! (Some are borrowed from other more famous sources and poems).

I am going to worry less and pray more; I am going to say “thank you” at least three times a day; I am going to listen more and talk less; I am going to exercise more and eat fewer snacks; I am going to drink better wine (makes exercising more bearable); I am going to worry less and pray more; I am going to read more about Darfur; I am going to get out of the suburbs and visit the city of Chicago more often;

I am going to take long drives in the fall when the leaves are changing; I am going to visit the sick and elderly more frequently; I am going to be more available to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation; I am going to worry less and pray more; I am going to take more chances and worry less about what others may think; I am going to grill more on our patio and invite more friends to join in on the fun; I am going to invite more into the dialogue and really listen to them; I am going to work on relying more on God and less upon myself; and finally, I am going to worry less and pray more.

These resolutions reach far beyond New Year’s and they only touch the surface of what I really hope for in my life. Yet, I offer them and ask for your prayers and God’s blessings as another year unfolds upon us.

In St. Viator and Fr. Querbes,

I am going to see Jersey Boys and listen to more Golden Oldies; I am going to call my friends and tell them that they are important in my life; I am going to worry less and pray more; I am going to read more about Father Querbes and the early days of our community;

Rev. Thomas R. von Behren, CSV Provincial

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Professed/Association Collaboration A positive result of the current priest shortage is that it challenges the laity to assume their rightful role within the Church. One way the Viatorians respond to this reality is by reviving the vision of its founder, Fr. Louis Querbes, who envisioned his society to be that of laity and professed doing the work of the Church on an equal footing.

Viatorian Associate Ken Rosania has been engaged in full-time ministry at St. Thomas More, Henderson, NV, for over ten years.

Over that period of time, he has held various roles. His current duties consist of being the director of both parish administration and social ministry.

As parish administrator, he is responsible for such tasks as personnel, building maintenance, finances, and informational technology. Ensuring that the parish activities are conducted in an efficient and professional manner is one manner of good stewardship. As director of social ministry, he coordinates an extensive outreach program.

The parish social justice program focuses on four levels: parish, community, national, and international. Parishioners have gone oversees and throughout the United States. One example has been a recent medical mission team to Belize. The parish has sponsored various projects such as a school and the building of a well in Africa.

The parish also looks within itself and reaches out to its members. Ken coordinates a “skills bank” whereby people donate their time for people in need. Homelessness and near homelessness is a grave problem. To help answer the basic need for food, the parish has a meals-on-wheels program where, for example, on Thanksgiving Day they cooked and delivered between 300 - 400 meals. Every Monday parishioners prepare approximately one hundred sack lunches that are then distributed to the homeless.

The parish participates in an organization called “Family Promises” whereby the parish provides shelter for the homeless for up to two weeks. During that time, they work with the people to obtain housing and obtain suitable employment.

Ken coordinates the parish outreach efforts with local agencies.

Each fall the parish has the “Christmas in the Fall” project whereby parishioners collect over 1100 gifts that are distributed to seventeen agencies. Another annual project is the “Faces of Hunger.” It is the parish Lenten project and they raise funds for six agencies that are affiliated with Catholic Charities.

Ken uses his organizational skills to ensure that these projects run smoothly. As Ken says, he finds meaning from all of his activities through the support he receives from the other lay and Viatorian staff. Most importantly, his work helps to make the Gospel alive in the present-day context.

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A Viatorian Pastor in Today’s Church Each pastor answers in his own unique way the question of what constitutes a pastor today. Although each person is unique, the characteristics common to all pastors include showing concern for the welfare of individual parishioners and empowering them to assume their rightful role in ministry.

Fr. John N. Peeters, CSV, recently became pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Kankakee, Illinois, at the young age of 66. He arrived with a wealth of experience, which included being associate pastor in Belize and serving at Viatorian administrative centers in the United States and in Rome.

With this background, he traveled to Kankakee, a city of approximately 20,000 located about 50 miles south of Chicago. The city has a long historical relationship with the Viatorians, who arrived there in 1865 to begin the American foundation.

Fr. John sees his role as that of an animator wherein he works with other leaders as co-equals. Viatorian associates Kenneth and Michelle Barrie, Mary Finks, and Marilyn Mulcahy assist him in youth, music, and pastoral ministries. He stated that he came into a “well-oiled operation” that is continuing and growing because of the dedication of the ministers.

Vatican II stated that liturgy is the summit and the source of community, and that value is certainly reflected at St. Patrick’s. Last October and November, the parish undertook a survey asking the parishioners to state the ten greatest strengths and weaknesses of the parish. After the results were collated, the parish leadership hosted a town hall meeting to discuss the results. The number one strength was the welcoming spirit of the parish, followed by the quality of its liturgies. Other areas included youth ministry, quality of the school, and the parish’s service to the community. The list of weaknesses chiefly centered on the need for capital improvements, which are being addressed as finances permit.

Besides celebrating liturgy, Fr. John helps provide the structure in which Ken and Michelle Barrie coordinated the fifth trip by the youth group to Mexico, where they planned to build two houses at Ciudad Juarez. Unfortunately, because of increasing social and political unrest in Ciudad Juarez, this trip had to be cancelled at the last minute. The two houses, however, will still be built by local volunteers, who will use the materials supplied through donations made over the past several years by parishioners at St. Patrick and St. Teresa Parishes in Kankakee.

Within his schedule, Fr. John manages to represent the parish in the local community. He serves as a member of the board of directors for the Gateway Coalition. Approximately twenty-five local parishes participate in this ecumenical project, whereby they contribute money and expertise so that, when people come to the parishes for help, they are referred there. A staff person sits down with them and together they work at resolving the problem. Recently, Fr. John applied to the Viatorian Social Justice Fund and secured a $2,500 grant for the organization.

Fr. John has also worked with local civic organizations. Among the many groups he is affiliated with is a group of local businessmen who annually sponsor a golf tournament to provide Christmas dinners.

What is unique about the dinners is that they are held in seven locations and they serve between 700 and 800 meals. The camaraderie of the meal is as important as the nutrition and for that reason it is offered only on a dine-in basis.

As in all Viatorian institutions, the educational component is vital.

Recently, three local parish schools merged to form Aquinas Catholic Academy, which holds classes in the school buildings at St. Patrick Parish. The parish is attuned to the quality of the education provided for the 220 students. Fr. John occasionally visits the school and often celebrates the students’ weekly Mass. He says that he enjoys the interaction with the students and that they always present interesting questions and perspectives about life and faith.

Fr. John went to St. Patrick Parish in August, 2007, and the dedication of the ministers made his transition there a very easy one.

Working closely with the leadership, he strives to act in a collaborative manner so as to continue to enrich the spirit of the parish and to make it an increasingly welcoming place where all people – older and younger alike – can deepen their lives of faith.

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Br. Frank Enciso, CSV, Pronounces Final Vows In December, inside the chapel at Colegio San Viator, in Bogotá, Colombia, Br. Frank Enciso, CSV, publicly professed the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Br. Enciso was the fifth Viatorian brother to profess his perpetual vows within a span of six months in 2008.

Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, was the main celebrant at each vow ceremony. He declared the community blessed to have such dedicated and enthusiastic men to continue the mission of Fr. Querbes for the rest of their lives.

In his 2008 class, Br. Enciso joins Br. John Eustice and Br. Jason Nesbit, who are based in the Chicago region; Br. Gustavo López Cubillos who is based in Bogotá; and Br. Moises Mesh of Belize, all of whom professed their final vows last summer.

“Today, Frank commits himself to live a life of service,” Fr. von Behren said, “to a life based on the imitation of Christ, as one called to serve and not to be served, shared in community, and embracing the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.”

Br. Enciso came to his decision after living and working with the Viatorians in Bogotá since 2001, when he entered the community as a pre-novice. He entered the novitiate in 2003 and professed his first vows in 2004.

While earning his undergraduate degree in theology, Br. Enciso assisted in pastoral work at Parroquia San Basilio Magno, a parish in Bogotá administered by the Viatorians. He also served as vocation director for the Foundation of Colombia.

“After knowing and living with the Viatorians for the past seven and a half years, I believe living my life as a Viatorian is the best option for me to grow as a person and as a man of faith,” Br. Enciso said. “As a Viatorian, I believe that I will be able to serve the Church well.”

This month, Br. Enciso began teaching theology to young men at Colegio San Viator, a school which the Viatorians have administered for the last 45 years. Their stated mission is to “graduate young men with solid human and Christian values who are intellectually prepared to deal successfully with the advances taking place in the world.”

Br. Enciso hopes to serve as a role model for his young students as he walks with them during their spiritual and educational growth, much like his Viatorian confreres walked with him.

“We pray that as you place your hand upon this altar, that you will be filled with the grace necessary to live out these vows in holiness and humility,” Fr. von Behren said. “We, Viatorians, rejoice with you this day, as you bind yourself forever with us as a son of Fr. Querbes and with Jesus Christ, as a perpetually professed religious of our congregation.”

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In the Footsteps of Our Founder (Article No.15 in a Continuing Series)

Fr. Querbes Arrives in Rome Father Louis Querbes arrived in Rome May 14, 1838. He lived at a French hotel, operated by M. Sauves for his countrymen, at 56 piazza San Nicolas Cesarini. Fr. Querbes was both pious and pragmatic in his approach to his Roman mission: Papal approbation for his young congregation.

The proper protocol having been observed, Fr. Querbes met with Bishop Soglia on May 17 or 18. On May 18, Bishop Soglia, sent his pro voto to the consultor Fr. Rosaven.

The immediate problem was not about the statutes, but rather the absence from Rome of the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation, Cardinal Antonio Sala.

The morning of May 15, he celebrated Mass at the Tomb of the Apostles committing his mission to their protection. The next day he celebrated Mass at the Jesuit Church of the Gesu, in the room where St. Ignatius Loyola died.

Fr. Querbes immediately availed himself of this opportunity to utilize his introductions to meet Fr. Johann Roothaan, Jesuit Superior General; Fr. Rosaven, Assistant General for France; and Fr. de Villefort, substitute-secretary. Fr. Rosaven also served as consultor to the Sacred Congregation. He became Fr. Querbes’ advisor and guide throughout his stay in Rome.

When the Cardinal would return to Rome was uncertain.

Fr. Querbes began to “surmise that in spite of all the promise of speed that had been made him, his business would last a long time.”

(Pierre Robert, Life of Louis Querbes, 1921, p. 168.) What Fr. Querbes surmised was to become prophetic. However, he wrote his confreres in Vourles:

He also met his seminary classmate, Mathias Loras, who had recently been consecrated the first Bishop of Dubuque, Iowa.

Fr. Querbes visited the Capuchian Minister General; Fr. Salvatore Pascale, Superior General, Missionaries of Pious Workers, friend of Pauline Jaricot, and the French Consul, Camille Louis de Rossi. It is believed either Fr. Pascal or Consul de Rossi provided him an introduction to Bishop Giovanni Soglia, Secretary to the Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars.

“I am determined to stay on here until the end. Pray the good God, Master of all hearts, to dispose the heart of the common Father of the faithful and of the venerable councilors who surround him.” (Ibid.)

- Br. Leo V. Ryan, CSV

The vocation of a Viatorian is a call from God that we answer continually.

It is a grace given to each of us so that, together, we might work for the coming of God’s Rule and for our own sanctification.

Father Querbes was the first to respond to this grace. His concern to assemble a group of men capable of doing God’s work in religious life serves as an example for us today.

(Constitution of the Congregation of the Clerics of St. Viator, No. 25.)

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Welcome, Randy Baker

St. Viator Chunox/

A new office opened in the Viatorian province center in Arlington Heights for the community’s first Coordinator of Mission Advancement.

Ever since St. Viator Vocational High School opened in 2004, in the remote village of Chunox in Belize, students at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights have been looking for ways to partner with their sister school.

Randy Baker, a six-year Viatorian Associate, accepted the position last fall, bringing his 25-year background in marketing and sales for the foods division of Unilever to the Clerics of St. Viator.

This year they found just the ticket: nine juniors will travel next month during their spring break to this agricultural school to help build new housing for the teachers who work there.

“I am pleased to take on a more active role in the Viatorian Community,” Randy says. “We have to get more people to understand who the Viatorians are and what our mission is.”

Randy and his wife, Julie, live in the Northwest suburb of Prospect Heights.

Their daughter, Allison, graduated from St. Viator High School in 2007, and she now is a sophomore at Indiana University in Bloomington.

In his corporate life, Randy was the director of Unilever’s private label business and was involved in marketing and sales. Unilever is a food giant who owns Lipton Tea, Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, Ragu, and Country Crock brand, among others. He plans to use some of the same principles in coordinating and tightening marketing efforts for the Clerics of St. Viator.

“We have to be forward thinking,” Randy says, “and open to new activities that allow us to expand beyond our traditional roles.”

Specifically, Randy hopes to raise the visibility of the Viatorians’ work in the communities surrounding the Province of Chicago, while making a greater effort to partner with the community’s many supporters.

He also will be looking at new ministries that could fit with the Viatorians’ mission of being educators in faith and ministering to young people, while also working for social justice.

“A good example is Chunox St. Viator Vocational High School in Belize,” Randy says. “Before the Viatorians stepped in, there was no high school in the area.

Young people had to travel great distances to continue their education. This is a great example of an opportunity that presented itself and the Viatorians were open to it.”

Randy expects to work closely with Associate Dan Lydon, vocation coordinator, and Associate Karen Cutler, special events coordinator, as well as a newly formed mission advancement advisory council, comprised of people with media and business backgrounds.

They will be reviewing all of the marketing pieces that carry the Viatorian mission to the public, including this newsletter, which is published three times a year, and the website.

Randy says, “I look forward to raising the awareness about the Viatorian community and partnering with the many supporters we are blessed with, resulting in a long-term sustained mission.”

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“Because of its remote location, it is hard to keep qualified teachers on a regular basis,” says Betsy Fons, one of the campus ministers in Arlington Heights.

She describes how, of its seven teachers on staff, three live on campus during the week in relatively primitive dwellings. Each lives in a small room with no electricity, running water, or plumbing.

“Basically,” Betsy says, “it’s just a room with a bed and a window.”

Consequently, teachers typically do not stay more than one year, which makes teacher retention and continuity in the school’s curriculum difficult.

“The idea,” Betsy adds, “is to build a threebedroom house, with communal living quarters, so teachers who live there during the week would be more likely to stay year after year.”

If all goes as planned, the St. Viator students will arrive after local tradesmen have poured the foundation and installed the electricity and plumbing.

Chunox St. Viator High School provides its students with a traditional curriculum as well as specialized training in agriculture and tourism, two principal sources of employment in the region. In the classroom, students study English, Spanish, math, study skills, agricultural science, physical education, social studies, and computers.

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The Viatorians greatly appreciate your financial assistance, which helps to sustain our ministries in the United States and overseas. If you would like to assist us, please send your gifts to:

St. Viator Arlington Heights

Viatorian Office of Mission Advancement 1212 East Euclid Ave. Arlington Heights, IL 60004 847-637-2142 You can either designate where your gifts will be used or delegate us to distribute the funds where they are most needed.

As a non-profit and tax-exempt organization, 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

Current housing for three teachers at Chunox, St. Viator

Its campus includes two classroom buildings, a dining hall, barns, and farm sheds. The students spend half of their time in the fields where they put into practice the plant and animal husbandry skills they are learning in the classroom.

Betsy says that, during their days on the worksite, the students from Arlington Heights will rotate into classes each day so they can experience what it is like to be a high school student in Chunox.

Likewise, each day, several Chunox students will work along side with the Arlington Heights students at the worksite.

The construction project will be at the core of this year’s Lenten campaign at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, as students and their families strive to raise money for the new house, estimated to cost $24,000, including labor costs.

Even as they take up collections each day in their religion classes, they stress that this trip is about more than building a new teachers’ residence. It’s about building solidarity!

If you would like to contribute to this fund, please check the box marked “Belize” on the attached contribution envelope or contact the Office of Mission Advancement at 847-637-2142.

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The Nazareth League of Prayers

provides an opportunity to share in the Viatorian prayer life. Prayer requests are inscribed in a special book and then placed in the chapel at the Province Center. When Viatorians gather daily in communal prayer, they specifically remember the intentions of their friends and gratefully thank everyone who has so generously supported the Viatorian ministries.

To participate in the Nazareth League of Prayers, simply list your intentions in the envelope provided and mail them to us. You can also request specific cards by calling 847-637-2125 or online at viatorians.com/prayers.

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St. Viator Day 2008 The Viatorian Community of the Province of Chicago gathered to celebrate its patronal feast in the major cities of the province: Arlington Heights, Bogotá, Bourbonnais, Corozal Town, and Las Vegas. Festivities took place over a four day period including the actual feast day, October 21st.

Two celebrations took place in Arlington Heights.

On October 21st, fifty-two members of the community participated in a special prayer service at the province center. In his homily, Fr. Thomas von Behren encouraged community members to explore new ways to express solidarity with Viatorians throughout the sixteen countries where Viatorians minister.

Afterwards, a simple dinner was shared, followed by reminisces by senior confreres Fr. Francis White, CSV, Associate Catherine of the early days in the Abrahamian, and her daughter, Emma community. The following day, St. Viator High School held its annual St. Viator Day Mass for the students, staff, and faculty. Viatorian associates, brothers, and priests, who serve at the school, as well as Viatorians from the region, and area elementary school principals were present not only for the celebration of the Fr. Donald Fitzsimmons, CSV, Eucharist but also for Br. James Lewnard, CSV, and a special presentation in Br. Donald Houde, CSV recognition of St. Viator

High School’s Blue Ribbon Award.

A special Mass was also held at Colegio San Viator in Bogotá, Colombia on October 21st. After the Mass, Fr. Carlos Luis Claro, CSV, presented a newly built home to a family with limited income. The home was built with funds collected from the students, staff, and faculty throughout the year. This is the fifth year the school has donated a home to a family.

Fr. Pedro Herrera, CSV

Four days later, the Br. Juan Londoño, CSV, and pre-novices local Viatorian Jorge Vargas, Carlos Diaz, and Community honCarlos Romero. ored St. Viator with a community Mass followed by a simple cookout. Four pre-associates took a four-hour bus ride from Libano to celebrate with the community.

Viatorians also gathered in Bourbonnais and Las Vegas for Mass and dinner at Maternity BVM parish and St. Viator parish, respectively. Both gatherings were “well attended and sparked with conversation and laughter” as stories were told and memories were shared. After the meal in Bourbonnais, a collection was taken to assist the Foundation of Haiti with its recovery efforts from its spate of hurricanes.

Finally, the Belizean Viatorian Community, comprised of two priests, ten associates and eleven pre-associates, was joined by family members as well as the members of the St. Thomas More Catholic Community medical mission team from Henderson, Nevada, for an evening Mass at St. Francis Xavier parish.

A traditional Belizean dinner of chicken, rice and beans, and plantains was served in the St. Francis Xavier School outdoor pavilion. Members of the medical mission team were truly touched by the hospitality extended to them during their stay in Corozal Town.

It is during times such as these that the community gives thanks for the blessings it has received through community life and mission.

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Blue Ribbon School St. Viator High School was recognized this fall as being one of the top high schools in the nation.

students must have scored in the top ten percent of the nation on national tests.

The Arlington Heights high school, administered by the Clerics of St. Viator, was one of only three private high schools in the country to be named a ”2008 No Child Left Behind — Blue Ribbon School” by the U. S. Department of Education.

St. Viator High School officials said the award recognizes the school’s commitment to the academic, spiritual, and emotional growth of its students. They pointed to its newly-revised curriculum, technology, facilities, and programs designed to help students succeed in an ever-changing world.

Fr. Robert M. Egan, CSV, president of the school, and Eileen Manno, principal, traveled to a ceremony in Washington, D.C., to accept the award from Kerri Briggs, the Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of Education.

Bottom line, they said, was the composite ACT score achieved by the Class of 2007: a 24.7, which ranked in the top ten percent in the nation.

In Washington, D.C., St. Viator officials sat with other school administrators from the state of Illinois selected for the national honor. Each one received a plaque and flag distinguishing them as a Blue Ribbon School.

Of the 29,000 private schools across the country, only 50 were recognized this year, and of those, only three private high schools.

“The assistant secretary of education described the schools winning the Blue Ribbon Award as the ‘best of the best’,” Ms. Manno says. “Our challenge for the future is to be better than the best.”

“This award recognizes the hard work, dedication, and success of our administration, faculty, staff, and all our students,” Fr. Egan said.

Just to be considered, schools had to document that they are academically superior or have made dramatic gains in student achievement. The selection process was even more rigorous for private schools, whose

I v o r y

Burkina Faso

Canada

Chile

Viatorians Around The World

Bolivia

Clerics of St. Viator

Belize

C o a s t

Back in Arlington Heights, they waited until Oct. 21 to present both awards. The ceremony took place during an all-school Mass on the feast day of St. Viator, patron saint of the Viatorians, who dedicated his life to educating youth.

Colombia

France

Haiti

Honduras

Italy

Our priests and brothers ministering in parishes and schools give witness to Jesus Christ in our modern world.

Daniel Lydon, Coordinator of Vocation Ministry 1212 E. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights, IL 60004 847.637.2129 • www.viatorians.com dlydon@viatorians.com J a p a n

P e r u

S p a i n

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T a i w a n

U n i t e d

S t a t e s

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Around the Province

Child in the barrio Antonia Lleras, Buenaventura, Colombia

Dockworkers in Buenaventura, Colombia

Responding to calls for solidarity from Colombia, Fr. Thomas Long, CSV, traveled to Cali and Buenaventura, Colombia, as part of a delegation sponsored

by Witness for Peace and the 8th Day Center for Justice.

The purpose of the trip was to meet with experts and activists and to listen to their analyses of U.S. policy in Colombia.

To read his reflections on the trip, please visit the “What’s New”link on the Viatorian website, www.viatorians.com.

Associate Michael Underwood entered the permanent diaconate training program during the Rite of Acceptance at Guardian Angel Cathedral in Las Vegas, NV, on October 2, 2008, at which Bishop Joseph Pepe presided. Michael completed twoand-half years in the Lay Ecclesial Ministry Program and will now begin three years of additional study. He will be ordained a permanent deacon in 2011. Michael is an active member of the St. Thomas More Catholic Community in Henderson, NV. Due to a small Viatorian grant, a family in Patchakan Village in Belize now enjoys electricity in their home for the very first time.

Associate Rafael Cob, Director of Social Services at St. Francis Xavier parish in Corozal Town, was responsible for getting the electricity installed in early October.

Fr. John Milton, CSV, was a guest presenter at the monthly physics education seminar at the University of Chicago held on October 14, 2008.

His topic was “Teaching about Allometric Scaling and Ratio Thinking.” Fr. Milton has been teaching physics at DePaul University for the past twentyone years.

A medical mission team, comprised of fifteen parishioners from St. Thomas Catholic Community in Henderson, NV, including Associate James May, visited Corozal Town, Belize, and six surrounding villages October

17th-26th. They treated approximately 1200 patients for diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, and various skin disorders. 130 individuals received an EKG test. The team also provided basic nutrition education to their patients.

They were assisted by Belizean Associates Rafael Cob and Glenda Francis, as well as several other parishioners from St. Francis Xavier parish in Corozal Town who served as translators.

In a show of international solidarity, Belizean Associates Herculana Bastarachea, Juanita Jimenez, and Sylvia Vargas traveled to Jutiapa, Honduras, to welcome seventeen Honduran Associates who made their first commitment in a ceremony held October 25th.

The Belizean and Honduran associates were able to spend time sharing about their ministries. In Honduras, the associates are heavily involved in treating the sick with herbal medicine as well as raising produce which is then distributed in poverty stricken areas.

Joan Sweeney, archivist for the Viatorian Community, co-hosted the fall 2008 meeting of the Chicago Area Religious Archivists (CARA) on November 14, 2008. Those in attendance toured the Viatorian Community Archives, the Alexian Brothers Archives, and the Sisters of the Living Word Archives, all located in Arlington Heights, IL. Other religious organizations represented were the Felician Sisters, the American Theological Library Association, the Sisters of Mercy, the Claretian Missionaries, Catholic Theological Union, North Shore Congregation Israel, the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, and the Society of the Divine Word, the Cenacle Sisters, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

Fr. Christopher Glancy, CSV, and Fr. Pedro Herrera, CSV, represented the Viatorian Province of Chicago at the closing celebrations of the 50th anniversary 10

Fr. Eduardo Millán, CSV, Provincial of Chile.

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Fr. William Carpenter, CSV, Br. Michael Gosch, CSV, and Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, visited the Foundation of Colombia, December 4-9, 2008. On December 5, Fr. von Behren presided at a special liturgy at which Br. Gustavo López, CSV, received the ministry of lector. Later in the day, Fr. von Behren presided at the election of Fr. Luis Eduardo López, CSV, as superior of the Foundation of Colombia and Fr. Edgar Suárez, CSV, as a member of the foundation council. On December 7, Fr. von Behren also presided at the perpetual vows liturgy of Br. Frank Enciso, CSV. (See story on page 4). For more information on Viatorian Foundation of Br. Gustavo Lopéz, CSV, and Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV Colombia, please visit www.viatorianos.com.

of Viatorian presence in Chile in mid-November. The Chilean Viatorians minister in six schools, two parishes, and one retreat center.

Congratulations to our confreres and associates of Chile. For more information on the Province of Chile, please visit www.viator.cl.

St.Viator High School students continued their struggle against genocide in Darfur last month by raising money and awareness through a “Rock for Darfur” benefit concert on November 21, 2008, held at St. Viator High the school. The student group, Students Taking Action Now for Darfur, raised $3,400 through the concert for the Sudanese Community Center, a Naperville, IL, agency that helps resettle people who have escaped Sudan. Four student rock bands played in the show, along with the school’s choral group and improvisational troupe. More than 200 students and adults attended. For more information, please visit www.savedarfur.org.

Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, with Brs. Moises Mesh, CSV, and Jason Nesbit, CSV

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Br. Moises Mesh, CSV, and Br. Jason Nesbit, CSV, received the ministry of acolyte during a liturgy at Querbes House celebrated

by Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV, on November 21, 2008. Both of these Viatorians are priesthood candidates at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, IL.

Viatorians took part in Camp Hope, an outdoor vigil four blocks from President-Elect Barack Obama’s home in Hyde Park. Sponsored by a coalition of faith-based and community activists, the vigil began January 1st and ended January 18th.

Fr. Edgar Suárez, CSV, Fr. Thomas von Its purpose was to offer a Behren, CSV, and Fr. Luis Lopéz, CSV congratulatory sendoff to the Obama family, while asking the Obama administration to take eight progressive steps within its first 100 days in office. The eight steps include four international issues: ending the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan; ending torture and secret detention facilities utilized by the U.S.; removing U.S. nuclear weapons from hair-trigger alert; and global climate change; as well as four domestic issues: the housing crisis, full employment and poverty, immigration, and health care. For additional information, please visit www.camphope2009.org.

St. Josaphat Parish in Chicago, IL, presented Br. Donald Houde, CSV, with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his twenty-five years of service to the parish. Over the years, Br. Houde has served the parish as sacristan, lector, communion minister, and as coordinator of volunteers.

Loyola University’s Center for Ministry Development awarded Br. John Eustice, CSV, a Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies, on November 26, 2008. Br. Eustice is a campus minister at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, IL. Taizé prayer, held at the Viatorian Province Center in Arlington Heights, IL, at 7:30 pm on the second Wednesday of every month, continues to attract both the young and not so young.

If you are in the area, please feel free to come for an hour of song, prayer, and meditation.

As this issue of Viator went to press, preparations were being made for the first vows of two Colombian Viatorians, Br. Edwin Ruiz, CSV, and Br. Daniel Villalobos, CSV, in mid-January. Viator will feature an article on them in its June edition. Felicitaciones Edwin and Daniel!

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Clerics of St. Viator 1212 E. Euclid Avenue Arlington Heights, IL 60004-5799

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Newsletter – Winter 2009

PERMIT NO. 7160 PALATINE P&DC, IL

Viator is published three times a year by the Office of Mission Advancement for the Clerics of St. Viator, Province of Chicago.

Email: news@viatorians.com Website: www.viatorians.com Our purpose is to present the mission, ministries, news and needs of our community to those who are interested in and supportive of our works.

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Provincial: Fr. Thomas R. von Behren, CSV

Editorial Board: Fr. Thomas R. von Behren, CSV Br. Michael T. Gosch, CSV Br. Donald P. Houde, CSV Fr. Thomas G. Kass, CSV Br. Leo V. Ryan, CSV

Contributing Journalist: Eileen O’Grady Daday

Layout and Design: Dianna Ehrenfried, Visualedge, Inc.

Editor: Fr. Thomas E. Long, CSV If you are receiving multiple copies of this newsletter and/or wish to be removed from the mailing list, please call the Office of Mission Advancement at 847-637-2142 or fax your request to 847-637-2145.

Torture is a Moral Issue At its December 3rd meeting, the Viatorian Provincial Council endorsed the Declaration of Principles for a Presidential Order on Prisoner Treatment www.nrcat.org.

It is the latest in a series of actions that condemn the use of torture in which members of the community have participated.

Banners across America Members of the council believe that torture violates the basic dignity of the human person and degrades everyone involved, whether they are policy makers, perpetrators, or victims. Consequently, any policies of our nation that permit torture and inhumane treatment are shocking and morally intolerable. The United States cannot expect proper treatment of American detainees overseas if it does not provide proper treatment of detainees in its custody.

For the past several years, a number of Viatorians have been engaged in letter writing campaigns, contacting members of Congress, writing editorials, and demonstrating against the use of torture. One such

demonstration occurred on December 13th. Fr. Corey Brost, CSV, Br. Michael Gosch, CSV, and Fr. Thomas Long, CSV, joined with others in downtown Chicago to call for the closing of Guantanamo Prison and the end of torture to mark the 60th anniversary of International Human Rights Day. As stated in Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment.”

The declaration was adopted and proclaimed on December 10, 1948, by the General Assembly of the United Nations as a result of the atrocities committed during World War II. For a copy of the declaration, please visit www.in.org/Overview/rights.html.

To excuse torture endangers the welfare of our military personnel.

To condone torture weakens our moral standing in the world. To look the other way sends the wrong message, especially to the youth of our country!